Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni was an Indian archaeologist who supervised the excavation of the Indus valley site at Harappa in 1921-22.
Sahni was a trainee of John Marshall. He became the first Indian to be appointed Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, a position in which he served till 1935.
Sahni was born in Bhera city in shahpur district, punjab on 16 December 1879. He graduated in Sanskrit from Punjab University with a gold medal, he topped the M. A. examination from Oriental College in 1903. As a result of this accomplishments, Sahni won the Sanskrit scholarship sponsored by the Archaeological Survey of India and recruited by the survey on completion of his education.
In 1903, Sahni was posted to Punjab and United Provinces and was involved in the excavation of Kasia in 1905 and Rajgir in Bihar under John Marshall in January–February 1906.
In September 1907, Sahni assisted Marshall in the excavation of a stupa at Rampurva in champaran district.
He prepared a catalogue of archaeological ruins at Sarnath and worked as curator of Lucknow Museum from 1911 to 1912.
Sahni was made incharge of United Provinces and Punjab. While working as Assistant Superintendent, he excavated the Indus Valley site at Harappa, the first of the Indus Valley sites to be excavated.
In 1925, Sahni was transferred to Delhi as Deputy Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India.
Sahni was the first native Indian to be appointed to the post. Sahni was awarded a “Rai Bahadur” medal in March 1920 by the Governor of Punjab at a durbar in Rawalpindi.
279. Daya Ram Sahni – A man behind Harappa Site
