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{{Infobox organisation | {{Infobox organisation | ||
| name = Archaeological Survey of India | | name = Archaeological Survey of India | ||
| | | logo = Archaeological Survey of India.jpg | ||
| logo_size = 140px | |||
| logo_caption = Official logo of the ASI | |||
| image = ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA - GOA.jpg | |||
| image_border = | | image_border = | ||
| caption = | | caption = | ||
| map = <!-- optional --> | | map = <!-- optional --> | ||
| mcaption = <!-- optional --> | | mcaption = <!-- optional --> | ||
| abbreviation = ASI | | abbreviation = ASI | ||
| motto = प्रत्नकीर्त्तिमपावृणु<br> | | motto = प्रत्नकीर्त्तिमपावृणु<br /> | ||
{{nowrap|{{small|(let us uncover the glory of the past)}}}} | {{nowrap|{{small|(let us uncover the glory of the past)}}}} | ||
| motto meaning in Hindi = | | motto meaning in Hindi = | ||
| motto meaning in English = | | motto meaning in English = | ||
| formation = 1861 | | formation = {{start date and age|1861}} | ||
| founder = [[Alexander Cunningham]] | | founder = [[Alexander Cunningham]] | ||
| extinction = <!-- date of extinction, optional --> | | extinction = <!-- date of extinction, optional --> | ||
| Line 26: | Line 29: | ||
| region_served = India | | region_served = India | ||
| membership = | | membership = | ||
| language = | | language = English<br />[[Hindi]] | ||
| leader_title = Director General | | leader_title = Director General | ||
| leader_name = V. Vidyavathi, [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]] | | leader_name = V. Vidyavathi, [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]] | ||
| Line 34: | Line 37: | ||
| num_staff = | | num_staff = | ||
| num_volunteers = | | num_volunteers = | ||
| budget = {{INRConvert| | | budget = {{INRConvert|1142.63|c}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Union Budget 2021: Culture Ministry budget cut by nearly 15%|url=https://www.thehindu.com/business/budget/union-budget-2021-culture-ministry-budget-cut-by-nearly-15/article33721325.ece?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=c7679de755dc5c27cb00d90d347dbe41ea445520-1619379490-0-AUv87kMIhfYggVwCU7b9Af0gOyMs-g__gmvSZgPcpIUb20kceesmhol9lQAr0kbYHDPMNgSrCtjDO48T6e23yp-76DdXuc6anFDL5mbcLL2Z3KlbGyKbNmKTEk2T890-1whOh-8l5uLdJWyXe6ES8S5VgJc11Yjxk0SLfT4LG0DNpK9JmGrNjvJouX6NE-nGzqc8iPWz-UqFWtUPzv5jvmaKqyL2G4cy44Pp2XdN8R3HTALLPEOG87FbchYNSspcGeriewl5wnaXIBa6taiZXyKyzXb33WV1KLqjdUylvlIRt_mskPEYbUcMhaxD5Ude45mAqoEJRFUA6mouy8gO0b-HxJFfEOM3zfdTVTHcr63eF4fxiyOeSKUHnBkgcBOPZQvn_qMAEtev8ziqeKkyOBqcEjAF_NTrbKeYykHNFqYc2l1V76X4xnXuchDwUcbmWBmG80yKC1j_MdxliVX7JU46W9J2tOX_CGn5KM4IFLpPTQJcmszSC2nkJeMZDLD0h3ekDNWdCzPYcPdI1N1WHGs6uEToLXa8xz1iqtpz_HR25MzTTojsnIBdDDzdq_hJk6uZhDnqRbH9u01rW8abgu1UNYgzeBDPGMCwlIR_0kHJoQGGQXdU52RLV9s67F5BWLTQhOb-mcbUdRWs9ETBwJNXwystZhDmn4n8QFrChBddkjluxgPrcuvjImgLsbFJ6UFzp9plIolYQ_7ySyQVQNo|access-date=25 April 2021|archive-date=25 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425194037/https://www.thehindu.com/business/budget/union-budget-2021-culture-ministry-budget-cut-by-nearly-15/article33721325.ece?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=c7679de755dc5c27cb00d90d347dbe41ea445520-1619379490-0-AUv87kMIhfYggVwCU7b9Af0gOyMs-g__gmvSZgPcpIUb20kceesmhol9lQAr0kbYHDPMNgSrCtjDO48T6e23yp-76DdXuc6anFDL5mbcLL2Z3KlbGyKbNmKTEk2T890-1whOh-8l5uLdJWyXe6ES8S5VgJc11Yjxk0SLfT4LG0DNpK9JmGrNjvJouX6NE-nGzqc8iPWz-UqFWtUPzv5jvmaKqyL2G4cy44Pp2XdN8R3HTALLPEOG87FbchYNSspcGeriewl5wnaXIBa6taiZXyKyzXb33WV1KLqjdUylvlIRt_mskPEYbUcMhaxD5Ude45mAqoEJRFUA6mouy8gO0b-HxJFfEOM3zfdTVTHcr63eF4fxiyOeSKUHnBkgcBOPZQvn_qMAEtev8ziqeKkyOBqcEjAF_NTrbKeYykHNFqYc2l1V76X4xnXuchDwUcbmWBmG80yKC1j_MdxliVX7JU46W9J2tOX_CGn5KM4IFLpPTQJcmszSC2nkJeMZDLD0h3ekDNWdCzPYcPdI1N1WHGs6uEToLXa8xz1iqtpz_HR25MzTTojsnIBdDDzdq_hJk6uZhDnqRbH9u01rW8abgu1UNYgzeBDPGMCwlIR_0kHJoQGGQXdU52RLV9s67F5BWLTQhOb-mcbUdRWs9ETBwJNXwystZhDmn4n8QFrChBddkjluxgPrcuvjImgLsbFJ6UFzp9plIolYQ_7ySyQVQNo|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
| budget_year = | | budget_year = 2022–23 | ||
| website = | | website = {{official url}} | ||
| remarks = | | remarks = | ||
}} | }} | ||
The '''Archaeological Survey of India''' ('''ASI''') is an | The '''Archaeological Survey of India''' ('''ASI''') is an Indian government agency that is responsible for [[archaeology|archaeological]] research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by [[Alexander Cunningham]] who also became its first Director-General. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
| Line 58: | Line 61: | ||
