Question map
With reference to the Indian History, Alexander Rea, A. H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with
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.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis 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.
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?
- Statement 2: Which of Alexander Rea, A. H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with the establishment of the English press in colonial India (Indian history)?
- Statement 3: Which of Alexander Rea, A. H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with the establishment of churches in princely states in Indian history?
- Statement 4: Which of Alexander Rea, A. H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with the construction of railways in colonial India (Indian history)?
Direct example: this snippet states that Alexander Rea supervised archaeological excavation at Adichanallur and published the findings in the ASI report.
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.
Confirms Rea conducted excavations at Adichanallur (1899β1905) and displayed artefactsβan example of British archaeologists working on Indian sites.
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.
Shows that officers of the Archaeological Survey of India (e.g., Alexander Cunningham) visited and excavated Indian sitesβestablishes the institutional context for many excavations.
A student could investigate whether the other named individuals were ASI officers or worked with ASI, which would make association with excavations more likely.
Lists several archaeologists (Daya Ram Sahni, Wheeler, R.S. Bisht, etc.) and their excavationsβillustrates the common practice of named individuals conducting site digs and being recorded in excavation chronologies.
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.
Defines archaeology and emphasizes that excavations reveal material cultureβindicates that being 'associated with excavations' normally means supervising, conducting, publishing, or recording digs.
Use this definition as a criterion: check whether each named person supervised, conducted, or published excavation reports to judge their association.
States that English printing in India began as private English enterprise with James Augustus Hickey in 1780 (the Bengal Gazette) β an explicit example of who established the earliest English press.
A student could check whether any of the five names were newspaper proprietors/editors or otherwise active in journalism around 1780βearly 19th century to test their association with the press's establishment.
Lists early English newspapers (Bengal Gazette, Bengal Journal, Calcutta Chronicle, Madras Courier, Bombay Herald), showing the form and names of outlets that constitute the 'establishment' of English press.
A student could see whether any of the five individuals are linked to these specific titles or similar early papers to infer involvement in establishing the English press.
Explains Company concerns and later encouragement of officially sanctioned newspapers β a pattern showing some press was founded by private critics and some by officials/Company supporters.
A student could determine whether each named person was a private independent publisher/critic or an official/administrator (which would suggest different likelihoods of founding independent English press).
Describes large-scale growth of Indian-owned English and vernacular newspapers in the second half of the 19th century, indicating a later phase of press expansion distinct from the initial establishment.
A student could place each person chronologically: if someone was active in the later 19th-century expansion versus the 1780 founding, it affects their plausibility as founders of the English press.
Discusses press regulation and the Amrita Bazar Patrika's tactics (turning into English to evade regulation), illustrating legal/linguistic dynamics that shaped which papers were 'English' and who might establish them.
A student could check whether the individuals were involved in legal/administrative contexts influencing press language/status, which would bear on their role in establishing English press outlets.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
Describes missionaries as a distinct group among visitors to India who wrote to encourage their societies to send more missionaries to India for the purpose of evangelisingβimplicitly linking missionaries with church-establishment activity.
Check whether any of the named persons were missionaries (or worked closely with missionary societies) and whether they operated in princely states where missionary activity could lead to church establishment.
Defines what a princely state was (regions under Indian rulers with British paramountcy), giving the geographical/political context where missionaries or officials might establish churches.
Use the definition to map where each individual worked and see if those locations were princely states at the time, to judge plausibility of church-establishment there.
Shows Alexander Rea functioning as an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officer involved in excavationsβillustrating that some listed names are civil servants/officials rather than missionaries.
A student could use this pattern (civil servant/archaeologist role) to infer that Rea was less likely to be involved in founding churches compared with individuals explicitly described as missionaries or ecclesiastical agents.
Describes Walter Elliot as a British commissioner who collected antiquitiesβagain indicating an administrative/official role rather than a missionary one.
