SWAT: Scholars and archaeologists have said that archaeology becomes meaningfully understandable only when studied within a wider socio-political context, as it reveals not just how archaeological evidence is produced but also how it is controlled, managed and often used for political purposes.

They were speaking at an event held here the other day to review a newly-published book, ‘Princely archaeologies and plural sovereignties in modern South Asia’, a collection of essays by leading experts on South Asian archaeology and history.

The book has been edited by Dr Rafiullah Khan of Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, and published by Archaeopress, Oxford, in November 2025.

The participants noted that over the past few decades, scholars had increasingly turned their attention to themes that examined the relationship between archaeology, politics, identity, and colonialism.

Experts term volume valuable for fostering heritage conservation, cultural governance

Within this broader trend, the history of archaeology in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent has emerged as a significant field of inquiry. The latest contribution to this discussion is Dr Khan’s volume, which sheds rare light on an understudied domain: the archaeologies of the princely states of South Asia.

The book explores the archaeological histories of more than a dozen princely states, including Hyderabad, Kashmir, Mysore, Baroda, Bhopal and Swat.

Scholars said: “This focus distinguishes the publication from most existing works, which centre largely on British Indian institutions or the careers of colonial archaeologists such as Alexander Cunningham, John Marshall, and Mortimer Wheeler of the Archaeological Survey of India, established in 1861.”

They noted that colonial South Asia contained more than 500 princely states, varying widely in size, population, resources, and strategic significance. Many of these states were home to major archaeological sites that played a central role in colonial exploration and research. The book highlights this dynamics, citing examples such as the Buddhist remains at Sanchi in Bhopal and the Ajanta caves in Hyderabad, which drew sustained attention from both princely authorities and British administrators.

The speakers said the archaeological wealth of these states often prompted complex negotiations between British and princely governments, particularly regarding excavation, conservation, and the exercise of sovereign authority. These interactions sometimes led to tensions over administrative control and heritage management — an aspect the book brings out in detail.

They added that the volume would be valuable not only for scholars and students but also for heritage professionals and policymakers engaged in conservation and cultural governance.

Speaking to Dawn, renowned archaeologist, Dr Luca M Olivieri, head of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan, described the book as “a landmark contribution that reshapes our understanding of archaeological practice in the Native States before Partition.” He said the volume “cuts through the overwhelming noise of today’s academic publishing and offers something truly foundational — comprehensive, rigorously organised, and openly accessible.”

Dr Olivieri added that the work “finally acknowledges the crucial but long-overlooked roles of local scholars, pundits, maulanas, and early native archaeologists whose knowledge and labour shaped the archaeology of the subcontinent long before colonial narratives took over.” He termed the book “a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the real, plural roots of South Asian archaeology.”

German scholar and linguistic expert, Dr Stefan Baums also praised the publication, calling it “a historical and critical survey of the essential role played by independent princely states in South Asian archaeology in the 19th and 20th centuries.”

He noted that Dr Rafiullah Khan — already known for his pioneering research on archaeology in the former Swat State — had “broadened his inquiry to all of South Asia by bringing together eminent authorities on multiple regions, adding a fresh introduction and a masterful concluding study.”

Dr Baums said the publisher and editor “deserve congratulations for producing a work that is certain to become a foundational text for the historiography of South Asian archaeology.”

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2025