In 1892, Edward Buck announced that the Archaeological Survey of India would be shut down and all ASI staff would be dismissed by 1895, in order to generate savings for the Government's budget.<ref name="DFH496"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Huxley |first1=Andrew |title=Mr Houghton and Dr Führer: a scholarly vendetta and its consequences |journal=South East Asia Research |date=2011 |volume=19 |issue=1 |page=66 |issn=0967-828X|jstor=23750866 }}</ref> It was understood that only a fantastic archaeological discovery within the next three years for example might be able to turn public opinion and save the funding of the ASI.<ref name="DFH496"/> | In 1892, Edward Buck announced that the Archaeological Survey of India would be shut down and all ASI staff would be dismissed by 1895, in order to generate savings for the Government's budget.<ref name="DFH496"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Huxley |first1=Andrew |title=Mr Houghton and Dr Führer: a scholarly vendetta and its consequences |journal=South East Asia Research |date=2011 |volume=19 |issue=1 |page=66 |issn=0967-828X|jstor=23750866 }}</ref> It was understood that only a fantastic archaeological discovery within the next three years for example might be able to turn public opinion and save the funding of the ASI.<ref name="DFH496"/> | ||
[[File:Monograph on Buddha Sakyamuni's birthplace.jpg|thumb|[[Alois Anton Führer]] own report on his discoveries, entitled ''[https://archive.org/details/monographonbuddh00fuhr/page/n7 Monograph on Buddha Sakyamuni's birthplace]'', 1897, was withdrawn from circulation by the Government.<ref name="Courier Corporation">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Edward Joseph |title=The Life of Buddha as Legend and History |date=2000 |publisher=Courier Corporation |isbn=978-0-486-41132-3 |page=18 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NE-fmHzumWkC&pg=PA18 |language=en}}</ref>]] | [[File:Monograph on Buddha Sakyamuni's birthplace.jpg|thumb|[[Alois Anton Führer]] own report on his discoveries, entitled ''[https://archive.org/details/monographonbuddh00fuhr/page/n7 Monograph on Buddha Sakyamuni's birthplace]'', 1897, was withdrawn from circulation by the Government.<ref name="Courier Corporation">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Edward Joseph |title=The Life of Buddha as Legend and History |date=2000 |publisher=Courier Corporation |isbn=978-0-486-41132-3 |page=18 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NE-fmHzumWkC&pg=PA18 |language=en |access-date=5 January 2020 |archive-date=15 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515022022/https://books.google.com/books?id=NE-fmHzumWkC&pg=PA18 |url-status=live }}</ref>]] | ||
Great "discoveries" were indeed made with the March 1895 discovery of the [[Nigali Sagar]] inscription, which succeeded in bringing the "Buck Crisis" to an end, and the ASI was finally allowed in June 1895 to continue operations, subject to yearly approval based on successful digs every year.<ref name="AH">{{cite journal |last1=Huxley |first1=Andrew |title=Dr Führer's Wanderjahre: The Early Career of a Victorian Archaeologist |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society |date=2010 |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=499–502 |issn=1356-1863|jstor=40926240 }}</ref> [[Georg Bühler]], writing in July 1895 in the ''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society'', continued to advocate for the preservation of the Archaeological Survey of India, and expressed that what was needed were "new authentic documents" from the pre-Ashokan period, and they would "only be found underground".<ref name="AH"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bühler |first1=G. |title=Some Notes on Past and Future Archœological Explorations in India |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland |date=1895 |pages=649–660 |issn=0035-869X|jstor=25197280 }}</ref> | Great "discoveries" were indeed made with the March 1895 discovery of the [[Nigali Sagar]] inscription, which succeeded in bringing the "Buck Crisis" to an end, and the ASI was finally allowed in June 1895 to continue operations, subject to yearly approval based on successful digs every year.<ref name="AH">{{cite journal |last1=Huxley |first1=Andrew |title=Dr Führer's Wanderjahre: The Early Career of a Victorian Archaeologist |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society |date=2010 |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=499–502 |issn=1356-1863|jstor=40926240 }}</ref> [[Georg Bühler]], writing in July 1895 in the ''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society'', continued to advocate for the preservation of the Archaeological Survey of India, and expressed that what was needed were "new authentic documents" from the pre-Ashokan period, and they would "only be found underground".<ref name="AH"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bühler |first1=G. |title=Some Notes on Past and Future Archœological Explorations in India |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland |date=1895 |pages=649–660 |issn=0035-869X|jstor=25197280 }}</ref> | ||
Another momentous discovery would be made in 1896, with the [[Lumbini pillar inscription]], a major inscription on a [[Pillars of Ashoka|pillar of Ashoka]] discovered by [[Alois Anton Führer]]. The inscription, together with other evidence, confirmed [[Lumbini]] as the birthplace of the Buddha.<ref name="KW63">{{cite book |last1=Weise |first1=Kai |title=The Sacred Garden of Lumbini: Perceptions of Buddha's birthplace |date=2013 |publisher=UNESCO |isbn=978-92-3-001208-3 |pages=63–64 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=naohAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA63 |language=en}}</ref> | Another momentous discovery would be made in 1896, with the [[Lumbini pillar inscription]], a major inscription on a [[Pillars of Ashoka|pillar of Ashoka]] discovered by [[Alois Anton Führer]]. The inscription, together with other evidence, confirmed [[Lumbini]] as the birthplace of the Buddha.<ref name="KW63">{{cite book |last1=Weise |first1=Kai |title=The Sacred Garden of Lumbini: Perceptions of Buddha's birthplace |date=2013 |publisher=UNESCO |isbn=978-92-3-001208-3 |pages=63–64 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=naohAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA63 |language=en |access-date=5 January 2020 |archive-date=2 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602154038/https://books.google.com/books?id=naohAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA63 |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
The organization was rocked when Führer was unmasked in 1898, and was found to file | The organization was rocked when Führer was unmasked in 1898, and was found to file fraudulent reports about his investigations. Confronted by Smith about his archaeological publications and his report to the Government, Führer was obliged to admit "that every statement in it [the report] was absolutely false."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=WILLIS |first1=MICHAEL |title=Dhār, Bhoja and Sarasvatī: from Indology to Political Mythology and Back |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society |date=2012 |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=152 |issn=1356-1863|jstor=41490379 }}</ref> Under official instructions from the Government of India, Führer was relieved of his positions, his papers seized and his offices inspected by [[Vincent Arthur Smith]] on 22 September 1898.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Willis | first1 = M. | year = 2012 | title = Dhar, Bhoja and Sarasvati: From Indology to Political Mythology and Back | journal = Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society | volume = 22 | issue = 1| pages = 129–53 | doi = 10.1017/S1356186311000794 | doi-access = free }} Smith's report is given in the appendix to this article and is available here: [https://www.academia.edu/1818878/Dhar_Bhoja_and_Sarasvati_From_Indology_to_Political_Mythology_and_Back] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525035012/https://www.academia.edu/1818878/Dhar_Bhoja_and_Sarasvati_From_Indology_to_Political_Mythology_and_Back |date=25 May 2022 }}.</ref> Führer had written in 1897 a monograph on his discoveries in Nigali Sagar and Lumbini, ''Monograph on Buddha Sakyamuni's birth-place in the Nepalese tarai'',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Führer |first1=Alois Anton |title=Monograph on Buddha Sakyamuni's birth-place in the Nepalese tarai |date=1897 |publisher=Allahabad : Govt. Press, N.W.P. and Oudh |url=https://archive.org/details/monographonbuddh00fuhr/page/n46}}</ref> which was withdrawn from circulation by the Government.<ref name="Courier Corporation"/> Führer was dismissed and returned to Europe. | ||
===1901–1947=== | ===1901–1947=== | ||
Sahni was succeeded by [[J. F. Blakiston]] and [[K. N. Dikshit]] both of whom had participated in the excavations at Harappa and Mohenjodaro. In 1944, a British archaeologist and army officer, [[Mortimer Wheeler]] took over as Director General. Wheeler served as Director General till 1948 and during this period he excavated the [[Iron Age]] site of [[Arikamedu]] and the [[Stone Age|Stone age]] sites of [[Brahmagiri archaeological site|Brahmagiri]], [[Chandravalli]] and [[Maski]] in South India. Wheeler founded the journal ''[[Ancient India (journal)|Ancient India]]'' in 1946 and presided over the partitioning of ASI's assets during the [[Partition of India]] and helped establish an archaeological body for the newly formed | The post of Director General was restored by [[Lord Curzon]] in 1902. Breaking with tradition, Curzon chose a 26-year-old professor of classical studies at [[Cambridge University|Cambridge]] named [[John Marshall (archaeologist)|John Marshall]] to head the survey. Marshall served as Director General for a quarter of a century and during his long tenure, he replenished and invigorated the survey whose activities were fast dwindling into insignificance. Marshall established the post of Government epigraphist and encouraged epigraphical studies. The most significant event of his tenure was, however, the discovery of the [[Indus Valley civilization]] at [[Harappa]] and [[Mohenjodaro]] in 1921. The success and scale of the discoveries made ensured that the progress made in Marshall's tenure would remain unmatched. Marshall was succeeded by [[Harold Hargreaves]] in 1928. Hargreaves was succeeded by [[Daya Ram Sahni]]. | ||
