Alexander Cunningham: The Englishman Who Uncovered India's Buried Past

• Alexander Cunningham, born January 23, 1814, in London, is known as the 'Father of Indian Archaeology'.
• He arrived in Calcutta in 1833 as a Second Lieutenant in the 'Bengal Engineers' and was influenced by James Prinsep.
• Cunningham used ancient Chinese traveler accounts (Xuanzang, Faxian) as 'guidebooks' to discover sites like Nalanda, Shravasti, Kaushambi, and Vaishali.
• He unearthed Buddhist heritage, proving Sarnath as the site of Buddha's first sermon and discovering relics at Sanchi.
• Cunningham first identified a mysterious seal from Harappa in 1853 and warned against the destruction of Harappan bricks by railway contractors, leading to the establishment of ASI in 1861.

Why It Matters: Alexander Cunningham, 'Father of Indian Archaeology', unearthed India's ancient history and founded the ASI.