Sir Alexander Cunningham KCIEThe Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
CSIThe Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
(23 January 1814 – 28 November 1893) was a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
archaeologist and
armyAn army An army An army (from Latin armata "armed (things)" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
engineerEngineers are concerned with developing economical and safe solutions to practical problems, by applying mathematics and scientific knowledge while considering technical constraints. The term is derived from the Latin root "ingenium," meaning "cleverness"...
, known as the father of the
Archaeological Survey of IndiaThe Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . It is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country by various acts of the Indian Parliament...
. Both his brothers,
Francis CunninghamFrancis Cunningham was an officer in the Madras Army, member of the Mysore Commission, and Literary Editor.Francis Cunningham was the son of the poet Allan Cunningham and the younger brother of Joseph Davey and Alexander Cunningham, who also spent most of their working lives in India.The brothers'...
and
Joseph CunninghamJoseph Davey Cunningham, was the author of the book History of the Sikhs and an authority in Punjab historiography. His father was the famous Scottish poet and author Allan Cunningham.Joined the Bengal engineers, 1834...
became well-known for their work in British India.
Born in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
to the
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
poet
Allan CunninghamAllan Cunningham was a Scottish poet and author.He was born at Keir, near Dalswinton, Dumfriesshire, and first worked as a stone mason's apprentice. His father was a neighbour of Robert Burns at Ellisland, and Allan with his brother James visited James Hogg, the "Ettrick shepherd", who became a...
, he had his early education at
Christ's Hospital,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. He later studied at the M.E.I Company's Seminary at
AddiscombeAddiscombe is a suburb in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is situated just to the northeast of central Croydon, and is home to a high proportion of people who commute to Central London, owing to its proximity to the busy East Croydon railway station and Tramlink, linking Addiscombe with...
, and at the R.E.Estate at
Chatham-Places:In England:*Chatham, Kent**Chatham Dockyard, frequently referred to simply as "Chatham"**Chatham Historic Dockyard, a maritime museum that occupies part of the site of Chatham Dockyard...
.
Sir Alexander Cunningham KCIEThe Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
CSIThe Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
(23 January 1814 – 28 November 1893) was a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
archaeologist and
armyAn army An army An army (from Latin armata "armed (things)" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
engineerEngineers are concerned with developing economical and safe solutions to practical problems, by applying mathematics and scientific knowledge while considering technical constraints. The term is derived from the Latin root "ingenium," meaning "cleverness"...
, known as the father of the
Archaeological Survey of IndiaThe Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . It is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country by various acts of the Indian Parliament...
. Both his brothers,
Francis CunninghamFrancis Cunningham was an officer in the Madras Army, member of the Mysore Commission, and Literary Editor.Francis Cunningham was the son of the poet Allan Cunningham and the younger brother of Joseph Davey and Alexander Cunningham, who also spent most of their working lives in India.The brothers'...
and
Joseph CunninghamJoseph Davey Cunningham, was the author of the book History of the Sikhs and an authority in Punjab historiography. His father was the famous Scottish poet and author Allan Cunningham.Joined the Bengal engineers, 1834...
became well-known for their work in British India.
Early life and career
Born in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
to the
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
poet
Allan CunninghamAllan Cunningham was a Scottish poet and author.He was born at Keir, near Dalswinton, Dumfriesshire, and first worked as a stone mason's apprentice. His father was a neighbour of Robert Burns at Ellisland, and Allan with his brother James visited James Hogg, the "Ettrick shepherd", who became a...
, he had his early education at
Christ's Hospital,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. He later studied at the M.E.I Company's Seminary at
AddiscombeAddiscombe is a suburb in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is situated just to the northeast of central Croydon, and is home to a high proportion of people who commute to Central London, owing to its proximity to the busy East Croydon railway station and Tramlink, linking Addiscombe with...
, and at the R.E.Estate at
Chatham-Places:In England:*Chatham, Kent**Chatham Dockyard, frequently referred to simply as "Chatham"**Chatham Historic Dockyard, a maritime museum that occupies part of the site of Chatham Dockyard...
. He joined the Bengal Engineers at the age of 19 as a Second Lieutenant and spent the next 28 years in the service of
British Government of IndiaThe British Raj was the British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; it can also refer to the period of dominion, and even the region under the rule...
