Sir Alexander Cunningham (23 January 1814–28 November 1893) was an English archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India. January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Archaeological Survey of India is an Indian government agency under the Department of Culture that is responsible about archaeological studies and preservation of cultural monuments. ...

Born in London to the Scottish poet Allan Cunningham, he joined the Bengal Engineers at the age of 19 and spent the next 28 years in the service of British Government of India. Soon after arriving in India, a meeting with James Prinsep sparked his lifelong interest in Indian archaeology and antiquity. Cunningham retired in 1861, having attained the rank of Major General. London (pronounced ) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and the largest city of England (strangely, England has no constitutional existence within the United Kingdom, and therefore cannot be said to have a capital). ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... Allan Cunningham (December 7, 1784 _ October 30, 1842) was a Scottish poet and author. ... The British Empire at its zenith in 1919. ... James Prinsep (20 August 1799 - 22 April 1840) was an Anglo-Indian scholar and antiquary. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ...

The Archaeological Survey of India was set up following a correspondence between Cunningham and Charles John Canning, then the viceroy of India. Cunningham was appointed the first director of the project, which operated from 1861 to 1865. In 1865 the Archaeological Survey was halted. In the year 1867, Cunningham was knighted. Upon the resumption of the Archaeological Survey in 1870, he returned to the directorship, maintaining his post until 1885. Archaeological Survey of India is an Indian government agency under the Department of Culture that is responsible about archaeological studies and preservation of cultural monuments. ... Charles John Canning, 1st Earl Canning (14 December 1812 - 17 June 1862), English statesman, Governor-General of India during the Mutiny of 1857, was the youngest child of George Canning, and was born at Brompton, near London. ... The Governor-General of India (or Governor-General and Viceroy of India) was the head of the British administration in India. ... 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ...

Cunningham died in London in 1893; today, his collection of rare Indian coins is displayed in the British Museum. A coin is usually a piece of hard material, generally metal, usually in the shape of a disc, and most often issued by a government, to be used as a form of money in transactions. ... The centre of the museum was redeveloped in 2000 to become the Great Court, with a tessellated glass roof by Buro Happold and Foster and Partners surrounding the original Reading Room. ...

Cunningham was associated with the excavation of many sites in India, including Sarnath, Sanchi, and the Mahabodhi Temple. Sarnath (formerly also Mrigadava, Rishipattana, Isipatana), located 13 kilometres from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha was founded. ... Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. ... Mahabodhi Temple The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. ...

Books written by him include

• Bhilsa Topes (1854), a history of Buddhism
• The Ancient Geography of India (1871)
• The Book of Indian Eras (1883)
• Coins of Ancient India (1891)

Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, a philosophy, and a life-enhancing system of psychology. ...

External links

• Sir Alexander Cunningham at Banglapedia

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.