Using this, a student could prioritize checking whether Elliotβs administrative postings were in princely states and whether commissioners typically sponsored or opposed church establishments in those regions.
Lists prominent archaeologists and institutional activity (Asiatic Society, ASI) showing a pattern of scholarly/official engagement in India distinct from missionary activity.
A student could use these institutional links to distinguish which named individuals were archaeologists/ASl-affiliated (less likely to found churches) versus those connected to missionary societies (more likely).
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
Explains who promoted and authorised early railway construction (European business community and the GovernorβGeneral), indicating that promoters were commercial directors and high colonial officials rather than archaeologists or collectors.
A student could check the professional/official roles of the five named people β those identified as railway engineers, company directors, or transport administrators are more likely to have been involved in construction.
Gives the timeline and geography of early railway proposals (first suggestion in Madras, steam railways proposed in 1834), useful for linking individuals who worked in Madras or in that early period to railway projects.
A student can compare the career locations and dates of the five individuals with the places/times of early railway development (e.g., Madras in 1830sβ1840s) to see who could plausibly have been involved.
Describes the colonial purposes and sponsors of railway routes (movement of raw materials and integration for British benefit), implying involvement by officials working on economic/transport policy and by commercial interests.
Check whether any of the five had roles in economic administration, transport policy, or commercial enterprises; such links would make their association with railway construction more plausible.
Shows Walter Elliot's role as a district commissioner and antiquarian activity (collecting sculpture), which suggests his primary work was administrative/archaeological rather than engineering or railway construction.
A student could use this to tentatively eliminate Elliot from being a railway constructor unless further evidence shows he had transport/engineering duties.
Identifies Alexander Rea as an Archaeological Survey of India excavator and reporter (1902β03), indicating his profession was archaeology, not railway building.
Use Rea's documented archaeological role to deprioritise him as a railway constructor and focus verification on the remaining names who might have engineering or administrative transport links.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
- [THE VERDICT]: Solvable. Direct hit from TN Class XI (Alexander Rea) and NCERT Themes I (Walter Elliot).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The Historiography of Ancient India β specifically the 'Discovery of the Past' and the institutional history of the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Site-Excavator' pairs: Colin Mackenzie (Hampi/Surveyor General), James Prinsep (Brahmi/Ashoka), Alexander Cunningham (First ASI DG/Bharhut), John Marshall (IVC/Sanchi conservation), R.E.M. Wheeler (Stratigraphy/Arikamedu), Daya Ram Sahni (Harappa), R.D. Banerji (Mohenjodaro).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When you read about a heritage site (e.g., Amaravati, Adichanallur, Hampi) in NCERT/TN books, do not ignore the name of the British official who 'discovered' or 'excavated' it. UPSC treats these 'Provenance Personalities' as high-value facts.
This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.
Login with Google to unlock study guidance. Available with ExamRobot Pro.
Alexander Rea supervised and published the archaeological excavations at Adichanallur (c.1899β1905) and curated the finds in a museum report.
High-yield for questions on regional archaeology and archaeological finds in South India; links to study of Iron Age burials, material culture, and museum collections. Knowing siteβexcavator pairings helps answer source-based and objective questions in prelims and provides concrete examples for mains essays on historical archaeology.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Early India: The Chalcolithic, Megalithic, Iron Age and Vedic Cultures > Adichanallur > p. 21
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Evolution of Society in South India > Porunai: The Cradle of Tamil Civilisation > p. 72
ASI figures and reports (for example Rea's ASI report and mentions of Cunningham/Marshall/Wheeler) framed and published major excavations.
Understanding ASI's institutional role is crucial for questions on heritage governance, colonial archaeology, and the provenance of archaeological knowledge; connects to administrative history and cultural policy questions in mains and to factual prelim items about key institutions.
- 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
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones > 10.1 Cunningham's confusion > p. 19
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones > 10.2 A new old civilisation > p. 20
Early archaeologists like Cunningham, Marshall and Wheeler had identifiable excavation interests and methods (text-guided surveys, horizontal units, focus on spectacular finds).
