Ahmad Hasan Dani
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| Born | June 20, 1920 (age 86) |
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| Residence | Islamabad |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Field | Archaeology, History, Linguistics |
| Institution | Quaid-e-Azam University |
| Known for | Indus Valley Civilization |
| Notable prizes | Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Bundesverdienstkreuz, Palmes Academiques, Légion d'honneur |
| Religion | Islam |
Ahmad Hassan Dani (born 1920) is a Pakistani archaeologist and linguist who is considered to be one of the foremost authorities on South Asian archaeology and history.[1] He is Emeritus Professor at the Quaid-e-Azam University and the director of Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations. He was the first Muslim graduate of the Banaras Hindu University.
Throughout his career, Dani has held various academic positions and international fellowships, apart from conducting archaeological excavations and research. He is also the recipient of one of the highest civil awards in Pakistan, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, as well as the French Légion d'honneur.
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[edit] Career
Dani worked on Mohenjo-daro excavation in 1945 alongside Mortimer Wheeler. He also excavated the pre-Indus Civilization site of Rehman Dheri in Northern Pakistan, made a number of discoveries of Gandhara sites in Peshawar and Swat Valleys, and worked on Indo-Greek sites in Dir.[2] Between 1958–59 Dani worked as Research Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. In 1969 he was Asian Fellow at the Australian National University, Canberra. In 1974, he visited the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia as visiting scholar. In 1977, he was Visiting Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1990–91, he led the UNESCO international scientific teams for the Desert Route Expedition of the Silk Road in China and the Steppe Route Expedition of the Silk Road in the Soviet Union. Since 1985, he has been enagaged in research focusing on the documentation of the rock carvings and inscriptions on ancient remains from the Neolithic age in the high mountain region of Northern Pakistan along with Harald Hauptmann of Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, University of Heidelberg.[3]
Dani was awarded the title of Distinguished National Professor in 2004 by the Higher Education Commission in recognition of his contributions and achievements.[4]
[edit] Academic positions
Dani has been the Honorary Director since 1997 at Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations. Since 1971, he has been on various positions in Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. His earlier prominent positions include:
- 1994–98, Chairman, National Fund for Cultural Heritage, Islamabad,
- 1992–96, Advisor to the Ministry of Culture, on Archaeology
- 1980 Professor Emeritus, Quaid-e-Azam University
- 1962–71 Professor of Archaeology, University of Peshawar
- 1950–62 Associate Professor of History, University of Dhaka
- 1950–62 Curator, Dhaka Museum
- 1950 Superintendent-in-Charge of Archaeology East Pakistan.
- 1946–50 Assistant Superintendent of Archaeology, Government of British India and Government of Pakistan.
[edit] Museum works
Dani has worked on establishing, renovating and resetting of the following museums:
- 1993 Islamabad Museum
- 1969 Peshawar Museum
- 1969 Lahore Museum
- 1951 Dhaka Museum
- 1949 Verandra Museum, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
[edit] Awards and honours
[edit] Fellowships
- 1993 Honorary Doctorate, Tajikistan University, Dushanbe
- 1991 Honorary Fellow of Royal Asiatic Society
- 1986 Honorary Fellow of IsMEO, Rome
- 1982 Honorary Fellow of Western and Central Asia, Karachi
- 1981 Honorary Fellow of German Archaeological Institute
- 1969 Honorary Fellow of Royal Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
- 1944 J.K Fellow, Banaras Hindu University
[edit] Awards
- 2000 Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Government of Pakistan
- 1998 Légion d'honneur, President of the French Republic
- 1997 Aristotle Silver Medal, UNESCO
- 1996 Order of the Merit, Government of Germany
- 1994 Knight Commander, Government of Italy
- 1992 Aizaz-e-Kamal, Government of Pakistan
- 1990 Palmes Academiques, Government of France
- 1986 Gold Medal, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
- 1969 Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Government of Pakistan
- 1944 Gold Medal, Banaras Hindu University
[edit] Publications
He has published over 30 books. In 1949, he published the first article linking the Vedic "Hariyupiyah" with today's Harappa.
[edit] Books
- Historic City of Taxila. Sang-e-Meel Publications. 2001. ISBN 978-9693509472
- History of Northern Areas of Pakistan (Up to 2000 AD). Sang-e-Meel Publications. 2001. ISBN 978-9693512311
- Romance of the Khyber Pass. Sang-e-Meel Publications. 1997. ISBN 978-9693507195
- New Light on Central Asia. Sang-e-Meel Publications. 1996. ISBN 978-9693502947
- Central Asia Today. Sang-e-Meel Publications. 1996. ISBN 978-9693507065
- Human Records on Karakorum Highway. Sang-e-Meel Publications. 1995. ISBN 978-9693506464
- Peshawar: Historic City of the Frontier. Sang-e-Meel Publications, (2nd Revised edition). 1995. ISBN 978-9693505542
- A Short History of Pakistan, Book One: Pre-Muslim Period. University of Karachi. (3 editions, 1967, 1984, 1992). ISBN 969-404-008-6
- History of Northern Areas of Pakistan (Historical studies). National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research. 1989. ISBN 978-9694150161
- Perspectives of Pakistan. National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-e-Azam University. 1989. ASIN B0000CQNUB
- The historic city of Taxila. Centre for East Asian Cultural Studies. 1986. ISBN 978-4896565003
- Chilas: The City of Nanga Parvat (Dyamar). 1983. ASIN B0000CQDB2
- Thatta: Islamic architecture. Institute of Islamic History, Culture & Civilization. 1982. ASIN B0000CQD43
- Indus Civilization: New Perspectives. Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. 1981
- Indian palaeography. Clarendon P. 1963. ASIN B0000CM0CB
- Dacca: A record of its changing fortunes. S.S. Dani (Publisher). 1962. ASIN B0000CQXMU
- Prehistory and Protohistory of Eastern India: With a Detailed Account of the Neolithic Cultures. K.L. Mukhopadhyay. 1960
- Bibliography of the Muslim Inscriptions of Bengal. 1957
[edit] Co-authored works
- With J-P. Mohen (eds.), History of Humanity, Volume III, From the Third Millennium to the Seventh Century BC. New York: Routledge/Paris: UNESCO. 1996. ISBN 0415093066.
- With B.A. Litvinksy, The Kushano-Sassanian Kingdom, in History of Civilizations of Central Asia, South Asia Books. 1999. ISBN 978-8120815407
[edit] Notes
- ^ Omar Khan, An interview with Dani in Islamabad, on 6 January 1998
- ^ Mohammad Iqbal, Archaeological site discovered in Dir, Dawn (newspaper), 21 May 2002. (Accessed on 6 March 2007)
- ^ Jamal Shahid, Dam threatens ancient remains, Dawn, 5 December 2006. (Accessed on 6 March 2007)
- ^ HEC Announces list of "Distinguished National Professors", HEC Press Release, 10 March 2004. (Accessed on 6 March 2007)
[edit] External links
- Dani's Profile at Cultural Heritage of Pakistan
