University of Cincinnati Date: 1/6/2010 I, Kingkini Roy , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Architecture in Architecture. It is entitled: A Case for Change in Indian Historic Preservation Planning: Re-Evaluating Attitudes toward the Past Student's name: Kingkini Roy This work and its defense approved by: Committee chair: Patrick Snadon, PhD Committee member: Aarati Kanekar, PhD 1280 Last Printed:2/15/2011 Document Of Defense Form A Case for Change in Indian Historic Preservation Planning: Re-Evaluating Attitudes toward the Past A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Architecture In the School of Architecture and Interior Design of the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning March 2011 by Kingkini Roy Bachelor of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, 2006 Committee Chair: Patrick Snadon, Ph. D. Abstract This thesis critically surveys heritage management in present day India and the legislative apparatus that underpins it. Keeping within the Indian context, the research seeks to verify the suitability of the strategies that are upheld by the institutional and legislative setup of architectural conservation practices for present day India. This appraisal would be based on the premise that preservation, as it is currently understood in India, is a product of modernity and in India’s case the direct import of the Western construct of these disciplines during the colonial period. This is made evident from the history and origins of the interest in Indian antiquity as well as the development of the formalized discipline of archaeology and antiquity management. Despite the fact that India has been independent from colonial British rule for sixty one years, the legislation that continue to underpin the heritage management policies of India have remained unrevised for fifty of those years with the exception of a few minor amendments. The current active piece of legislation is in fact a slight variation on the one laid down by the British more than a century ago. Consequently, India’s prevalent heritage management policies are not only outdated, but also contextually unsuitable since it originates from a non-indigenous and particularly colonial mode of thinking. The research primarily focuses on the practices of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the formal institution concerned with upholding the legislation concerning heritage. Using case studies the contextual suitability of the prevalent preservation policies have been analyzed through the successes and failures of the ASI in the cases under consideration. The argument is extended to the conceptual notions of time and the past as signified by the current preservation ii laws and studying them in contrast with alternative approaches to those notions. It is concluded that present day heritage management practices in India have reinterpreted the past, removing it from active participation in the present and made it into the revered but uncomfortable ‘other’, always to be negotiated as opposed to being incorporated or appropriated. In response to these findings, an alternative for this current structure of heritage management in India has been proposed as part of the conclusion. To supplement this proposal, recommendations have been made for administrative and legislative modifications that would take place through reorganization of the existing institutional infrastructure. Time lapse has been built into the proposal to incorporate the short term and long term goals. The goal for this thesis is that that it could be useful as a starting point for a more in-depth proposal that can be implemented and is not confined to being an academic exploration alone. iii iv Acknowledgements I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Patrick Snadon for his unfailing guidance and support that made this thesis possible. It has been an honor working with him. I would also like to thank my committee member Dr. Aarati Kanekar for her encouragement and understanding without which it would not be possible to complete this thesis. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to Mr. Joze Kozan, who helped germinate the idea for the topic of this thesis and whose direction and guidance I could always count upon. I also thank Dr. David Saile who served as a member of my committee until his retirement and whose valuable observations helped refine this thesis. They are as much a part of my thesis committee as those officially listed and I would not be able to produce this document without them. I am indebted to my family and friends who have been a constant support, especially my parents, Madhusri Roy and Kirity Roy, who along with providing critical dialogue, helped me collect valuable information used in this thesis and also photographed locations without which several sections of this thesis would not have been possible. v Table of Contents List of Illustrations vii 01. Introduction 01 02. Time Constructs 06 03. Rise of Indian Antiquarianism 23 03.01. ‘Sense of History’ in Medieval India and Europe 23 03.02. Early Interest in Indian Antiquity 29 03.03. Institutionalizing Antiquarian Studies 32 04. Making a Case for Change 39 05. Monumental and Local Narratives: The Grand Trunk Road 65 06. Relics, Remains and Residues: Accretion through Social Selection 97 06.01. Relics 99 06.02. Remains 103 06.03. Residues 106 07. Conclusion and Recommendations 117 07.01. The American Model 119 07.02. The Quilting Metaphor 123 07.03. Conclusions 125 07.04. Recommendations 128 Bibliography 144 Appendix 149 1878 The Indian Treasure Trove Act 150 1904 The Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 155 1958 The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 168 2004 Charter for the Conservation of Unprotected Architectural Heritage and Sites in India 185 vi List of Illustrations 02. Time Constructs 1. Sinusoidal curve Source: Author………………………………………………….……………………………………………………6 2. Conceptual representation of time in 3-D Source: Unknown.............…………………………………………………………………………………………....8 3. Screen shot from televized dramatization of the Indian epic Mahabharat Source: Television Series ‘Mahabharat’ directed by B.R. Chopra and Ravi Chopra, 1988………………………..14 4. Carved stone wheel at Konark temple, Orissa, India Source: Author……………………………………………………………………………………………………....14 04. Making a Case for Change 1. India was a major competition to America in the cotton production industry Source: Sven Beckert, "Emancipation and Empire: Reconstructing the Worldwide Web of Cotton Production in the Age of the American Civil War," The American Historical Review December 2004 http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ahr/109.5/beckert.html. Accessed 29 June 2009……….........………..41 2. Cotton Green, Bombay, 1900 c. Source: Sven Beckert, "Emancipation and Empire: Reconstructing the Worldwide Web of Cotton Production in the Age of the American Civil War," The American Historical Review December 2004 http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ahr/109.5/beckert.html. Accessed 29 June 2009……………....….......42 3. United Mill No. 1, Mumbai, 2007 Source: Author…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…45 . 4. Architectural detail, United Mill No. 1, Mumbai, 2007 Source: Author…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…45 5. Architectural detail, United Mill No. 1, Mumbai, 2007 Source: Author…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…45 6. Paving in driveway, United Mill No. 1, Mumbai, 2007 Source: Author…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…45 7. Chimney, United Mill No. 1, Mumbai, 2007 Source: Author………………………………………………………………………………………………….……45 8. Bracket detail, United Mill No. 1, Mumbai, 2007 Source: Author………………………………………………………………………………………………….……45 vii 9. Interiors, United Mill No. 1, Mumbai, 2007 Source: Author………………………………………………………………………………………………….……46 10. “Cathedral of Cotton”, United Mill No. 1, Mumbai, 2007 Source: Author……………………………………………………………………………………………………….46 11. Rush hour at Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway station Source: Sam Leith. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/samleith/3680791/A_sage_nod_will_see_you_through/..50 12. Figure ground showing land occupied by Mumbai Mills in Mumbai Source: Darryl D’Monte, Ripping the fabric: The Decline of Mumbai and its Mills (New Delhi: Oxford, 2002) p.127………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….50 13. Feasibility of the 100 mts. prohibited area in an urban setting like Mumbai. Source: Author……………………………………………………………………………………………………….51 14. Painting of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque between 1808-1820 by an unknown artist Source: British library viewed from http://goasia.about.com/od/indiaphotography/ig/Qutub-Minar--Delhi/Quwwat- ul-Islam-Mosque.htm on 10/03/2008…………………………………………………………………………….….54 15. Illustration of similarities and differences between the 1904 and 1958 Acts Source: Author……………………………………………………………………………………………………….55 16. A small theatre within the United Mill No. 1 complex for the workers, with billboard advertising local theatre Source: Author……………………………………………………………………………………………………….56 17. Mumbai: Juxtaposition of economic extremes Source: ABC News http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/28/1964077.htm ..................................................57 18. The United Mill No. 1 and its surrounding hinterland Source: Author……………………………………………………………………………………………………….57 19. Monumentalization: Smooth to striated space Source: Author……………………………………………………………………………………………………….58