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The Archaeological Survey of India (?????? ????????? ?????????, ASI)is a Department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture that is responsible for archaeological
Archaeology

Archaeology, archeology, or arch?ology is the science that studies Homo cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, Artifact , features, Biofact s, and cultural landscape....
 studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country by 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." 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.Among various other activities, imparting training to the young professionals in the field of Archaeology is another function of the ASI.The Archaeological Survey of India runs a premier institute in New Delhi for this purpose

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 of Bengal by Sir William Jones, in January 15 1784.

ASI in its current form was founded in 1861 under British colonial administration by Sir Alexander Cunningham
Alexander Cunningham

Sir Alexander Cunningham was a United Kingdom archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India. Both his brothers, Francis Cunningham and Joseph Cunningham became well-known for their work in British India....
 with the help of the then Viceroy Canning.






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The Archaeological Survey of India (?????? ????????? ?????????, ASI)is a Department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture that is responsible for archaeological
Archaeology

Archaeology, archeology, or arch?ology is the science that studies Homo cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, Artifact , features, Biofact s, and cultural landscape....
 studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country by 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." 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.Among various other activities, imparting training to the young professionals in the field of Archaeology is another function of the ASI.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 of Bengal by Sir William Jones, in January 15 1784.

History

The ASI in its current form was founded in 1861 under British colonial administration by Sir Alexander Cunningham
Alexander Cunningham

Sir Alexander Cunningham was a United Kingdom archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India. Both his brothers, Francis Cunningham and Joseph Cunningham became well-known for their work in British India....
 with the help of the then Viceroy Canning. At that time, its domain included the entire British India including Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
 and Burma(Myanmar). 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. 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.Carlleyle of the ASI, discovered important rock paintings in the rock shelters of Suhagighat of Rewa District, Madhya Pradesh.He recognised that some paintings were prehistoric and had no precedance in Europe.When Mortimer Wheeler
Mortimer Wheeler

Brigadier Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler Order of the Companions of Honour, Order of the Indian Empire, Military Cross, British Academy, Society of Antiquaries of London , was one of the best-known British archaeologists of the twentieth century....
 became Director-General in 1944, the head-office of the Survey was located at the Railway Board building in Simla
Shimla

Shimla , originally called Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the erstwhile British Raj in India....
.

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 Thanesar
Thanesar

Thanesar is an old and historic town on the banks of the Ghaggar River in Haryana States and territories of India of North India India. It is located in Kurukshetra District, approximately 160 km northwest of Delhi....
 in Haryana
Haryana

Haryana is a States and territories of India in the Punjab region of northern India. 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 periods
Medieval India

The Middle Ages in the Indian subcontinent:*Early Middle Ages: Middle kingdoms of India*Hoysala Empire*Kakatiya dynasty*Late Middle Ages: Islamic empires in India...
.

Directors-General

  • 1871 - 1885 Sir Alexander Cunningham
    Alexander Cunningham

    Sir Alexander Cunningham was a United Kingdom archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India. Both his brothers, Francis Cunningham and Joseph Cunningham became well-known for their work in British India....
  • 1886 - 1889 Dr James Burgess
  • 1902 - 1928 Sir John Marshall
    John Marshall (archaeologist)

    Sir John Hubert Marshall was the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1902 to 1928. He was responsible for the excavation that lead to the discovery of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, two of the main cities that comprise the Indus Valley Civilization....
  • 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
    Mortimer Wheeler

    Brigadier Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler Order of the Companions of Honour, Order of the Indian Empire, Military Cross, British Academy, Society of Antiquaries of London , was one of the best-known British archaeologists of the twentieth century....
  • 1948 - 1950 N. P. Chakravarti
  • 1950 - 1953 Madhav Swaroop Vats
  • 1953 - 1968 A. Ghosh
  • 1968 - 1972 B. B. Lal
    B. B. Lal

    Braj Basi Lal is a well-known 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....
  • 1972 - M.N.Deshpande (archaeologist)
  • B. K. Thapar (archaeologist)
  • current .......N.K.Srivastav


See also


  • List of World Heritage Sites in India.
    List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia

    This is a list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Sites in Asia, Australia and the Oceanian part of the Pacific Ocean....
  • Dholavira
    Dholavira

    Dholavira, an ancient metropolis, and locally known as Kotada Timba Prachin Mahanagar Dholavira, is one of the largest and most prominent archaeological sites in India, belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization....
     Ancient Metropolitan City. Application is pending for World Heritage Site.
  • Survey of India
    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 mapping
    Mapping

    Mapping may refer to:*The making of maps, as in cartography, surveying, and photogrammetry;In biology and neuroscience:*Gene mapping, the assignment of DNA fragments to chromosomes...
     and surveying
    Surveying

    Surveying or land surveying is the technique and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional space position of points and the distances and angles between them....
    .
  • Geological Survey of India
    Geological Survey of India

    Geological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India for conducting geology surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world....
     conducts geological surveys and studies.
  • Mahabalipuram
    Mahabalipuram

    Mahabalipuram also known as Mamallapuram is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian States and territories of India of Tamil Nadu....
     (Underwater city)


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