Sahni was succeeded by [[J. F. Blakiston]] and [[K. N. Dikshit]] both of whom had participated in the excavations at Harappa and Mohenjodaro. In 1944, a British archaeologist and army officer, [[Mortimer Wheeler]] took over as Director General. Wheeler served as Director General till 1948 and during this period he excavated the [[Iron Age]] site of [[Arikamedu]] and the [[Stone Age|Stone age]] sites of [[Brahmagiri archaeological site|Brahmagiri]], [[Chandravalli]] and [[Maski]] in South India. Wheeler founded the journal ''[[Ancient India (journal)|Ancient India]]'' in 1946 and presided over the partitioning of ASI's assets during the [[Partition of India]] and helped establish an archaeological body for the newly formed Pakistan. | |||
===1947–2019=== | ===1947–2019=== | ||
Wheeler was succeeded by [[N. P. Chakravarti]] in 1948. The [[National Museum, New Delhi|National Museum]] was inaugurated in [[New Delhi]] on 15 August 1949 to house the artifacts displayed at the Indian Exhibition in the United Kingdom. | Wheeler was succeeded by [[N. P. Chakravarti]] in 1948. The [[National Museum, New Delhi|National Museum]] was inaugurated in [[New Delhi]] on 15 August 1949 to house the artifacts displayed at the Indian Exhibition in the United Kingdom. | ||
[[Madho Sarup Vats]] and [[Amalananda Ghosh]] succeeded Chakravarti. Ghosh's tenure which lasted until 1968 is noted for the excavations of Indus Valley sites at [[Kalibangan]], [[Lothal]] and [[Dholavira]]. The ''Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act'' was passed in 1958 bringing the archaeological survey under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture. Ghosh was succeeded by [[B.B. Lal]] who conducted archaeological excavations at [[Ayodhya]] to investigate whether a Ram Temple preceded the [[Babri Masjid]]. During Lal's tenure, the ''Antiquities and Art Treasures Act'' (1972) was passed recommending central protection for monuments considered to be "of national importance". Lal was succeeded by [[M. N. Deshpande]] who served from 1972 to 1978 and [[B. K. Thapar]] who served from 1978 to 1981. On Thapar's retirement in 1981, archaeologist [[Debala Mitra]] was appointed to succeed him - she was the first woman Director General of the ASI. Mitra was succeeded by [[M. S. Nagaraja Rao]], who had been transferred from the [[Karnataka State Department of Archaeology]]. Archaeologists J. P. Joshi and M. C. Joshi succeeded Rao. M. C. Joshi was the Director General when the [[Babri Masjid]] was demolished in 1992 triggering Hindu-Muslim violence all over India. As a fallout of the demolition, Joshi was dismissed in 1993 and controversially replaced as | [[Madho Sarup Vats]] and [[Amalananda Ghosh]] succeeded Chakravarti. Ghosh's tenure which lasted until 1968 is noted for the excavations of Indus Valley sites at [[Kalibangan]], [[Lothal]] and [[Dholavira]]. The ''Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act'' was passed in 1958 bringing the archaeological survey under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture. Ghosh was succeeded by [[B.B. Lal]] who conducted archaeological excavations at [[Ayodhya]] to investigate whether a Ram Temple preceded the [[Babri Masjid]]. During Lal's tenure, the ''Antiquities and Art Treasures Act'' (1972) was passed recommending central protection for monuments considered to be "of national importance". Lal was succeeded by [[M. N. Deshpande]] who served from 1972 to 1978 and [[B. K. Thapar]] who served from 1978 to 1981. On Thapar's retirement in 1981, archaeologist [[Debala Mitra]] was appointed to succeed him - she was the first woman Director General of the ASI. Mitra was succeeded by [[M. S. Nagaraja Rao]], who had been transferred from the [[Karnataka State Department of Archaeology]]. Archaeologists J. P. Joshi and M. C. Joshi succeeded Rao. M. C. Joshi was the Director General when the [[Babri Masjid]] was demolished in 1992 triggering Hindu-Muslim violence all over India. As a fallout of the demolition, Joshi was dismissed in 1993 and controversially replaced as director general by [[Indian Administrative Service]] (IAS) officer Achala Moulik, a move which inaugurated a tradition of appointing bureaucrats of the IAS instead of archaeologists to head the survey. The tradition was finally brought to an end in 2010 when Gautam Sengupta an archaeologist, replaced K.M Srivastava an IAS officer as director general. He was again succeeded by Pravin Srivastava, another IAS officer. Srivastava's successor incumbent, Rakesh Tiwari was also a professional archaeologist. His successor Usha Sharma was also a IAS officer and her successor V Vidyavathi who is the present DG of ASI is also a IAS officer. | ||
