Study Materials

Sub – History (SEC)

Title- Understanding Heritage and Culture
UG 2nd Semester

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations, which plays a leading role
in the preservation of international heritage. It oversees the implementation of the
World Heritage Convention, which identifies and protects cultural and natural sites
of global value and monitors their conservation.

International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)

ICOMOS is an international non-governmental organization that works in

partnership with UNESCO. It is dedicated to the conservation of cultural heritage
sites and landscapes. ICOMOS evaluates and recommends nominations for
inclusion in the World Heritage List, prepares conservation documents and
guidelines for heritage protection.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

IUCN is a global organization that focuses on nature and natural resource

conservation. It assesses and advises on natural sites inscribed on the World
Heritage List. IUCN plays an important role in the conservation of natural heritage
worldwide.

United States National Park Service (NPS)

The NPS is an agency of the United States federal government responsible for the
management and preservation of the nation's national parks, monuments, and
historic sites. It formulates policies and regulations for conservation and
management of heritage sites.

United Kingdom Heritage Protection Reform

In the UK, heritage conservation is regulated by a number of organizations,

including Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland and cadw (the Welsh
Government's Historic Environment Service). These organizations identify, protect
and promote heritage resources across their respective territories.

Heritage New Zealand Pauhere Taonga

Heritage New Zealand is the regulatory body responsible for the protection and
promotion of New Zealand's cultural heritage. It produces the New Zealand
Heritage List, which identifies and protects historic, cultural and architectural sites.

Canadian heritage

Heritage conservation in Canada is overseen by various federal, provincial and

territorial agencies. 'Parked Canada' plays an important role in the preservation of
national historic sites and cultural heritage under the Canadian Heritage
Department.

Australian Heritage Council

The Australian Heritage Council is an advisory body responsible for

recommending sites for inclusion on the National Heritage List. This body advises
the Australian Government on conservation and protection of the country's natural
and cultural heritage.

Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH)

INAH is the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico. It works to

preserve and promote the country's cultural heritage, including archaeological sites,
historical landmarks and cultural heritage.

National Cultural Heritage Administration of China (NCHA)

NCHA is China's central government agency, which works to protect and manage
the country's cultural heritage. It oversees the archaeological research, conservation
and heritage sectors.

Italian National Center for Cultural Heritage (CNRDS)

CNRDS is an Italian research institute working to preserve, restore and manage

Italy's cultural heritage. It researches conservation strategies and monitors heritage
sites.
National Heritage Board of Singapore

The National Heritage Board is Singapore's regulatory body, which works to

preserve and promote heritage. It oversees Singapore's museums, cultural
institutions and heritage sites.

Department of Archeology of Nepal

The Department of Archeology of Nepal is responsible for the conservation and

management of the country's archaeological sites and monuments. It works under
the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Private Aviation.

National Institute of Heritage of Spain

The National Institute of Heritage is Spain's regulatory body responsible for the
protection and preservation of the country's heritage.

National Heritage Institute of Brazil (IPHAN)

IPHAN is Brazil's regulatory agency, which works to protect and preserve the
country's cultural heritage. This organization oversees historical architecture,
archaeological sites and cultural heritage.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines (NCCA)

The NCCA is the Philippine regulatory body that works to preserve and promote
the cultural heritage of the Philippines. It supports cultural projects and heritage
preservation initiatives.

Regulatory agencies involved in heritage conservation in different countries

operate within their unique cultural, legal and administrative contexts. They serve
the common goal of preserving and promoting the world's diverse cultural heritage.
By formulating policies, implementing regulations and coordinating conservation
efforts, these organizations contribute to the long-term preservation of heritage for
the benefit of present and future generations.

National Cultural Fund (NCF)

Established in 1996, the National Cultural Fund collaborates with individuals and
institutions to support heritage conservation projects. It finances initiatives related
to the preservation of cultural artifacts, manuscripts, historic buildings and others.
This fund is administered under the Ministry of Culture and plays an important role
in financing conservation efforts.

Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972

The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 is an important law that regulates the
export, import, ownership, acquisition and transfer of antiquities and art treasures
in India. The aim of this Act is to prevent illegal trade in cultural heritage and to
ensure their protection. The Act defines as antiquities any coins, sculptures,
paintings, manuscripts, writings or other artifacts of art or craft more than 100
years old.

