BURIED On the Mound of the Dead

February 06, 2020

BURIED On the Mound of the Dead

Meet Rakhal Das Banerji,

a man to whom we owe an explanation.

Banerji, find me a Greek Victory Pillar in Sindh, will you?

In the year 1918, a 33 year old Rakhal Das, an officer at the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) was sent to the Sindh Province of undivided India, on a mission to look for Greek Victory Pillars by his boss[1].

His British boss had a belief that Indians were incapable^[2]of reaching the standards of Classical architecture, literature and sculpture all by themselves - and that it all was actually ‘copied’ from the Greco-Roman civilisation.

The existence of a Greek Victory Pillar in the dry beds of Indus, would have given credence to this theory.

Discovery of a Stupa from Kushana.

Down in Larkana District of Sindh, instead of finding a Greek Victory Pillar - Rakhal Das ended up finding a Buddhist Stupa of the Kushana Period (2nd and 3rd Century BCE)^[3].

The discovery of Mohenjo Daro.

When asked to dig further - out came a 5000 year old city made of baked bricks, which along with Harappa, established the existence of an Indian Civilisation, older than any known in Europe^[4][5].

The curious case of a Boss sitting in Shimla.

He wrote back a report about his findings - nothing got published.

He continued excavations between 1918–1922, leading 5 seasons of excavations - writing back reports at regular intervals - nothing got published.

He wrote his final report on Mohenjo-Daro in 1924^[6]- He did not even receive an acknowledgement.

The Transfer - Arrest - The End

In 1924, Rakhal Das came across an issue of the Illustrated London News, reporting on the exciting discovery of the Mohenjo-Daro, crediting the discovery to his boss.

In the same year, to his utter surprise, Rakhal Das received a transfer order^[7]- relieving him of his responsibilities at the excavation sites in Mohenjo-Daro with immediate effect.

In October 1925, an arrest warrant^[8]was issued under his name, for alleged removal of a statue from the Chausath Yogini temple in Jabalpur.

Owing to the case and the allegation, he was immediately put under suspension.

Though the case was eventually dismissed 3 years later, and a departmental enquiry found nothing, his Boss ‘advised’ him to resign.

Rakhal Das Banerji retired from ASI in 1928 - and died 2 years later.

Before his first death anniversary - his boss - Sir John Hubert Marshall, published a book in 3 volumes.

This book established Sir Marshall as the discoverer of Mohenjo-Daro.

Encyclopedia Britannica credits him, for the discovery^[9]of Mohenjo-Daro.
The Oxford University Press^[10]credits him for discovery of Mohenjo-Daro.
Major Indian and international publications and even Jawaharlal Nehru’s Discovery of India, credits him for the discovery of Mohenjo-Daro.
Even NCERT in India, credits him as the main guy, who discovered Mohenjo-Daro^[11].
Recently, the India Today Magazine celebrated his 59th Death Anniversary, crediting him for the discovery of Mohenjo-Daro^[12].

Sir Marshall, being the large hearted and awesome boss that he was - didn’t forget to mention Rakhal Das Banerji’s name in the foreward of the book - crediting him as the man, who calculated, how old Mohenjo-Daro ruins were^[13]- That’s it.

Most Indian text books today, mention Rakhal Das as a footnote, only a few credit him for the discovery, taking his name, while singing paeans for his boss, Sir John Marshall.