==Organisation== | ==Organisation== | ||
The Archaeological Survey of India is an attached office of the [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Ministry of Culture]]. Under the provisions of the [[AMASR Act]] of 1958, the ASI administers more than 3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance. These can include everything from temples, mosques, churches, tombs, and cemeteries to palaces, forts, step-wells, and rock-cut caves. The Survey also maintains ancient mounds and other similar sites which represent the remains of ancient habitation.<ref name=amasr>{{cite web|title=Monuments|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monuments.asp|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=17 April 2015}}</ref> | [[File:An old ticket of the Heritage Monuments of India by ASI.jpg|thumb|170px|An old ticket for the heritage monuments of India, issued by the Archaeological Survey of India.]] | ||
The Archaeological Survey of India is an attached office of the [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Ministry of Culture]]. Under the provisions of the [[AMASR Act]] of 1958, the ASI administers more than 3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance. These can include everything from temples, mosques, churches, tombs, and cemeteries to palaces, forts, step-wells, and rock-cut caves. The Survey also maintains ancient mounds and other similar sites which represent the remains of ancient habitation.<ref name=amasr>{{cite web|title=Monuments|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monuments.asp|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=17 April 2015|archive-date=25 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925065341/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monuments.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The ASI is headed by a Director General who is assisted by an Additional Director General, two Joint Directors General, and 17 Directors.<ref name=asiorg>{{cite web|title=Organisation|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_organization.asp|website=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=7 April 2015}}</ref> | The ASI is headed by a Director General who is assisted by an Additional Director General, two Joint Directors General, and 17 Directors.<ref name=asiorg>{{cite web|title=Organisation|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_organization.asp|website=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=7 April 2015|archive-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328175710/http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_organization.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
===Circles=== | ===Circles=== | ||
The ASI is divided into a total of | The ASI is divided into a total of 34 circles<ref name=asicircles>{{cite web|title=Circles|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_organization_circle.asp|website=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=7 April 2015|archive-date=20 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420032029/http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_organization_circle.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> each headed by a Superintending Archaeologist.<ref name=asiorg /> Each of the circles are further divided into sub-circles.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} The circles of the ASI are: | ||
{{columns-list|colwidth= | {{columns-list|colwidth=30em|# [[Agra]], Uttar Pradesh | ||
# [[Agra]], Uttar Pradesh | |||
# [[Aizawl]], Mizoram | # [[Aizawl]], Mizoram | ||
# [[Amaravati]], Andhra Pradesh | # [[Amaravati]], Andhra Pradesh | ||
| Line 101: | Line 104: | ||
# [[Hyderabad]], Telangana | # [[Hyderabad]], Telangana | ||
# [[Jaipur]], Rajasthan | # [[Jaipur]], Rajasthan | ||
# [[Jabalpur]], madhya pradesh | |||
# [[Jhansi]], Uttar Pradesh | |||
# [[Jodhpur]], Rajasthan | # [[Jodhpur]], Rajasthan | ||
# [[Kolkata]], West Bengal | # [[Kolkata]], West Bengal | ||
# [[Lucknow]], Uttar Pradesh | # [[Lucknow]], Uttar Pradesh | ||
# [[Merut]], Uttar Pradesh | |||
# [[Mumbai]], Maharashtra | # [[Mumbai]], Maharashtra | ||
# [[Nagpur]], Maharashtra | # [[Nagpur]], Maharashtra | ||
| Line 109: | Line 115: | ||
# [[Raipur]], Chhattisgarh | # [[Raipur]], Chhattisgarh | ||
# [[Raiganj]], West Bengal | # [[Raiganj]], West Bengal | ||
# [[Rajkot]], Gujarat | |||
# [[Ranchi]], Jharkhand | # [[Ranchi]], Jharkhand | ||
# [[Sarnath]], Uttar Pradesh | # [[Sarnath]], Uttar Pradesh | ||
| Line 114: | Line 121: | ||
