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Archaeological Survey of India

 
Photography Encyclopedia: Archaeological Survey of India

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), governmental organization, established in 1870, dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the archaeological antiquities of India. Its first director, Major-General Alexander Cunningham, encouraged the use of photography as a tool for recording and preserving. Significant work was produced by Cunningham's assistant J. D. Beglar (1845-1907), but Cunningham also purchased work by commercial studios and amateur photographers such as Robert Gill. Some photographs were specially commissioned, following lists of significant sites drawn up by the Scottish architectural historian James Fergusson. Cunningham's successor, James Burgess, also regarded photography as an integral part of the ASI's work, issuing progress reports illustrated with photographs in the 1870s. During the 19th century, the photographs acquired by the ASI were collected at the India Museum in London. Today this substantial collection survives in the British Library. The collection also incorporates work by earlier photographers such as Linnaeus Tripe. The early 20th century saw a shift away from picturesque views of antiquities towards a more scientific documentation of the archaeological process under director John Marshall. These photographs are also preserved in the British Library. The photographic archive of the post-1948 ASI is held in New Delhi.

— Sophie C. Gordon

See also archaeology and photography.
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Wikipedia: Archaeological Survey of India
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The Archaeological Survey of India (Devanagiri: भारतीय पुरातत्‍व सर्वेक्षण, abbreviation: ASI) is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture [1]. It is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country by various acts of the Indian Parliament[2]. According to its website, the ASI's function is to "explore, excavate, conserve, preserve and protect the monuments and sites of National & International Importance." The ASI has the mandate to regulate the export trade in antiquities and art treasures, to provide for the prevention of smuggling of, and fraudulent dealings in, antiquities, to provide for the compulsory acquisition of antiquities and art treasures for preservation in public places and to provide for certain other matters connected therewith or incidental or ancillary thereto [3]. Among various other activities, imparting training to the young professionals in the field of Archaeology is another function of the ASI [4]. The Archaeological Survey of India runs a premier institute in New Delhi for this purpose [5].

Contents

Background

The creation of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the logical culmination of early archaeological initiatives in British India that included the establishment of The Asiatic Society by Sir William Jones on 15 January 1784 [6].

History

The ASI in its current form was founded in 1861 under British colonial administration by Sir Alexander Cunningham with the help of the then Viceroy Charles John Canning. At that time, its domain included the entire British India including Afghanistan and Burma [7]. In its early days, the Survey was engaged in major exploratory activities which resulted in the discovery of importantant archaeological sites like Sankisa, Sravasti, Bharhut, Kosambi [8]. Cunningham was instrumental in such findings and paved the way for newer studies in Historical Archaeology of India [9]. During the tenure of Cunningham (1867-68), A.C.L. Carlleyle of ASI discovered important rock paintings in the rock shelters of Suhagighat in the Rewa District, Madhya Pradesh [10]. He recognised that some paintings were prehistoric and had no precedance in Europe [10]. When Mortimer Wheeler became Director-General in 1944, the head-office of the Survey was located at the Railway Board building in Simla.

Overview

The ASI administers 3650 monuments and archaeological sites and remains [11] of national importance under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 ( No 24 of 1958)and Rule 1959 [3]. The important sites excavated recently include Harsha-ka-Tila at Thanesar in Haryana exposing a cultural sequence from the Kushan period to medieval periods.

Directors-General

  • 1871 - 1885 Sir Alexander Cunningham
  • 1886 - 1889 Dr James Burgess
  • 1902 - 1928 Sir John Marshall
  • 1928 - 1931 Harold Hargreaves
  • 1931 - 1935 Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni
  • 1935 - 1937 J. F. Blakiston
  • 1937 - 1944 Rao Bahadur K.N. Dikshit
  • 1944 - 1948 Sir Mortimer Wheeler
  • 1948 - 1950 N. P. Chakravarti
  • 1950 - 1953 Madhav Swaroop Vats
  • 1953 - 1968 A. Ghosh
  • 1968 - 1972 B. B. Lal
  • 1972 - M.N.Deshpande (archaeologist)
  • B. K. Thapar (archaeologist)
  • current .......N.K.Srivastav[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Ministry of Culture (India)
  2. ^ Archaeological Survey of India, legislations
  3. ^ a b [1]
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ [3]
  6. ^ Roy, Sourindranath. & Archaeological Survey of India. 1961. The story of Indian archaeology, 1784-1947. Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi
  7. ^ Roy, Sourindranath. & Archaeological Survey of India. 1961 The story of Indian archaeology, 1784-1947. Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi :
  8. ^ http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_history.asp
  9. ^ Singh,Upinder.2004. Discovery of Ancient India: Early Archaeologists and the Beginnings of Archaeology. Permanent Black, Delhi
  10. ^ a b Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal for February,1883,p.49
  11. ^ http://asi.nic.in/asi_monuments.asp
  12. ^ [4]

External links



 
 

 

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