India has a rich and ancient history, filled with grand monuments, lost cities and hidden treasures. Many historians and explorers have studied India’s past, but one person played a very important role in discovering and preserving its heritage. This person helped in finding ancient sites, studying old inscriptions and protecting historical monuments. Because of these great efforts, he is known as the pioneer of Indian archaeology.
Major General Sir Alexander Cunningham is known as the Father of Indian Archaeology. He was a British Army engineer who later became deeper interested in India’s history and ancient monuments. In 1861, he started the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which helped in studying and protecting historical sites. His work led to the discovery and preservation of many ancient Indian cities, temples and artifacts.
Major Alexander Cunningham was born on 23 January 1814 in London. His father was the Scottish poet Allan Cunningham. He studied at Christ’s Hospital, London and later trained at Addiscombe Seminary to join the British Army. His interest in Indian history grew after he came to India in 1833 and met James Prinsep, an expert in ancient Indian coins and scripts.
Cunningham joined the Bengal Engineers at the age of 19. He worked in different parts of India, building bridges and roads. He also participated in important battles like the Battle of Punniar (1843) and the Battle of Sobraon (1846). In 1856, he was appointed as the chief engineer of Burma. He retired from the army in 1861, reaching the rank of Major General.
Even while working in the army, Cunningham was passionate about archaeology. He studied ancient Indian temples, stupas and inscriptions. His first excavation was at Sarnath in 1837. He also excavated at Sanchi, Sankissa and Bharhut, uncovering important Buddhist monuments.
In 1861, Lord Canning, the Viceroy of India, appointed Cunningham as the first Archaeological Surveyor of India. He organized the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to systematically study India’s ancient sites. However, the survey was stopped in 1865 due to a lack of funds.
Cunningham used old texts, such as the travel records of Chinese monks Xuanzang and Faxian, to located lost cities. He identified many important places, including:
In 1871, Lord Mayo restarted the Archaeological Survey of India and Cunningham became its first Director General. He conducted surveys and excavations across India. His major works include:
He retired in 1885 and returned to London, where he continued writing about Indian archaeology.
Cunningham’s work helped in preserving and understanding India’s rich history. He published 30 volumes of archaeological research and studied over 725 sites. His excavations gave valuable information about Buddhism and ancient Indian civilization. His efforts made archaeology an important field of study in India.
For his contributions, Sir Alexander Cunningham is known as the Father of Indian Archaeology. His work laid the foundation for future discoveries and research in Indian history.
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