The
Archaeological Survey of India (Devanagiri: भारतीय पुरातत्व सर्वेक्षण
abbreviationAn abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: ASI) is a department of the
Government of IndiaThe Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
, attached to the
Ministry of CultureThe Ministry of Culture is the Indian government ministry charged with preservation and promotion of art and culture.The Minister of Culture holds cabinet rank as a member of the Council of Ministers. The current minister is Dr...
. The ASI is responsible for
archaeologicalArchaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament. According to its website, the ASI's function is to "explore, excavate, conserve, preserve and protect the monuments and sites of National & International Importance." 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 . The survey performs numerous other activities, including: imparting training to the young professionals in the field of Archaeology. The Archaeological Survey of India runs a premier institute in New Delhi for this purpose .
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 JonesSir William Jones was an English philologist and scholar of ancient India, particularly known for his proposition of the existence of a relationship among Indo-European languages...
on 15 January 1784 .
History
The Archaeological Survey of India was founded in 1861 under British colonial administration by
Sir Alexander CunninghamSir Alexander Cunningham KCIE CSI was a British archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India...
with the help of the then Viceroy Charles John Canning. At that time, its domain included the entire British India including
AfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Burma . In its early days, the Survey was engaged in major exploratory activities which resulted in the discovery of important archaeological sites like Sankisa,
SravastiŚrāvastī or Sāvatthī , a city of ancient India, was one of the six largest cities in India during Gautama Buddha's lifetime. The city was located in the fertile Gangetic plains in the present day Gonda District of Uttar Pradesh near Balrampur some 120 km north of Lucknow...
,
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...
,
KosambiKosambi may refer to:*Kosambi, India, an old city and Buddhist pilgrimage site.*Kosambi, Tangerang, a subdistrict of Tangerang Regency, Banten, Indonesia*Kosambi, Jakarta, an administrative village of Cengkareng, West Jakarta, Indonesia...
. Cunningham was instrumental in such findings and paved the way for newer studies in Historical Archaeology of India . During the tenure of Cunningham (1867–68),
A.C.L. CarlleyleA. C. L. Carlleyle was a nineteenth-century archaeologist.The Archaeological Survey of India was revived as a distinct department of the government and Sir Alexander Cunningham was appointed as Director General who assumed his charge in February 1871....
of ASI discovered important rock paintings in the rock shelters of Suhagighat in the
Rewa DistrictRewa District is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The city Rewa is the district headquarters. Rewa is also known as land of white tigers.-Geography:...
,
Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. He recognized that some paintings were prehistoric and had no analog in Europe . When
Mortimer WheelerBrigadier Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler CH, CIE, MC, FBA, FSA , was one of the best-known British archaeologists of the twentieth century.-Education and career:...
became Director-General in 1944, the head-office of the Survey was located at the Railway Board building in
SimlaShimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
.
Overview
The ASI administers 3650 monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 (No 24 of 1958) and Rule 1959 . The important sites excavated recently include Harsha-ka-Tila at
ThanesarThanesar is an old and historic town on the banks of the Sarsawati Ghaggar river in the state of Haryana in northern India. It is located in Kurukshetra District, approximately 160 km northwest of Delhi...
in
HaryanaHaryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
exposing a cultural sequence from the Kushan period to
medieval periodsMedieval India refers to the Middle Ages i.e. 5th to 15th century AD in the Indian subcontinent, it includes:*Early Middle Ages: Middle kingdoms of India*Hoysala Empire*Kakatiya Kingdom*Delhi Sultanate*Ahom Kingdom*Reddy Kingdom...
, A Harappan Town at
BhirranaBhirrana or Birhana is a small village located in Fatehabad District, in the Indian state of Haryana. It does not exist on any tourist map. However, it is the part of an ancient civilisation which is broadly referred to as the "Harappan civilisation"....
in
HaryanaHaryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
has revealed a 4.5 m cultural sequence consisting of Hakra Ware, Early and Mature Harappan cultures Sanauli in
Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
is under excavation by the ASI since September 2005. Subsequently, ASI identified the site as a prominent cemetery site of late Harappan period (early 2nd millennium B.C.), one among the five largest Harappan cities in the subcontinent,
DholaviraDholavira is an archaeological site in Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kachchh district of Gujarat state in western India, which has taken its name from a modern village 1 km south of it. The site of Dholavira, locally known as Kotada timba contains ruins of an ancient Harappan city...
in
Gujarat has yielded many firsts in respect of Indus civilization, An Iron Age Urn Burial Site Adichchanallur in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
Functions
The functions and responsibilities of Archaeological Survey of India , are # Conducting archaeological explorations and excavations; # Maintenance, conservation and preservation of protected monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance; # Chemical preservation of monuments and antiquarian remains; # Architectural survey of monuments; # Epigraphical and numismatic studies; # Setting up and re-organization of Site Museums;# Training in Archaeology; # Bringing out archaeological publications; # Archaeological expeditions outside India; # Horticulture operation in and around ancient monuments and sites; # Implementation and regulation of - The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972.