Useful for evaluating historiography and methodology in archaeology-related mains answers and for prelim questions on development of archaeological practice in India; helps compare approaches across periods and assess biases in source material.
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones > 10.1 Cunningham's confusion > p. 19
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones > 10.2 A new old civilisation > p. 20
- 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
James Augustus Hickey began the Bengal Gazette in 1780, marking the start of private English-language printing in India.
High-yield for questions on early colonial print culture and the timeline of public sphere formation; connects to governance responses and early public criticism of Company rule. Useful for framing causes of later press regulation and the emergence of Indian-owned newspapers.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 29: Development of Indian Press > Development of Indian Press > p. 557
- India and the Contemporary World β II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World > 6.2 Print Comes to India > p. 120
The East India Company and later colonial administrations enacted rules and encouraged loyal newspapers, culminating in repressive measures like the Vernacular Press Act and other press laws.
Essential for questions on state-society relations and legal instruments used to control dissent; links to topics on nationalism, civil liberties, and administrative history. Knowing these laws helps answer questions on causes and effects of press-related protest and legal reform.
- India and the Contemporary World β II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World > 9 Print and Censorship > p. 127
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 29: Development of Indian Press > 560 β« A Brief History of Modern India > p. 560
English and vernacular newspapers grew in the nineteenth century and helped spread ideas of self-government, civil rights and national unity.
Crucial for answering questions on the social and ideological roots of nationalism; connects print culture to mass mobilization, political leadership, and reform movements. Enables synthesis-type answers linking media, public opinion, and political change.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 10: Beginning of Modern Nationalism in India > Role of Press and Literature > p. 241
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 29: Development of Indian Press > 560 β« A Brief History of Modern India > p. 560
Missionaries travelled, wrote accounts and actively promoted evangelising efforts and institutions in India, which is directly relevant to questions about church establishment.
High-yield for modern history: explains the social and institutional role of missionaries, links to education and social reform topics, and helps answer questions on religious and cultural change under colonial rule.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 1: Sources for the History of Modern India > Biographies, Memoirs and Travel Accounts > p. 7
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Rise of Nationalism in India > II. Write brief answers > p. 14
Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.
Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts. Unlock micro-concepts with ExamRobot Pro.
Colin Mackenzie. He appears prominently in NCERT Themes II (Vijayanagara) as the first Surveyor General of India who prepared the first survey map of Hampi in 1800. He is the logical sibling to Sewell and Longhurst in the context of Vijayanagara archaeology.
The 'One-Drop' Rule. In a list-based question like this, if you identify ONE person's profession, the whole list belongs to that category. If you knew Walter Elliot collected the 'Elliot Marbles' (sculptures) from Amaravati (NCERT), he cannot be associated with 'Press' or 'Railways'. Thus, Option A is the only logical choice.
Mains GS-1 (Art & Culture) & GS-2 (Governance): The establishment of the ASI (1861) and the Survey of India represents 'Colonial Knowledge'βthe British effort to catalog India to rule it effectively. Use this to argue how heritage conservation in India began as a colonial administrative project.
Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.
Login with Google to unlock The Vault. Unlock the Mentor's Vault with ExamRobot Pro.
SIMILAR QUESTIONS
With reference to Indian history, consider the following statements: 1. The Dutch established their factories/warehouses on the east coast on lands granted to them by Gajapati rulers. 2. Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate. 3. The English East India Company established a factory at Madras on a plot of land leased from a representative of the Vijayanagara empire. Which of the statements given above are correct?
With reference to colonial period of Indian history, match List I (Person) with List II (Event) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists
(Person) | (Event)
A. MacDonald | 1. Doctrine of Lapse
B. Linlithgow | 2. Communal Award
C. Dalhousie | 3. August Offer
D. Chelmsford | 4. Dyarchy