Which one of the following statements with regard to the Moidams, built by the Tai-Ahom kingdom and inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is/are correct? 1. They acted as army fortresses. 2. They were recreation centres of the Royals and Nobles. 3. They were burial grounds of the Royals and Nobles. 4. They were battle drill centres of the Royals and Nobles.

Option (C) — Burial mounds of Ahom royals and nobles

• Moidams are the mound-burial system of the Tai-Ahom dynasty that ruled Assam for nearly 600 years (1228 to 1826 CE).
• Located at Charaideo in Assam, the Moidams were inscribed as India's 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2024, becoming the first cultural property from the Northeast to receive this status.
• Each Moidam consists of a vault or chamber where the deceased royal was entombed with belongings, covered by a hemispherical earthen mound topped with a brick or stone structure.
• The site reflects the Tai-Ahom belief system of ancestor worship and resembles the royal burial traditions seen in Egyptian pyramids and Chinese imperial tombs.

• Statement 1. They acted as army fortresses: Incorrect. Moidams were never used as military fortresses; they were sacred funerary structures.
• Statement 2. They were recreation centres of the Royals and Nobles: Incorrect. They had no recreational function and were strictly burial sites.
• Statement 3. They were burial grounds of the Royals and Nobles: Correct. Moidams served as tumuli or burial mounds for Ahom kings, queens, and nobles.
• Statement 4. They were battle drill centres of the Royals and Nobles: Incorrect. They were not associated with military training or drills.