# [[Srinagar]], Jammu and Kashmir | # [[Srinagar]], Jammu and Kashmir | ||
# [[Thrissur]], Kerala | # [[Thrissur]], Kerala | ||
# [[Vadodara]], Gujarat | # [[Vadodara]], Gujarat}} | ||
The ASI also administers three "mini-circles" at [[Delhi]], [[Leh]] and [[Hampi]].<ref name=asicircles /> | The ASI also administers three "mini-circles" at [[Delhi]], [[Leh]] and [[Hampi]].<ref name=asicircles /> | ||
===Directors-General=== | ===Directors-General=== | ||
The Survey has had 29 Directors-General thus far. Its founder, Alexander Cunningham served as Archaeological Surveyor between 1861 and 1865.<ref name=asihistory>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_history.asp|website=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=7 April 2015}}</ref> | The Survey has had 29 Directors-General thus far. Its founder, Alexander Cunningham served as Archaeological Surveyor between 1861 and 1865.<ref name=asihistory>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_history.asp|website=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=7 April 2015|archive-date=21 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421183034/http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_history.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em| | {{columns-list|colwidth=30em| | ||
| Line 151: | Line 158: | ||
# 2013−2014 [[Pravin Srivastava]] | # 2013−2014 [[Pravin Srivastava]] | ||
# 2014−2017 [[Rakesh Tewari]] | # 2014−2017 [[Rakesh Tewari]] | ||
# 2017-2020 [[Usha Sharma (IAS)|Usha Sharma]] | # 2017-2020 [[Usha Sharma (IAS)|Usha Sharma]]<ref>{{cite news|title=In major bureaucratic reshuffle, 35 secretaries, additional secretaries named|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/vUE4LhBG7NcTyTVabzcqMK/In-major-bureaucratic-reshuffle-35-secretaries-additional.html|access-date=15 September 2017|work=livemint.com/|date=22 July 2017|archive-date=15 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915161204/http://www.livemint.com/Politics/vUE4LhBG7NcTyTVabzcqMK/In-major-bureaucratic-reshuffle-35-secretaries-additional.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
#12 May 2020 to present [[V Vidyawati]]}} | |||
<ref>{{cite news|title=In major bureaucratic reshuffle, 35 secretaries, additional secretaries named|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/vUE4LhBG7NcTyTVabzcqMK/In-major-bureaucratic-reshuffle-35-secretaries-additional.html|access-date=15 September 2017|work=livemint.com/|date=22 July 2017}}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
==Museums== | ==Museums== | ||
India's first museum was established by the Asiatic Society in [[Calcutta]] in 1814. Much of its collection was passed on to the [[Indian Museum]], which was established in the city in 1866.<ref name=asb>{{cite web|title=The Asiatic Society|url=http://asiaticsocietycal.com/museum/index.htm|access-date=17 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408151545/http://www.asiaticsocietycal.com/museum/index.htm|archive-date=8 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Archaeological Survey did not maintain its own museums until the tenure of its third director-general, John Marshall. He initiated the establishment of various museums at Sarnath (1904), Agra (1906), Ajmer (1908), Delhi Fort (1909), Bijapur (1912), Nalanda (1917) and Sanchi (1919). The ASI's museums are customarily located right next to the sites that their inventories are associated with "so that they may be studied amid their natural surroundings and not lose focus by being transported". | India's first museum was established by the Asiatic Society in [[Calcutta]] | ||
(now [[Kolkata]]) in 1814. Much of its collection was passed on to the [[Indian Museum]], which was established in the city in 1866.<ref name=asb>{{cite web|title=The Asiatic Society|url=http://asiaticsocietycal.com/museum/index.htm|access-date=17 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408151545/http://www.asiaticsocietycal.com/museum/index.htm|archive-date=8 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Archaeological Survey did not maintain its own museums until the tenure of its third director-general, John Marshall. He initiated the establishment of various museums at Sarnath (1904), Agra (1906), Ajmer (1908), Delhi Fort (1909), Bijapur (1912), Nalanda (1917) and Sanchi (1919). The ASI's museums are customarily located right next to the sites that their inventories are associated with "so that they may be studied amid their natural surroundings and not lose focus by being transported". | |||
