SSC
The Ahom community belongs to which state?
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Answer: Option C — Assam
Detailed Solution
The Ahoms are a community of Assam who are descended from the Tai people who migrated from the Shan region of present-day Myanmar (and southern China) into the Brahmaputra valley in the 13th century.
The Ahom kingdom was founded in 1228 by Sukaphaa (Chaolung Sukaphaa), a Tai prince who crossed the Patkai hills with his followers. The Ahom dynasty ruled Assam for almost 600 years, from 1228 to 1826, making it one of the longest-ruling dynasties in Indian history. The Ahoms gradually adopted Hinduism and the Assamese language, and they gave the region its name: "Assam" is believed to come from "Ahom" or "Asam".
Key points about the Ahom kingdom:
The Ahoms successfully resisted the Mughals many times. In the Battle of Saraighat (1671), the Ahom general Lachit Borphukan defeated the Mughal army on the Brahmaputra near Guwahati. Lachit Divas is celebrated on 24 November, and the best cadet of the National Defence Academy receives the Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal.
They had a unique system of forced labour called the "paik" system.
They kept historical chronicles called "Buranjis".
Their early capital was Charaideo. The "moidams" (mound burials of the Ahom royalty) at Charaideo were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024, the first cultural World Heritage Site in the North-East.
Their later capitals included Garhgaon, Rangpur (Sivasagar) and Jorhat, with monuments such as the Rang Ghar, Talatal Ghar and Kareng Ghar.
The kingdom ended after the Burmese invasions and the Treaty of Yandabo (1826), when Assam came under British control.
The Ahoms celebrate "Me-Dam-Me-Phi" on 31 January to honour their ancestors.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Manipur's major community is the Meitei.
- ✗Tripura's main communities include the Tripuri and Reang.
- ✗Arunachal Pradesh has the Adi, Apatani and Nyishi tribes.
Quick tip
Remember: Ahom = Assam; Sukaphaa founded the kingdom in 1228; Lachit Borphukan won at Saraighat (1671); Charaideo moidams = UNESCO site (2024).
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Paintings, Crafts, Dress & Tribes — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Paintings, Crafts, Dress & Tribes, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's traditional painting styles (such as Madhubani, Warli, Pattachitra, Kalamkari, Gond and Tanjore), handicrafts and textiles, traditional dresses, and the major tribes of each state and their customs. It also includes Geographical Indication (GI) tags given to crafts and products. Questions usually ask which state a painting or craft belongs to, which tribe lives in a region, or what a traditional dress is called. Warli belongs to Maharashtra, Madhubani to Bihar, Pattachitra to Odisha and West Bengal, and Gond art to Madhya Pradesh. Grouping tribes by state, and noting the largest tribe of key states (such as the Bhils and the Santhals), helps with elimination. Practise the paintings, crafts and tribes questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.