Ghulam Yazdani

Yazdani led archaeological surveys were periodically published as Annual Reports of the Archaeological Department of His Exalted Highness the Nizam's Dominions.

Early life and career

Yazdani was born on 22 March 1885 in

Director of the Archaeological Department of H.E.H. The Nizam's Dominions

Upon the recommendation of John Marshall, he was deputed to Hyderabad to organize the Archaeological Department of H.E.H the Nizam's Dominions (Hyderabad state) in 1914. He became the first Director of the department and served for 30 years till his retirement in 1943. In this capacity, he also edited the Annual Report of the Archaeological Department of His Exalted Highness The Nizam's Dominions.^[7]

Dr. Yazdani visited Bidar for the first time in 1915, drew up a comprehensive program for the thorough repair and conservation of the monuments at Bidar, and the work was carried out by the Government of Hyderabad State under Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, the Nizam of Hyderabad. He introduced an illustrated booklet, to serve as a guide-book titled The Antiquities of Bidar in 1917.^[8] Later, he completed his book Bidar: Its History and Monuments published by the Nizam’s Government and printed at Oxford University Press in 1947.^[9]

The work done by him on the preservation of monuments and exploration and excavation of relics of ancient civilization, particularly Ellora, Ajanta and Bidar, was well received not only in India but also in Europe and the United States of America, Dr. Yazdani wrote several books. He wrote about eight volumes on the work of Ajanta and Ellora before and after excavation and preservation.^[10] Dr. Yazdani received several honours such as being elected a Fellow of the

The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan, then the second highest civilian award, in 1959. He died on 13 November 1962.^[14]

Personal life

He married Badr Jahan Begum in 1909. They had two sons and five daughters.

Bibliography

• Yazdani, Ghulam; Hussein, Shaikh Chand (1900). Mulk-i 'anbar : ya'ni saltanat-i nizam shahiyah. Hyderabad: Matbu`ah `Ahad-i Afrin.
• Yazdani, Ghulam (1917). The Antiquities of Bidar. Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press.
  ISBN 9788120605015
  .
• Yazdani, Ghulam (1922). The Temples at Palampet. Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing.
• Yazdani, Ghulam (1927). Guide to Ajanta Frescoes. Hyderabad: Archaeological Department.
• Yazdani, Ghulam (1929). Mandu: The City of Joy. 1929: Oxford University Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
• Yazdani, Ghulam (1930–1955). Ajanta: the colour and monochrome reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes based on photography. London: Oxford University Press.
• Yazdani, Ghulam, ed. (1936). The story of the Archaeological Department, 1914-1936: a souvenir of the Silver Jubilee of His Exalted Highness the Nizam. Hyderabad: Archaeological Department of H.E.H. The Nizam's Dominions.
• Yazdani, Ghulam (1947). Bidar: Its History and Monuments. London: Oxford University Press.
• Yazdani, Ghulam (1952). History of the Deccan (in three volumes). London, Bombay: Published under the authority of the government of Hyderabad by Oxford University Press.
• Yazdani, Ghulam (1960). The Early History of the Deccan (in two volumes). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• COMMEMORATION VOLUME: Sherwani, H.K., ed. (1966). Dr. Ghulam Yazdani commemoration volume. Hyderabad: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Oriental Research Institute.

References