A dedicated Museums Branch was established in 1946 by Mortimer Wheeler, which now maintains a total of 50 museums spread across the country.<ref>{{cite web|title=Museums|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_museums.asp|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=17 April 2015}}</ref> | A dedicated Museums Branch was established in 1946 by Mortimer Wheeler, which now maintains a total of 50 museums spread across the country.<ref>{{cite web|title=Museums|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_museums.asp|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=17 April 2015|archive-date=29 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429081159/http://asi.nic.in/asi_museums.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
==Library== | ==Library== | ||
The ASI maintains a Central Archaeological Library in the Archaeological Survey of India headquarters building in Tilak Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi. Established in 1902, its collection numbers more than 100,000 books and journals. The library is also a repository of rare books, plates, and original drawings. | The ASI maintains a Central Archaeological Library in the Archaeological Survey of India headquarters building in Tilak Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi. Established in 1902, its collection numbers more than 100,000 books and journals. The library is also a repository of rare books, plates, and original drawings. | ||
The Survey additionally maintains a library in each of its circles to cater to local academics and researchers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Central Archaeological Library|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_ca_lib.asp|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=17 April 2015}}</ref> | The Survey additionally maintains a library in each of its circles to cater to local academics and researchers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Central Archaeological Library|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_ca_lib.asp|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=17 April 2015|archive-date=14 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414072728/http://asi.nic.in/asi_ca_lib.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
==Publications== | ==Publications== | ||
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* [[Andhra Pradesh Department of Archeology and Museums]] (1914) | * [[Andhra Pradesh Department of Archeology and Museums]] (1914) | ||
* [[Karnataka State Department of Archaeology]] (1885) | * [[Karnataka State Department of Archaeology]] (1885) | ||
* [[Kerala State Archaeology Department]] (formed in 1962 by merging Travancore State Archaeology Department (est 1910) and Cochin State Archaeology Department (est 1925))<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala State Archaeology Department |url=http://www.keralaculture.org/state-archeological-department/370 |access-date=2020-11-13 |website=keralaculture.org}}</ref> | * [[Kerala State Archaeology Department]] (formed in 1962 by merging Travancore State Archaeology Department (est 1910) and Cochin State Archaeology Department (est 1925))<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala State Archaeology Department |url=http://www.keralaculture.org/state-archeological-department/370 |access-date=2020-11-13 |website=keralaculture.org |archive-date=13 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113174828/http://www.keralaculture.org/state-archeological-department/370 |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
* [[Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department]] (1961) | * [[Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department]] (1961) | ||
Department of | * Department of Archaeology and Museum, Government of West Bengal | ||
== Criticism == | == Criticism == | ||
In 2013, a [[Comptroller and Auditor General of India|Comptroller and Auditor General]] (CAG) report found that at least 92 centrally protected monuments of historical importance across the country which have gone missing without a trace. The CAG could physically verify only 45% of the structures (1,655 out of 3,678). The CAG report said that the ASI did not have reliable information on the exact number of monuments under its protection. The CAG recommended that periodic inspection of each protected monument should be done by a suitably ranked officer. The Culture ministry accepted the proposal.<ref>{{cite news|title=92 ASI-protected monuments missing - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/92-ASI-protected-monuments-missing/articleshow/22015751.cms|access-date=14 May 2018|work=The Times of India}}</ref> Author and [[Indian Institute of Planning and Management|IIPM]] Director [[Arindam Chaudhuri]] said that since the ASI is unable to protect the country's museums and monuments, they should be professionally maintained by private companies or through the [[public-private-partnership]] (PPP) model.