Lesson 1/24 min
Travellers of the ancient age
Three travellers
| Traveller | From | When | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megasthenes | Greece | in India about 302 BCE | Indica |
| Fa-hien | China | early 5th century | Fo-kuo-ki |
| Hiuen Tsang | China | 7th century, in Harshavardhana's time | Si-yu-ki |
Megasthenes
- Greek traveller and geographer; the books place his birth about 350 BCE in Asia Minor
- Came to India as a Greek envoy and stayed at Pataliputra
- Time: the reign of Chandragupta Maurya
- His book ‘Indica’ describes India and Maurya rule
Watch out: One book writes ