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History
From
1784to1861|1861to1901|19011947|1947onwards
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FROM1784TO1861
TheappointmentofFrancisBuchananin1800byMarquisofWellesleytosurveyMysorewasa
positive step by the then government. In 1807 he was engaged to survey monuments and
antiquitiesinpartsofpresentdayBiharandUttarPradesh.Therepairtothemonumentswerenot
thoughtofduringthisperiodandverysparselycertainmonumentslikeTajMahal,FatehpurSikri
andSikandarawererepaired.
TheBengalRegulationXIXof1810wasthefirstattempttomakethegovernmenttointervenein
caseofriskstomonumentsthroughlegislation.
ArchitecturalSurvey
Projects
EpigraphicalStudies&
Branches
Underwater
ArchaeologyWing
ScienceBranch
HorticultureBranch
CentralAntiquity
Collection
CentralArchaeological
Library
InstituteofArchaeology
Many individuals who contributed enormously, included James Fergusson who carried out
extensivesurveysoftherockcutmonumentsinIndiabetween1829and1847MarkhamKittoein
east India discovering the Dhauli rockedict, and his surveys in Gaya and Sarnath Edward
ThomasinthefieldofnumismaticsCunninghamwhohelpedPrinsepintheinvestigationsonthe
IndoGreekandIndoScythicdynastiesandalsoexploredstupasinBhilsa,etcWalterEliottwho
followed the work of Collin Mackenzie and copied nearly 595 inscriptions from Dharwar, Sonda
and north Mysore, also reconstructed dynastic history of Chalukyas and other south Indian
dynasties through coins Colonel Meadows Taylor who carried out extensive surveys on the
megalithicmonumentsofsouthIndiaDr.StevensonandDr.BhauDajicarriedoutsurveysofthe
caveinscriptionsofwesternIndia.
Meanwhile Alexander
Meanwhile Alexander
CunninghamaSecond
Lieutenant
of
the
Bengal Engineers who
initiallyassistedJames
Prinsep formulated a
plan in 1848 for an
Indian Archaeological
Survey and placed it
before the British
government,
but,
without
success.
Duringthesameperiod
many
eventful
decisions were taken
by the government on
the recommendations
of the Royal Asiatic
Society of the United
Kingdom.Upontheserecommendations,theIndiangovernmentsanctionedasmallamountfor
repairs to the monuments. Lord Hardinge initiated a system approving proposals submitted by
individuals based on their research and knowledge of Indian antiquities. Some of them were
MarkhamKittoe,forconductingoperationsinBiharandBanaresMajorF.Maisey,fordrawingthe
antiquities at Kalinjar and sculptures at Sanchi and Captain Gill to copy the paintings of Ajanta
CavesLt.Bretttotakeimpressionsofthecaveinscriptions.Thefollowingyearssawtheuprising
oftheIndiansoldiersandtheFirstWarofIndianIndependencein1857virtuallyputastandstillof
archaeologicalpursuits.
FROM1861TO1901
ThefreshproposalputbyAlexanderCunninghamwasgivendueattentionbyLordCanning,who
sanctioned a scheme of survey in northern India . It was defined as: an accurate description
illustratedbyplans,measurements,drawingsorphotographsandbycopiesofinscriptionsofsuch
remainsasdeservenotice,withthehistoryofthemsofarasitmaybetraceable,andarecordof
thetraditionsthatareretainedregardingthem.
Cunningham was appointed as the first Archaeological Surveyor from December 1861. He
surveyedareasstretchingfromGayaintheeasttotheIndusinthenorthwest,andfromKalsiinthe
north to the Narmada in the south, between 1861 and 1865. For this, he largely followed the
footsteps of the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang. However, the endeavours came to a sudden halt
due to the abolition of the Archaeological Survey in 1866 by Lord Lawrence. In the meanwhile
howeveranact(XX)waspassedin1863,whichvestedpowerswiththegovernmenttoprevent
injurytoandpreservebuildingsremarkablefortheirantiquityorfortheirhistoricalorarchitectural
value.
Lord Lawrence based on the suggestions by the then Secretary of State, Sir Stafford Northcote,
calledonthelocalgovernmentstolisthistoricalbuildingsandobtainphotographsofthem.This
waslaterfollowedbyinstructionstopreparecastsofimportantbuildingstounderstandthedifferent
architectural styles of India . The work was entrusted to four independent parties in Bombay ,
Madras,BengalandtheNorthwesternProvinces.IndividualslikeSykesandBurgessinBombay
Lt.H.H.ColeinKashmir,MathuraandotherplacesRajendralalMitrainOrissacontributedalot
underthisscheme.
Theattentionofthegovernmentforundertakingrepairsandconservation,protectingtheancient
monumentsfromfallingintodisusewasnotdrawnuntilDukeofArgyll,thenewSecretaryofState,
advised the Government of India to establish a central department to tackle the archaeological
problems of the whole country. He also stressed on the need for conservation of monuments
statingthatitwastheboundendutyoftheGovernmenttopreventitsownservantsfromwantonly
acceleratingthedecayofmonuments.
The Archaeological Survey was revived as a distinct department of the government and
CunninghamwasappointedasDirectorGeneralwhoassumedhischargeinFebruary1871.The
departmentwasentrustedwiththetaskofdoingacompletesearchoverthewholecountry,anda
systematicrecordanddescriptionofallarchitecturalandotherremainsthatareeitherremarkable
fortheirantiquity,ortheirbeautyortheirhistoricalinterest.
Cunninghamwasalsoentrustedtodirecthisattentiontothepreparationofabriefsummaryof
the labours of former enquirers and of the results which had already been obtained and to the
formulationofageneralschemeofsystematicenquiryfortheguidanceofastaffofassistancein
presentandfutureresearches.
Cunningham was given two assistants J.D. Beglar and A.C. Carlleyle who were later joined by
H.B.W. Garrik. Cunningham resumed surveys in Delhi and Agra in 1871 in 1872 he surveyed
Rajputana, Bundelkhand, Mathura , Bodh Gaya and Gaur in 1873, Panjab between 1873 and
1877, Central Province , Bundelkhand and Malwa. To initiate the survey in a systematic way
AlexanderCunninghamchosetorecordtheBuddhistfindsandmonumentsbyplottingthemona
mapsoastounderstandtheancienttraderoute.
The surveys of Cunningham led to several discoveries such as monolithic capitals and other
remains of Asoka, specimens of architecture of Gupta and postGupta period great stupa of
Bharhutidentificationofancientcitiesnamely:Sankisa,SravastiandKausambi.Healsobrought
to prominence the Gupta temples at Tigawa, Bilsar, Bhitargaon, Kuthra, Deogarh and Gupta
inscriptionsatEran,Udayagiriandotherplaces.
BythetimeCunninghamretiredin1885herecommendedtothegovernmenttoabolishthepostof
DirectorGeneralandreorganisenorthIndiaintothreeindependentcircles,viz.,Panjab,Sindand
RajputanaNorthwesternProvinces(UttarPradesh)andCentralProvincesandBengalincluding
Bihar, Orissa, Assam and Chhota Nagpur, each managed by a Surveyor with a staff of two
assistants and two draftsmen. The regions of Madras , Bombay and Hyderabad were
recommendedtobeplacedunderBurgessandepigraphyunderFleet.ThusBengalcameunder
Beglar,NorthwesternProvincesunderMajorJ.B.KeithwithDr.A.Fuhrerashisassistant,Panjab
cameunderC.J.Rodgers.
TheotherimportanteventsduringthisperiodwastheextensivesurveyscarriedoutbyBurgessin
westernIndiabetween1871and1885andalsowithhisassistantsAlexanderReainsouthIndia
from 1882 many new areas were explored and discovered. Dr. E. Hultzsch was appointed as
Epigraphistin1886foraperiodoffiveyearsfordecipheringandinterpretingSanskrit,Paliand
Dravidianlanguages.Burgesswasalsocalledtotaketheadditionalresponsibilityalongwiththe
archaeologicalsurveyorofsouthIndiatoscrutinisethereportssubmittedbythethreenewCircles.
Burgess became the Director General in March 1886 and on his recommendations the
governmentunifiedthethreeseparatecirclesunderoneheadalongwiththethreedifferentfields
ofoperationnamelyexploration,conservationandepigraphy.Amongthemajorworkscarriedout
byBurgesstheimportantonesaresurveymadebyFuhererandSmithbetween1886and1887of
the Sharqi architecture of Jaunpur and monuments of Zafarabad, Saheth and Maheth and
Ayodhya.SmithalsocarriedoutsurveysinBudaon,Lalitpur,Orcha,Bundelkhand.HenryCousens
carriedoutsurveysinnorthGujaratandBijapurwhileReaundertooksurveyofMahabalipuram,
Krishna,NelloreandGodavari.
DuringthetenureofBurgesstheKankaliTilaatMathurawasexcavatedin18871888.Hewas
also instrumental in bringing out two important directives which debarred public officers from
disposing antiquities without official approval and prohibiting digging of ancient remains without
theconsentoftheArchaeologicalSurvey.HealsostartedanewpublicationknownasEpigraphica
Indicain1888whichwaseditedbygreatscholarslikeBuhler,KielhornandEggeling.
He also published twenty volumes of which seven formed part of the Archaeological Survey of
India,NewImperialSeries.PerhapsinretrospectiononthevoluminousworkdoneBurgessalso,
like Cunningham, thought that a large survey organization is not required to do the remaining
work.HethereforerecommendedtothegovernmenttoabolishthepostofDirectorGeneraland
dividetheentirecountryintotwocirclesoneunderCousensandotherunderRea.Thuschaosand
confusionreturnedandArchaeologicalSurveyasacentralbodyceasedtoexist.Therewereonly
two Surveyors now known as Superintendents working in the west and south while Fleet was
assigned the duties of epigraphical research. Hultzch was also retained as Government
EpigraphistatMadrasforaperiodofthreeyears.
The following years saw utter chaos and disorganization while the publication of survey reports
virtuallyended.Ineachandeveryfieldtheresultswerelaggingbehindandvoluminousquantityof
work was to be done. In 1895 the Government of India understood the reality and for a while
requestedtheAsiaticSocietytobeartheresponsibilitieswhichthelatterrefused.Howeverittooka
long time before proposals were called from the local governments, scholars from Royal Asiatic
SocietyandTawney,BuhlerandFleet.TheproposalsubmittedtotheSecretaryofStateputforth
thefollowingrecommendations:
1.CreationoffivecircleswithanArchaeologicalSurveyorasheadat:BombaywithSindand
BerarMadrasandCoorgPanjab,BaluchistanandAjmerNorthwesternProvincesand
CentralProvincesBengalandAssam.
2.ConservationasthemainaimoftheCircleheads,excavationassecondaryobjective.
3.Whateverfundsavailableweretobeutilizedforthepreservationofmonumentsratherthan
explorationofunknown.
4.EpigraphyreceivedamajorsupportandHultzschwasretainedforsouthIndianinscriptions
whilehonoraryepigraphistswereconsideredforotherregions.
TherecommendationswereacceptedinMay1899andalsomadeprovisionofpensionofthose
whojoinedSurveybeforethatdate.However,inspiteofthefirmfootingforarchaeologicalworks
theproblempointedoutbyLordLyttonearlierin1878wasnotaddressed.
ThearrivalofLordCurzonwasablessingindisguiseforthe
revival of Archaeological Survey of India. He observing the
lack of coordinated efforts and the total disorganization of
CirclesproposedtherevivalofthepostofDirectorGeneral.
He should be a trained explorer with archaeological
knowledge and engineering skill He was required to
exercise a general supervision over all the archaeological
work of the country, whether it was that of excavation, of
preservation or of repair, of epigraphy, or of the registration
and description of monuments and ancient remains. He
wouldcoordinateandbringuptodatethelocalsurveysand
reports and should in addition present to Government an
annualreportofhiswork.
FROM1901TO1947
In1901therecommendationswereacceptedandJohn
MarshallwasappointedasthenewDirectorGeneral.Lord
CurzontotallycentralizedtheSurveyandvestedthepowers
withtheDirectorGeneraloftheArchaeologicalSurveyof
India.Marshallassumedchargesin1902andanewera
startedinIndianarchaeology.
Hisprinciplesonarchaeologicalconservationarestillvalid
andfollowedevenbymodernconservationexperts.The
mainobservationsofMarshallwere:
1.Hypotheticalrestorationswereunwarranted,unlessthey
wereessentialtothestabilityofabuilding
2.Everyoriginalmemberofabuildingshouldbepreservedin
tact,anddemolitionandreconstructionshouldbeundertakenonlyifthestructurecouldnot
beotherwisemaintained
3.Restorationofcarvedstone,carvedwoodorplastermouldingshouldbeundertakenonlyif
artisanswereabletoattaintheexcellenceoftheoldand
4.Innocaseshouldmythologicalorotherscenesberecarved.
HestartedthenewseriesofpublicationsnamelyAnnualReportsoftheDirectorGeneralwhich
containedtheworksandresearchactivitiescarriedoutbytheSurvey.AseparatebranchforArabic
andPersianinEpigraphywasalsocreatedandDr.Rosswasappointedforthispurpose.Themost
remarkableeventinrelationtoprotectionofmonumentsistheenactmentofAncientMonuments
PreservationAct1904.InadditiontothefiveCirclescreatedin1899certainchangesweremade
byappointinganarchitectforMuhammadanbuildingsinnorthIndiain1902.Onastrongpleading
byMarshallin1904onthevergeofexpiryofhisfiveyearstenurefortheretentionoftheSurvey,
thegovernmentacceptedtheproposaltemporarily.Further,on28thApril1906,thegovernment
announcedthattheSurveywasplacedonapermanentandimprovedfooting.
ThesanctionedstrengthonthatdatewastheDirectorGeneralofArchaeologyandGovernment
EpigraphistforthewholeofIndiaSuperintendentsofWesternCirclecoveringBombay,Sind,
Hyderabad,CentralIndiaandRajputanaSuperintendentoftheSouthernCircle,coveringMadras
andCoorg,andanattachedAssistantSuperintendentforEpigraphySuperintendentand
ArchaeologicalSurveyoroftheNorthernCircle,coveringtheUnitedProvinces,Panjab,Ajmer,
KashmirandNepalSuperintendentandAssistantSuperintendentoftheEasternCircle,covering
Bengal,Assam,CentralProvincesandBerarSuperintendentoftheFrontierCircle,coveringthe
NorthwestFrontierProvinceandBaluchistanandSuperintendentoftheBurmaCircle.
In1912thegovernmentagainseriouslyconsideredtoabolishthepostofDirectorGeneraland
replaceitbyaProfessorofarchaeologyattachedtoaproposedorientalresearchinstitute.
However,itwasnotcarriedthrough.AnArchaeologicalChemistandDeputyDirectorGeneral
wereaddedtothestrengthin1917and1918respectively.TheMontagueChelmsfordReformsof
1919madeimportantchangesintheadministrationoftheSurveywhiletheDevolutionRulesof
1921laiddownarchaeologyasaCentralsubject.TheEasternCirclewasrenamedasCentral
CircleandanewEasternCircle,withCalcuttaasheadquarters,wascreated.
Theyears192122sawthediscoveryoftheIndusCivilizationandsubsequentlyaseparate
ExplorationBranchwithaDeputyDirectorGeneralandthreeAssistantSuperintendentswas
created.Explorationsandexcavationsweregivendueattention.TheProvincialGovernmentswere
leftwithonlythestatutorypowerofdeclaringamonumentprotected.
SirJohnMarshallrelinquishedthepostofDirectorGeneralin1928andretiredon19thMarch
1931ashehadtowriteaseriesofmonographsonMohenjodaro,Harappa,Taxila,Sanchi,
Mandu,Delhi,AgraandMultan.H.HargreavessucceededMarshallasDirectorGeneralin1928
andhisrecommendationforabolitionoftheSuperintendentofHinduandBuddhistMonumentsat
LahoreandSuperintendentofMuhammadanandBritishMonumentsatAgraintoanAssistant
SuperintendentattachedtoFrontierCircleandSuperintendentofNorthernCirclewasacceptedin
1931.
RaiBahadurDayaRamSahnisucceededhiminJuly1931.Hisperiodsawacurtailmentbothin
postsandfundstobefollowedbyareversetrendinfunctioning.TheAnnualReportssoonhada
hugebacklogandin1935aspecialofficerwasappointedtoclearthem.J.F.Blakistonsucceeded
asDirectorGeneralin1935duringwhichperiodthroughtheGovernmentofIndiaActof1935the
CentralGovernmentassumedallpowersvestedwiththeProvincialGovernment.Undercertain
amendmentsintheAncientMonumentsPreservationActforeigninstitutionswereallowedto
undertakefieldworkinIndia,throughwhichChanhudaroinSindwasexploredandexcavated.
RaoBahadurK.N.
Dikshitsucceededin
1937andthe
explorationinSindwas
revived.However,it
metwithatragicend
withthedeathofthe
teamleaderShriN.G.
Majumdaratthehand
ofdacoits.Duringthis
periodSirLeonard
Woolleywasappointed
asaforeignexpertto
reportonthematters
relatingtofuture
excavations.Hisreport
highlycondemnedthe
natureandpoliciesof
thegovernment
relatingtoexcavation,thetechniquesadoptedandinvolved.Howeverhepraisedtheconservation
activitiescarriedoutbythesurveyandhedidnotcommentanythingonepigraphicalactivities.He
alsorecommendedlargescaleexcavationofcertainsitestheprominentamongthemwas
AhichchhatrainBareillydistrict,UttarPradeshunderthesupervisionofacompetentarchaeologist.
HenceAhichchhatrawasexcavatedunderthedirectionofK.N.Dikshitbetween19401944.The
interveningperiodsawsomesetbackduetoWorldWarII,whichsloweddowntheprogressof
survey.
R.E.M.WheelersucceededK.N.DikshitasDirector
Generalin1944onacontractoffouryears.Herevived
theExcavationBranchunderanAssistant
Superintendent,whichwaslaterelevatedto
Superintendent.Helaidspecialemphasisonexploration,
excavationtechniquesandtosolvetheproblemsrelated
tochronology.In1945conservationwascentralisedand
broughtunderthepurviewofSurveyforwhichadditional
staffweresanctioned.Aprehistorianintherankof
AssistantSuperintendentwasalsocreated.Tomeetthe
additionalworkattheheadquarters,apostofJoint
DirectorGeneralwascreatedin1935.ASuperintendent
ofPublicationswasalsocreatedtocatertotheneedsof
highqualitypublicationontheworkscarriedoutbythe
Survey.
HeexcavatedthreeimportantsitesnamelyArikameduin
PondicherryBrahmagiriinKarnatakaandTaxila(nowin
Pakistan)toascertainandfixclearchronological
timeframeforIndianhistorywhichwaseludingthe
archaeologistssolong.Theseexcavationswerealso
utilizedfortrainingtheIndianstudentsinexcavation
technique,conservationandotherrelatedaspects.
Wheelerintroducedthestratificationtechniqueof
excavationwhichwasinvogueduringthattimeand
improvedthesystemofreportingandpublishing.Hebroughtoutanewseriesofpublication
namelytheAncientIndiawhichitselfcontaineddetailedexcavationreportsofmanysitesapart
fromresearcharticlesandreportsonfieldsurveys.
From1947onwards
N.P.ChakravartisucceededWheelerinApril1948.Hisperiodsawtheorganizationofalarge
scaleexhibitionatNewDelhiin1948ontheIndianartobjects.Theseobjectswereoriginally
exhibitedinLondonin1947andlateronitsreturntoIndiaformedthenucleusoftheNational
Museumwhichwasopenedon15thAugust1949.
OnIndiabecomingarepublicandadoptingtheConstitutionthefollowingfunctionsrelatingto
archaeologypertainingtotheUnionandtheStateGovernmentsweremade:
1.Union:ancientandhistoricalmonuments.andarchaeologicalsitesandremains,
declaredbytheParliamentbylawtobeofnationalimportance
2.State:ancientandhistoricalmonumentsotherthanthosedeclaredbyParliamenttobeof
nationalimportance.
3.Besidesthesetwocategories,boththeUnionandtheStateswouldhaveconcurrent
jurisdictionoverarchaeologicalsitesandremainsotherthanthosedeclaredbyParliament
bylawtobeofnationalimportance.N.P.ChakravartirelinquishedhispostinJune1950to
continueuntil1952asadvisortotheSurvey.MadhavSwaroopVatssucceededhimandhis
periodsawtheenactmentoftheAncientandHistoricalMonumentsandArchaeological
SitesandRemains(DeclarationofNationalImportance)Actin1951.A.Ghoshsucceeded
Vatsin1953.
TheactivitiesinpostIndependenceIndiasawgreatstridesanddevelopmentinthefieldof
ArchaeologicalSurveyofIndia.TheCircleswhichwerecreatedonregionalbasislargelyfollowing
thegeographicaljurisdictiontheStates,arenowrechristenedonthebasisofthecitywherethe
CircleHeadquarterislocated.Mostly,everystatehadaCircleusuallyinthestatecapitaland
namedafterthecityinwhichtheCircleislocated.However,instateshavinglargerareaoftentwo
orthreecircleslookaftertheprotectionofmonuments.Forexample,threeCirclesadministerUttar
Pradeshwithheadquartersat:Agra,LucknowandPatna,whileChandigarhCirclelooksafter
monumentslocatedinthestatesofHaryanaandPunjab.
Atpresentthereare24Circleslookingaftermorethan3600monuments.
ThefollowingActswereenactedforbetterpreservationandmaintenanceofmonumentsandalso
topreventillegaltraffickingofantiquitiesandarttreasures.
AncientMonumentsandArchaeologicalSitesandRemainsAct,1958
TheAncientMonumentsandArchaeologicalSitesandRemains(AmendmentandValidation)Act,
2010
AntiquitiesandArtTreasuresAct,1972
Inadditiontotheaboveperiodicalamendmentsandregulationswereaddedtocopewiththe
changingscenarioandtoprotectthemonuments.OnesuchactionisthedeclarationofProhibited
area,100mfromprotectedlimitsandfurther200masRegulatedAreafromtheprohibitedlimits,to
preventencroachmentsandunregulatedconstructionsnearprotectedmonuments.
TheTreasureTroveAct1878andtheAncientMonumentsPreservationAct,1904arealsoin
vogueinadditiontotheabovementionedlegislations.
ManynewpublicationswerealsostartedduringthepostIndependenceera.Prominentamong
themweretheIndianArchaeologyAReviewanannualpublicationreviewingalltheactivities
conductedinthecountry.
InadditionmanypublicationsstartedearlierliketheEpigraphiaIndicaanditssupplements
EpigraphiaIndoMoslemicawhichwaslaterrenamedasEpigraphiaIndoMoslemicaArabicand
PersianSupplement,MemoirsoftheArchaeologicalSurveyofIndia,CorpusInscriptionum
Indicarum,etc.arealsocontinue.
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