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Q81 (IAS/2023) History & Culture › Heritage & Misc Culture › Archaeology and exploration Official Key

With reference to the Indian History, Alexander Rea, A. H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1: archaeological excavations.

The individuals mentioned were pioneering figures in Indian archaeology and epigraphy during the British Raj. Their collective contributions were instrumental in documenting and preserving India's material heritage:

  • Alexander Rea: Known for excavating the Buddhist site at Amaravati and Adichanallur.
  • A. H. Longhurst: A prominent archaeologist who conducted extensive excavations at Hampi (Vijayanagara) and Nagarjunakonda.
  • Robert Sewell: An official and historian famous for his work A Forgotten Empire, which brought the history of Vijayanagara to light.
  • James Burgess: Served as the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and founded the journal Epigraphia Indica.
  • Walter Elliot: Noted for recovering the "Elliot Marbles" (sculptures from Amaravati Stupa).

Options 2, 3, and 4 are incorrect because these individuals were specifically associated with the Archaeological Survey of India or related historical research, rather than the press, missionary activities, or railway construction.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to the Indian History, Alexander Rea, A. H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 0/10
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This question rewards the 'marginalia' reader. You didn't need to know all five names; knowing just Alexander Rea (TN Board, Adichanallur) or Walter Elliot (NCERT Themes I, Amaravati) was enough to lock the answer. It proves that standard textbooks cover these 'obscure' names if you pay attention to the specific excavators mentioned alongside major sites.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Which of Alexander Rea, A. H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with archaeological excavations in Indian history?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Early India: The Chalcolithic, Megalithic, Iron Age and Vedic Cultures > Adichanallur > p. 21
Strength: 5/5
“The then district Collector of Tirunelveli A. J. Stuart and the famous linguist Bishop Robert Caldwell visited Adichanallur subsequently, found it was a quartz site. Quarrying was immediately banned and archaeological excavation commenced under the supervision of Alexander Rea. Rea prepared a comprehensive account of his findings, illustrated by photographs, and was published in the annual report of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), 1902-03. The burial mound at Adichanallur yielded the following: • Urns and pottery of various kinds in large numbers. • Iron implements, including spades and weapons (daggers, swords, spears and arrows). Some stone beads and a few gold ornaments • Bronze objects representing the domestic animals such as buffalo, goat or sheep and cock, and wild animals like tiger, antelope and elephant.”
Why relevant

Direct example: this snippet states that Alexander Rea supervised archaeological excavation at Adichanallur and published the findings in the ASI report.

How to extend

A student could treat this as direct evidence that Rea was involved in excavations and then compare other names against ASI reports or site-specific excavation accounts.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Evolution of Society in South India > Porunai: The Cradle of Tamil Civilisation > p. 72
Strength: 4/5
“Porunai (Thamirabarani) is the only perennial river in Tamil Nadu. It flows through Thirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts. In Porunai河basin, the first archaeological excavation was done in Adichanallur (1876) by a German explorer named Dr. Jagor. Then the British archaeologist Alexander Rea conducted excavation during 1899-1905 and displayed the artefacts he had collected in Madras. Government Museum. Nearly after a century, the Archaeological Survey of India conducted excavation in 2004. Its report has been published recently. The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology began excavations (2019 - 2021) in burial and habitation mound of Adichanallur. Korkai, an ancient port mentioned in Sangam and Greek texts.”
Why relevant

Confirms Rea conducted excavations at Adichanallur (1899–1905) and displayed artefacts—an example of British archaeologists working on Indian sites.

How to extend

Use the pattern of British archaeologists working in India to check whether Longhurst, Sewell, Burgess or Elliot held similar field roles or published site reports.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Early India: From the Beginnings to the Indus Civilisation > Nomenclature, Phases and Chronology > p. 10
Strength: 3/5
“The seal from this site reached Alexander Cunningham, the first surveyor of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Alexander Cunningham visited the site in 1853, 1856 and 1875. Later in the 1940s, Mortimer Wheeler excavated the Harappan sites. After the partition of the Indian subcontinent, many of the Harappan sites went to Pakistan and thus archaeologists were keen to trace the Harappan sites on the Indian side. Kalibangan, Lothal, Rakhi Garhi and Dholavira are the Indian sites that have been since excavated. The explorations and excavations conducted after the 1950s have helped to understand the Harappan Civilisation and its nature.”
Why relevant

Shows that officers of the Archaeological Survey of India (e.g., Alexander Cunningham) visited and excavated Indian sites—establishes the institutional context for many excavations.

How to extend

A student could investigate whether the other named individuals were ASI officers or worked with ASI, which would make association with excavations more likely.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones > Major Developments in Harappan Archaeology > p. 25
Strength: 3/5
“Wheeler excavates at Harappa: 1990 R.S. Bisht begins excavations at Dholavira Report of Alexander Cunningham on Harappan seal Twentieth century 1921 Daya Ram Sahni begins excavations at Harappa 1922 Excavations begin at Mohenjodaro 1946 R.E.M. Wheeler excavates at Harappa: 1997 Amrendra Nath starts excavations at Rakhigarhi Report of Alexander Cunningham on Harappan seal Twentieth century 1921 Daya Ram Sahni begins excavations at Harappa 1922 Excavations begin at Mohenjodaro 1946 R.E.M. Wheeler excavates at Harappa: 2013 Vasant Shinde begins archaeogenetic research at Report of Alexander Cunningham on Harappan seal Twentieth century 1921 Daya Ram Sahni begins excavations at Harappa 1922 Excavations begin at Mohenjodaro 1946 R.E.M.”
Why relevant

Lists several archaeologists (Daya Ram Sahni, Wheeler, R.S. Bisht, etc.) and their excavations—illustrates the common practice of named individuals conducting site digs and being recorded in excavation chronologies.

How to extend

Compare the chronology and list format here with biographical or bibliographic records for Longhurst, Sewell, Burgess, and Elliot to see if they appear in excavation lists.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Sources > p. 47
Strength: 2/5
“Archaeology and epigraphy are the tools that provide rich information for the historian to understand earlier periods of history. Archaeology is particularly important because excavations reveal the nature of urban morphology, that is, layout of the city and construction of buildings. They also provide concrete information about the material culture of people in the past, such as the metals that were known, materials and tools they used, and the technology they employed. The archaeological finds in the Gangetic regions give us solid proof about the nature of the urban centres established in the region in course of time. Epigraphical evidence is scanty for the period.”
Why relevant

Defines archaeology and emphasizes that excavations reveal material culture—indicates that being 'associated with excavations' normally means supervising, conducting, publishing, or recording digs.

How to extend

Use this definition as a criterion: check whether each named person supervised, conducted, or published excavation reports to judge their association.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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