What is Charaideo Maidam?
- Charaideo commonly known as ‘Pyramids of Assam’ was the original capital of the Ahom Kings.
- Charaideo remained the symbolic center of Ahom Kingdom even though the capital of the kingdom moved many times.
- It was built by Chaolung Sukhapa the founder of the dynasty in about 1229 CE.
- Location: Located at the foothills of Nagaland, it’s situated at a distance of around 30 KM from the historical Sivsagar town in Assam.
- Why is Charaideo known as ‘Pyramids of Assam’?
- It contains sacred burial grounds of Ahom kings and queens and is also the place of the ancestral Gods of the Ahoms.
- Some 42 tombs (Maidams) of Ahom kings and queens are present at Charaideo hillocks.
- Architecture: It comprises a massive underground vault with one or more chambers having domical superstructure and covered by a heap of earthen mound and externally it appears a hemispherical mound.
Ahom Dynasty:
- It was founded by Chaolung Sukapha , who entered the Brahmaputra valley in 1228.
- They ruled Assam for six centuries.
- The Ahoms created a new state by taking over the older political system of the bhuiyans (landlords).
- The Ahom administration was a monarchial government with democratic and aristocratic values as well.
- Ahom society was divided into clans and with the expansion of the kingdom, the clans moved and took charge of the designated territory.
- The Ahoms followed stringent travel policies to protect their motherland against the foreign invaders for inward travel.
- In the 17th century, the Ahom rule got weakened due to multiple Burmese invasions and internal conflicts.
- Ahom Kingdom was annexed by the British East India Company after the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.
