The Ahom era ‘Moidams’ in Assam’s Charaideo district have been recommended for UNESCO World Heritage List by its international advisory body ICOMOS.
Moidams
- About: The Moidams are the burial grounds of Tai Ahom kings and queens.
- The Moidams enshrine the mortal remains of Ahom royalty along with the objects they cherished.
- Word derived from: The word ‘Moidam’ is derived from the Tai word Phrang-Mai-Dam or Mai-Tam.
- Phrang-Mai means to put into the grave or to bury and Dam means the spirit of the Dead.
- Located in: They are the resting place of royal families in Assam’s Charaideo district.
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Ahom Kingdom
- Origins of the Ahom People:
- Tai-speaking people originated possibly from South China or Myanmar.
- They migrated to Assam in 1228.
- Introduced wet-rice cultivation and state formation techniques.
- Establishment:
- The Ahom Dynasty was founded in 1228 in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam by Chaolung Sukapha.
- Sukaphaa earned the title “Chaolung” for his exceptional leadership.
- The Ahom state depended upon forced labour. Those forced to work for the state were called paiks.
- Ahom Religion and Society: Initially worshipped tribal gods, later influenced by Brahmanas and Hinduism.
- Mughal Incursions & British Rule: Mughal attempts to capture Assam failed due to Ahom resistance.
- Ahom faced rebellion in the 1800s, eventually succumbing to Burmese invasion.
- The British drove out Burmese in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826).
- The Dynasty retained sovereignty for 600 years until Assam was annexed by the East India Company in 1826 under the Treaty of Yandaboo.
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- Structure: Moidams are hemispherical burial mounds varying in size based on the status of the deceased, featuring a chamber, an earthen mound with a brick structure for offerings, and an octagonal boundary wall with an arched gateway to the west.
- Smaller Moidams lack some of these features.
- Comparable to: The Moidams are comparable to the pyramids of Egypt.
- Practice adopted from: After the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation and began entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Moidam at Charaideo.
- Practice ceased: The burial practice ceased after the Tai Ahom rulers converted to other religions (Hinduism and Buddhism).
- Factors Affecting the Property: The main factors affecting the Moidams are heavy rainfall, soil erosion and vegetation growth. These natural elements pose challenges to the preservation and maintenance of the site.
- Cultural Significance of Moidams: Ahom Moidams is an exceptional example of a Tai-Ahom necropolis that represents in a tangible way their funerary traditions and associated cosmologies.
ICOMOS Report
- ICOMOS: The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is a France-based advisory body to UNESCO for cultural heritage.
- It is an international non-governmental organisation that is composed of professionals, experts, representatives from local authorities, companies and heritage organisations, and is dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of the architectural and landscape heritage throughout the world.
- Suggested Ahom ‘Moidams’ inclusion by ICOMOS: ICOMOS has prepared a report ‘Evaluations of Nominations of Cultural and Mixed Properties’ for the 46th ordinary session of the World Heritage Committee, to be held in New Delhi on July 21-31.
- Ahom Moidam was the sole applicant from India.
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UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- About: A World Heritage site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
- Designated by: These sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance.
- Backed by: It is backed by the international agreement known as the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, established by UNESCO in 1972.
- Tentative UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites: These are identified by individual countries that they consider to have “outstanding universal value” and may be suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List. It is published by the World Heritage Centre.
- Types of Heritage Sites: There are three types of sites: Cultural, Natural, and Mixed.
- Cultural heritage includes artefacts, monuments, buildings, sites, and museums with symbolic, historic, artistic, aesthetic, ethnological, anthropological, scientific, or social significance.
- Natural heritage sites are exceptional natural areas with outstanding ecological processes, unique phenomena, or habitats for rare species.
- Mixed heritage sites blend cultural and natural significance, combining historic buildings or archaeological sites with exceptional natural features.
- India and World Heritage Site: India has 42 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List.
- Cultural Heritage Site in India: 34
- Natural Heritage Site in India: 7
- Mixed Heritage Site in India: 1 (Khangchendzonga National Park)
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July 8, 2024