Directors-General
| Directors-General |
Tenure |
| Sir Alexander Cunningham Sir Alexander Cunningham KCIE CSI was a British archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India...
|
1871–1885 |
| James Burgess |
1886–1889 |
| Sir John Marshall Sir John Hubert Marshall was the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1902 to 1928...
|
1902–1928 |
| Harold Hargreaves |
1928–1931 |
| Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni |
1931–1935 |
| J. F. Blakiston |
1935–1937 |
| Rao Bahadur K.N. Dikshit |
1937–1944 |
Mortimer WheelerBrigadier Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler CH, CIE, MC, FBA, FSA , was one of the best-known British archaeologists of the twentieth century.-Education and career:...
|
1944–1948 |
| N. P. Chakravarti |
1948–1950 |
| Madhav Swaroop Vats |
1950–1953 |
| A. Ghosh |
1953–1968 |
| B. B. Lal Braj Basi Lal , better known as B. B. Lal, is an Indian archaeologist. He was the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1968 to 1972, and has served as President of the World Archaeological Congress. He also worked in for UNESCO committees...
|
1968–1972 |
| M. N. Deshpande |
1972 - ? |
| B. K. Thapar |
? - ? |
| Debala Mitra |
? - ? |
| M.S. Nagaraja Rao |
? - ? |
| R.C. Tripathi |
? - ? |
| J.P. Joshi |
? - ? |
| M.C. Joshi |
? - ? |
| K.N. Srivastav |
2009 - 2010 |
| Dr. Gautam Sengupta |
2010 - Present |
Publications
Archeological Survey of India started publishing all the results of their tours from 1862-63 onwards. A new series entitled "New Imperial Series" was launched in 1874 and continued up to 1933. They contain exhaustive research on antiquarian remains. Annual Reports were started publishing from 1902 onwards. "Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India", first appeared in 1919 and the latest (98th) in 2003.
"Ancient India": the Bulletin of the Archaeological Survey of India was started in 1946. "Architectural Survey of Temples": The monograph on Indian
Temple architectureTemple architecture may refer to:* Hindu temple architecture* Temple architecture...
is also published. ASI has also initiated to prepare and publish an "Inventory of Monuments and Sites of National Importance" during 1997. It contains details of monuments protected by the Government of India.
Their most important epigraphical publication is "
Epigraphia IndicaEpigraphia Indica is the official publication of Archeological Survey of India. The first volume was edited by James Burgess in the year 1888. One part is brought out in each quarter year and eight parts make one volume of this periodical; so that one volume is released once in two years. About 43...
". It was first published in 1892 and 42 volumes have been published so far. The "Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy" has been brought out from 1887 till 1995-96. They contain reports on the epigraphical discoveries made each year. Inscriptions of various dynasties were also published under the series "Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum". "South Indian Inscriptions" and "Annual Report of South Indian Epigraphy" contains details on inscriptions of
South IndiaSouth India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
.
See also
- Dholavira
Dholavira is an archaeological site in Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kachchh district of Gujarat state in western India, which has taken its name from a modern village 1 km south of it. The site of Dholavira, locally known as Kotada timba contains ruins of an ancient Harappan city...
Ancient Metropolitan City. Application is pending for World Heritage Site.
- Survey of India
The Survey of India is India's central engineering agency in charge of mapping and surveying. Set up in 1767 to help consolidate the territories of the British East India Company, it is one of the oldest Engineering Departments of the Government of India...
is India's central agency in charge of mapA map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
ping and surveyingSee Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
.
- Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India which is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines of Union Government of India for conducting geological surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and the second oldest...
conducts geological surveys and studies.
- Mahabalipuram (Underwater city)
External links
- World Heritage Site, All Tentative Sites, Here is an overview of all tentative lists, last updated January 2007.
- World Heritage, Tentative Lists, State : India.
- Dholavira: a Harappan City, Disstt, Kachchh, Gujarat, India, India (Asia and the Pacific), Date of Submission: 03/07/1998 , Submission prepared by : Archaeological Survey of India, Coordinates: 23°53'10" N, 70°11'03" E, Ref.: 1090