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{{short description|Tumuli of the Ahom Kingdom}}
[[File:Maidams (N-AS-24).jpg|thumb|200px| Group of Four Maidams]]
A 'maidam' is a [[tumulus]] of the royalty and aristocracy of the medieval [[Ahom Kingdom]] (1228-1826) in [[Assam]]. The royal {{transl|as|maidams}} are found exclusively at Charaideo; whereas other {{transl|as|maidams}} are found scattered in the region between [[Jorhat]] and [[Dibrugarh]] towns. Structurally, a ''maidam'' consists of vaults with one or more chambers.<ref>{{Harvcol|ASI|2007}}</ref> The vaults have a domical superstructure that is covered by a hemispherical earthen mound that rises high above the ground with an open pavilion at the peak called ''chow chali''. An octagonal dwarf wall encloses the entire ''maidam''.

The structural construction and the process of royal burials are explained in historical documents called ''Chang-Rung Phukanor [[Buranji]]'', which detail even the articles that were buried. Later excavations under the Archaeological Survey of India found some of the {{transl|as|maidams}} previously defiled,<ref>{{Harvcol|Dutta|Das|2003}}</ref> with the articles mentioned in the Buranji missing. Many of the {{transl|as|maidams}} were excavated and looted, most famously under the Mughal general [[Mir Jumla II|Mir Jumla]] who had occupied [[Garhgaon]] briefly in the 17th century, and under the British after 1826.

The [[Ahom people|Ahom]] community in Assam consider the excavation as an affront to their tradition, because the {{transl|as|maidams}} are associated with the Ahom ancestor worship and the festival of [[Me-Dam-Me-Phi]].

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Gogoi |first1=Padmeswar |title=Tai-Ahom Religion and cusotms |date=1976 |publisher=Publication Board, Gauhati, Assam |edition=1st |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.99476}}
* {{cite web
| last = ASI
| title = Group of Maidams, Charaideo
| publisher = Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India
| url = http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_tktd_assam_maidams.asp
| year = 2007
| accessdate = 2007-11-30
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090410124830/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_tktd_assam_maidams.asp
| archive-date = 2009-04-10
| url-status = dead
}}
* {{cite news
| last = Dutta
| first = Pullock
| last2 = Das
| first2 = Ripunjay
| title = Bounty hunters beat ASI to tombs
| publisher = [[The Telegraph (Kolkata)]]
| date = 3 January 2003
| url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1030301/asp/northeast/story_1720984.asp
| accessdate = 2007-12-06 }}
* {{cite news
| last = Das
| first = Ripunjay
| title = Saving Ahom kingdom - Local youths push for Unesco tag to protect Charaideo
| publisher = [[The Telegraph (Kolkata)]]
| date = 2006-01-19
| url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060119/asp/northeast/story_5737072.asp
| accessdate = 2007-12-06 }}
*
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Group of four Maidams}}
* [http://dibrugarh.nic.in/imptplace.html#Barbarua%20Maidam Moidams in Dibrugarh District, Assam]
* [http://jorhat.gov.in/places_of_interest.htm#lachit Lachit Moidam] The Moidam of [[Lachit Borphukan]].
* [http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060804/asp/guwahati/story_6568023.asp Multi-crore rupee project to give facelift to Ahom maidams] ''The Telegraph'', August 4, 2006.

{{coord missing|Assam}}

[[Category:Monuments and memorials in India]]
[[Category:Ahom kingdom]]
[[Category:Tumuli]]
[[Category:Tai history]]

Maidam - Revision history

imported>Homogenie at 03:09, 8 August 2021