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Remains Act, 1958

Although primarily related to ancient monuments and archaeological sites, the Act
has implications for the protection of antiquities. This Act established the
Archaeological Survey of India. Prior permission of ASI is required for conducting
archaeological excavations and archaeological research under this Act.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is

responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of
cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander
Cunningham during the British Raj who also became its first Director-General.

ASI was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who also became its first
Director-General. The first systematic research into the subcontinent's history was
conducted by the Asiatic Society, which was founded by the British Indologist Sir
William Jones on 15 January 1784. Based in Calcutta, the society promoted the
study of ancient Persian texts and published an annual journal titled Asiatic
Researches. Notable among its early members was Charles Wilkins who published
the first English translation of the Bhagavad Gita in 1785 with the patronage of the
then Governor-General of Bengal, Warren Hastings.
Jones initiative resulted in the publication of Asiatick Researches, a monthly that
was launched in 1788. The Marquis of Wellesley's 1800 nomination of Francis
Buchanan to survey Mysore was a wise move on the part of the administration at
the time. He was hired in 1807 to investigate historical sites and monuments in
what is now Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The first attempt at using the legal system to
force the government to get in when there was a risk to a monument was the
Bengal Regulation XIX of 1810. The publication revealed the studies and polls that
the society conducted to educate the public about India's treasure in
antiquaria.Many antiques and other relics were quickly discovered during the
ongoing fieldwork, and in 1814 they were placed in a museum. Subsequently,
comparable organisations were founded in Madras, Chennai, in 1818, and
Bombay, Mumbai, in 1804. However, the most important of the society's
achievements was the decipherment of the Brahmi script by James Prinsep in 1837.
This successful decipherment inaugurated the asset.
Armed with the knowledge of Brahmi, Alexander Cunningham, a protégé of James
Prinsep, carried out a detailed survey of the Buddhist monuments of his own type
to be constructed in the Nepalese tarai which lasted for over half a century.
Inspired by early amateur archaeologists like the Italian military officer, Jean-
Baptiste Ventura, Cunningham excavated stupas along the width, the length and
breadth of India. While Cunningham funded many of his early excavations
himself, in the long run, he realised the need for a permanent body to oversee
archaeological excavations and the conservation of Indian monuments and used his
stature and influence in India to lobby for an archaeological survey. While his
attempt in 1848 did not meet with success, the Archaeological Survey of India was
eventually formed in 1861 by a statute passed into law by Lord Canning with
Cunningham as the first Archaeological Surveyor. The survey was suspended
briefly between 1865 and 1871 due to lack of funds but restored by Lord
Lawrence the then Viceroy of India. In 1871, the Survey was revived as a separate
department and Cunningham was appointed as its first Director-General.
The Archaeological Survey of India is an attached office of the Ministry of
Culture. Under the provisions of the AMASR Act of 1958, the ASI administers
more than 3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national
importance. These can include everything from temples, mosques, churches,
tombs, and cemeteries to palaces, forts, step-wells, and rock-cut caves. The Survey
also maintains ancient mounds and other similar sites which represent the remains
of ancient habitation.
The ASI is headed by a Director General who is assisted by an Additional Director
General, two Joint Directors General, and 17 Directors.
The ASI is divided into a total of 34 circles each headed by a Superintending
Archaeologist. Each of the circles are further divided into sub-circles. The circles
of the ASI are:

1. Agra, Uttar Pradesh

2. Aizawl, Mizoram
3. Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh
4. Aurangabad, Maharashtra
5. Bengaluru, Karnataka
6. Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
7. Bhubaneswar, Odisha
8. Chandigarh
9. Chennai, Tamil Nadu
10.Dehradun, Uttarakhand
11.Delhi
12.Dharwad, Karnataka
13.Goa
14.Guwahati, Assam
15.Hyderabad, Telangana
16.Jaipur, Rajasthan
17.Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
18.Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
19.Jodhpur, Rajasthan
20.Kolkata, West Bengal
21.Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
22.Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
23.Mumbai, Maharashtra
24.Nagpur, Maharashtra
25.Patna, Bihar
26.Raipur, Chhattisgarh
27.Raiganj, West Bengal
28.Rajkot, Gujarat
29.Ranchi, Jharkhand
30.Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh
31.Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
 32.Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
33.Thrissur, Kerala
34.Vadodara, Gujarat
The ASI also administers three "mini-circles" at Delhi, Leh and Hampi.