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pioneer|first1=The|title=India's monumental mess|url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/ite/indias-monumental-mess.html|access-date=14 May 2018|work=The Pioneer|language=en}}</ref> | In 2013, a [[Comptroller and Auditor General of India|Comptroller and Auditor General]] (CAG) report found that at least 92 centrally protected monuments of historical importance across the country which have gone missing without a trace. The CAG could physically verify only 45% of the structures (1,655 out of 3,678). The CAG report said that the ASI did not have reliable information on the exact number of monuments under its protection. The CAG recommended that periodic inspection of each protected monument should be done by a suitably ranked officer. The Culture ministry accepted the proposal.<ref>{{cite news|title=92 ASI-protected monuments missing - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/92-ASI-protected-monuments-missing/articleshow/22015751.cms|access-date=14 May 2018|work=The Times of India|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126202850/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/92-ASI-protected-monuments-missing/articleshow/22015751.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> Author and [[Indian Institute of Planning and Management|IIPM]] Director [[Arindam Chaudhuri]] said that since the ASI is unable to protect the country's museums and monuments, they should be professionally maintained by private companies or through the [[public-private-partnership]] (PPP) model.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pioneer|first1=The|title=India's monumental mess|url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/ite/indias-monumental-mess.html|access-date=14 May 2018|work=The Pioneer|language=en|archive-date=15 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515044242/http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/ite/indias-monumental-mess.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
In May 2018, the [[Supreme Court of India]] said that the ASI was not properly discharging its duty in maintaining the [[World Heritage Site]] of [[Taj Mahal]] and asked the [[Government of India]] to consider whether some other agency be given the responsibility to protect and preserve it.<ref>{{cite news|title=Archaeological Survey of India failed, explore tasking Taj Mahal upkeep to another body: SC to Centre - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/archaeological-survey-of-india-failed-explore-tasking-taj-mahal-upkeep-to-another-body-sc/articleshow/64102364.cms|access-date=10 May 2018|work=The Times of India}}</ref> | In May 2018, the [[Supreme Court of India]] said that the ASI was not properly discharging its duty in maintaining the [[World Heritage Site]] of [[Taj Mahal]] and asked the [[Government of India]] to consider whether some other agency be given the responsibility to protect and preserve it.<ref>{{cite news|title=Archaeological Survey of India failed, explore tasking Taj Mahal upkeep to another body: SC to Centre - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/archaeological-survey-of-india-failed-explore-tasking-taj-mahal-upkeep-to-another-body-sc/articleshow/64102364.cms|access-date=10 May 2018|work=The Times of India|archive-date=10 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510051058/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/archaeological-survey-of-india-failed-explore-tasking-taj-mahal-upkeep-to-another-body-sc/articleshow/64102364.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
==In popular culture== | ==In popular culture== | ||
The fictional character [[Kakababu]], in [[Sunil Gangopadhyay]]'s famed Kakababu series, is an ex-Director of the Archaeological Survey of India. | The fictional character [[Kakababu]], in [[Sunil Gangopadhyay]]'s famed Kakababu series, is an ex-Director of the Archaeological Survey of India.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
* [[ | * [[State Protected Monuments of India]] | ||
* [[List of World Heritage Sites in India]] | * [[List of World Heritage Sites in India]] | ||
* [[ | * [[Monuments of National Importance of India]] | ||
* [[Delhi Archaeological Society]] | * [[Delhi Archaeological Society]] | ||
* [[Survey of India]], India's central agency in charge of [[map]]ping and [[surveying]]. | * [[Survey of India]], India's central agency in charge of [[map]]ping and [[surveying]]. | ||
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== External links == | == External links == | ||
* {{Official website}} | * {{Official website}} | ||
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/state=in World Heritage, Tentative Lists, State : India] | * [https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/state=in World Heritage, Tentative Lists, State: India] — [[UNESCO]] | ||
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1090/ 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] | * [https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1090/ 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] | ||