. Soon after arriving in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
in June 1833, a meeting with
James PrinsepJames Prinsep was an Anglo-Indian scholar and antiquary. He was the seventh son of John Prinsep, a wealthy East India merchant and Member of Parliament....
sparked his lifelong interest in Indian archaeology and antiquity. He was
ADCAn aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Lord Auckland, the Governor-general of India from 1836 to 1840. One 30 March, 1840, he married Alicia Maria Whish, daughter of Martin Whish B.C.S. He was appointed as Colenol R.E in 1860. Cunningham retired in 1861, having attained the rank of
Major GeneralMajor General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General...
.
Military life
He saw action at the Battle of Punniar and was with the
Army of Sutlej in 1845-46. He later became the Chief of Commission of
LadakhLadakh is a region situated in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south...
-
TibetTibet is a plateau region in Asia, north of the Himalayas. It is home to the indigenous Tibetan people, and to some other ethnic groups such as Monpas and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese people. Tibet is the highest region on earth, with an average...
boundary with
Richard StracheyLieutenant-General Sir Richard Strachey, GCSI, FRS , British soldier and Indian administrator, third son of Edward Strachey and grandson of Sir Henry Strachey, 1st Baronet was born on 24 July 1817, at Sutton Court, Stowey, Somerset...
, then a captain in the British Army and Dr. Thomson in 1847. The Commission was set up to delimit the northern boundaries of the Empire after the
First Anglo-Sikh WarThe First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company between 1845 and 1846. It resulted in partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom.-Background and causes of the war:...
concluded with the
Treaty of AmritsarThe Treaty of Amritsar was signed on March 16, 1846 to settle a dispute over territory in Kashmir after the First Sikh War with the United Kingdom, ceding some land to Maharaja Gulab Singh Dogra...
, which ceded
KashmirKashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent...
as war
indemnityAn indemnity is a sum paid by A to B by way of compensation for a particular loss suffered by B. The indemnifying party may or may not be responsible for the loss suffered by the indemnified party...
expenses to the British. He was also a member of a previous commission to chart the border of Ladakh under R.A. Vans Agnew. His early works are from his visits to the temples in
KashmirKashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent...
and his travels in
LadakhLadakh is a region situated in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south...
during his tenure with the Commission. He was also present at the battles of Chilianwala and Gujrat in 1848. In 1851, he explored the
BuddhistBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
monuments of Central India along with Lt. Maisey, and wrote an account of these.He was appointed as the Chief Engineer of Burma in 1856 for two years, and later for three years from 1858 he served in the same post in the North-western Provinces.
The
Archaeological Survey of IndiaThe Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . It is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country by various acts of the Indian Parliament...
was set up following a correspondence between Cunningham and Charles John Canning, then the viceroy of India. Cunningham was appointed the first director of the project, which operated from 1861 to 1865. He published the first two volumes of the Archaeological Survey of India during his tenure here. In 1865 the Archaeological Survey was halted and he left India in February 1866 to join the
Delhi and London Bank at London as its Director till 1870. In the year 1867, Cunningham was
knightedThe British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom. The system consists of three types of award: honours, decorations and medals:...
. Upon the resumption of the Archaeological Survey in 1870, he returned to India to take up the position of Director-general of the
ASIThe Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . It is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country by various acts of the Indian Parliament...
on 1 January, 1871 maintaining his post until 1885. He was the author of 11 volumes of the ASI, while the rest were written under his supervision. He retired on 30 September, 1885 and returned to London, and continued to write books on the Buddhist excavations and on ancient coins. He also published numerous papers in the Journal of the
Asiatic SocietyThe Asiatic Society was founded by Sir William Jones on January 15, 1784 in a meeting presided over by Sir Robert Chambers, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at the Fort William in Calcutta, then capital of the British Raj, to enhance and further the cause of Oriental research. At the time of...
and the Numismatic Chronicle.
Awards
He was awarded the
CSIThe Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
on 20 May, 1870 and
CIEThe Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
in 1878. In 1887, he was made a
Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian EmpireThe Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
.
Work on Buddhist Stupas in Central India
General Cunningham had visited
Bharhut stupaBharhut or Barhut, is a location in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh, Central India, known for its famous Buddhist stupa. The Bharhut stupa may have been established by the Maurya king Asoka in the 3rd century BCE, but many works of art were apparently added during the Sunga period, with many...
, located in present
Satna districtSatna District also see the wiki page for Satna , which was formed in 1948,is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The town of Satna is the district headquarters. The district has an area of 7,502 km², and a population of 1,868,648 , 20.63% of which was urban...
in
Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out...
in 1873 on his way to
NagpurNāgpur is a city in the state of Maharashtra. It is the largest city in central India. It is also the third largest city by population in the state of Maharashtra. Nagpur UA with a population of around 2,420,000; is the 13
th largest urban conglomeration in India and 114
th...
. He was fascinated to find such a heritage site like
BharhutBharhut or Barhut, is a location in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh, Central India, known for its famous Buddhist stupa. The Bharhut stupa may have been established by the Maurya king Asoka in the 3rd century BCE, but many works of art were apparently added during the Sunga period, with many...
but at the same time pained at its ignorance by the people and the government. He left some guards behind to look after the site and came back in February 1874. He collected the scattered pieces of sculptures and records and tried to understand its design and lay out. He came third time in November 1874 with some legal rights. He carried some of the sculptures to
Kolkata, formerly , is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. When referred to as Calcutta, it usually includes the suburbs, and thus its population exceeds 15 million, making it India's third-largest metropolitan area and...
and started a Bharhut gallery in the National Museum at Kolkata. After a detailed study of Buddhist literature and the sculptures from the site, he published in 1876 a book titled "The Stupa of Bharhut", which is still an authentic book about the Bharhut stupa. The famous 8 Buddhist stupas have been built on the relics of
BuddhaSiddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher in the north eastern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is regarded by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of our age. The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c...
in his honour. Bharhut is not in that list. It is still not clear about on whose relics this stupa is built. General Cunningham had found in 1874 excavations a small box carrying the "Rakh Phool (ashes)" , which could not be identified but he handed it over to the Raja of
NagodNagod or Nagode is a town and a nagar panchayat in Satna district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is located 17 miles from the town of Satna. It is the administrative headquarters of Nagod Tehsil. It is believed that it was a small state owned by lower cast , known as 'Teli' whose family...
for safe custody.
Cunningham was associated with the excavation of many sites in India, including
SarnathSarnath is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India...
,
SanchiSanchi is a small village in Raisen District of the State of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, and 10 km from Besnagar and Vidisha in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh...
, and the
Mahabodhi TempleThe Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is located about from Patna, Bihar state, India. Next to the temple, to its western side, is the holy Bodhi tree...
. In the case of Mahabodhi, Cunningham's work of restoring the Temple was completed by the pioneer of Buddhist revival in India,
Anagarika DharmapalaAnagarika Dharmapala was a leading figure in initiating two outstanding features of Buddhism in the twentieth century...
.
Cunningham died in London on November 28, 1893; today, his collection of rare Indian
coinA coin is a piece of hard material, usually metal or a metallic material and sometimes made of synthetic materials, usually in the shape of a disc, and most often issued by a government. Coins are used as a form of money in transactions of various kinds, from the everyday circulation coins to the...
s is displayed in the
British MuseumThe British Museum is a museum of human history and culture situated in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from...
.
Publications
Books written by him include:
- LADĀK: Physical, Statistical, and Historical with Notices of the Surrounding Countries (1854).
- Bhilsa Topes (1854), a history of Buddhism
Buddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
- The Ancient Geography of India (1871)
- The Book of Indian Eras (1883)
- Coins of Ancient India (1891)
- The Stupa of Bharhut
Bharhut or Barhut, is a location in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh, Central India, known for its famous Buddhist stupa. The Bharhut stupa may have been established by the Maurya king Asoka in the 3rd century BCE, but many works of art were apparently added during the Sunga period, with many...
: A Buddhist Monument Ornamented with Numerous Sculptures Illustrative of Buddhist Legend and History in the Third Century B.C. Reprint. First published in 1879, London. 1998
External links