Princely Archaeologies and Plural Sovereignties in Modern South Asia

Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword – Upinder Singh
Introduction – Rafiullah Khan

Part I: Early Twentieth Century Accounts of Archaeology and Conservation in Princely States
Chapter 1: Hyderabad – Ghulam Yazdani
Chapter 2: Mysore – M.H. Krishna
Chapter 3: Baroda – Hirananda Sastri
Chapter 4: Jammu and Kashmir – Ram Chandra Kak
Chapter 5: Gwalior – M.B. Garde
Chapter 6: Travancore – R.V. Poduval
Chapter 7: Jaipur – Daya Ram Sahni
Chapter 8: Bhopal, Nagod, Mayurbhanj – Ramaprasad Chanda

Part II: Postcolonial Perspectives on Princely Initiatives and Interventions
Chapter 9: Sanchi: Colonial Archaeology and the Bhopal Durbar – Nayanjot Lahiri
Chapter 10: Negotiations of Heritage between Princely and Colonial Authorities – Upinder Singh
Chapter 11: Mayurbhanj State: An Account of Archaeological Research (1905–49) – Rajasri Mukhopadhyay
Chapter 12: Swat and Beyond: Giuseppe Tucci, IsMEO in Pakistan and the Gilgit Manuscripts – Luca M. Olivieri

Part III: What Next?
Chapter 13: The Loss of Innocence: Princely Archaeologies vis-à-vis South Asian Historiography – Rafiullah Khan

About the Author

Rafiullah Khan is Associate Professor at Taxila Institute of Archaeology and Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. He holds a PhD in Asian  Studies with a focus on South Asian archaeological historiography, investigating colonial archaeological explorations in Malakand Agency, particularly the area of the ex-princely state of Swat. In his postdoctoral work at the University of Oxford, the same topic was further explored and analysed making use of various archives in England. His research analyses colonial knowledge production, legalities, princely and local contributions and the wider socio-political milieu in which archaeological work was carried out.

Reviews

‘The volume would be valuable not only for scholars and students but also for heritage professionals and policymakers engaged in conservation and cultural governance.’ – Fazal Khaliq (2025): Dawn