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Much of the credit for preserving the art and history of Chamba goes to Dr Jean Phillipe Vogel
of the Netherlands, says Kanwarjit Singh Kang
The officials of Bhuri Singh Museum in Chamba recently demanded from the Kern Institute in the Netherlands a portrait photograph of Sanskrit scholar and archaeologist, Dr Jean Phillipe Vogel, to be placed in the museum for his contribution in preserving the heritage of Chamba. It was on the initiative of Dr Vogel that the Institute of Indian Archaeology was founded at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. The institute, which was opened in 1925, was named Kern Institute in the memory of Hendrik Kern, the first Professor of Sanskrit in Netherlands. Initially, its aim was to promote the study of Indian archaeology. This included the study of antiquities of the Indian sub-continent and its sphere of influence in South-East Asia, as well as the study of ancient history of these countries, the history of their art, epigraphy, iconography and numismatics. Later, it became an institute of Indological studies. Presently, the institute houses 60,000 books, 150 journals, 70,000 photographs, 30,000 slides, 400 manuscripts, 330 Sanskrit palm leaf manuscripts, 825 block prints and numerous maps, plans and architectural drawings, mostly related to India and South-East Asia. Dr Vogel studied Dutch literature but specialised in Sanskrit in his thesis. The Dutch Government praised his translation of Sudraka’s Sanskrit play Mrcchakatika into Dutch but was unwilling to invest in his proposed study tour to India. He, therefore, sailed to India at his own expense in 1899 and spent nearly four months in Varanasi to specialise in Sanskrit. He, then, travelled around, mostly by train, to cities of historical importance. At Ambala railway station, he met Sir Aurel Stein, the British archaeologist who had led some daring expeditions into Central Asia. On his recommendation, Dr Vogel was appointed Archaeological Surveyor for the Punjab, Baluchistan and Ajmer Circle, posted at Lahore. Dr Vogel wrote his reports, continued archaeological supervision, visited the headquarters of the Archaeological Survey at Shimla and catalogued museum collections. Every summer, he went to the hills to study art and antiquities of Kulu, Mandi, Kangra and Chamba State. He involved the local people in his pursuits. In Chamba, for instance, every summer when he arrived, the locals had spotted new treasures for him. In 1908, Raja Bhuri Singh of Chamba decided to build a museum to safeguard the heritage. His The Antiquities of Chamba State, Part I and II and Catalogue of the Bhuri Singh Museum at Chamba speak of his dedication to erstwhile Chamba state. Dr Vogel wrote numerous research papers and books. He wrote on "Tile Mosaics of the Lahore Fort" in The Journal of Indian Art. To the Annual Reports of the Archaeological Survey of India, he contributed 27 articles. Among his books the most important are: The Relation Between the Art of India and Java, Catalogue of the Archaeological Museum at Mathura, Catalogue of the Bhuri Singh Museum at Chamba, The Antiquities of Chamba State, The Mathura School of Sculpture, The Goose in Indian Literature and Art, Buddhist Art in India, Ceylon and Java. At the end of 1912, Dr Vogel went to Netherlands. There he was appointed Professor of Sanskrit and Archaeology at the University of Leiden, wherein he founded the Kern Institute. He was the supervisor of 12 volumes of the Annual Bibliography of Indian Archaeology, published by the Kern Institute from 1926. In 1947, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his doctorate, his friends and pupils presented him India Antiqua, a volume of ‘Oriental Studies’ comprising 43 research papers contributed by eminent Indologists, including Dr A.K. Coomaraswamy. In his wishes, Sir John Marshall, Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1902-28, observed: "There is no one living to whom I would so gladly pay my tribute of admiration as Prof Vogel, who collaborated with me for so many years in India and for whose achievements in the field of Indian Archaeology I entertain the highest possible esteem."
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