History of Indian Archaeology: The Beginning to 1947 Book Summary of AHistory Of Indian Archaeology From The Beginning To 1947 The history of Indian archaeology has not received the academic attention it deserves. It has a number of roots, the earliest of which goes back to the records of European travellers and sailors in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The ideas involved in its steady evolution since the middle of the eighteenth century are interesting in their own right and illuminate the history of the major discoveries and developments of the subject. Concerned with the evolving panorama of the Indian archaeological scene as a whole till 1947, this is the first major work of its kind. The author moves with an easy assurance, clarity and precision over a vast and diverse body of literature. The volume is further enriched by the inclusion of two original documents relating to Alexander Cunningham and Lord Curzon. This is a book which nobody with an interest in South Asian archaeology can possible afford to ignore.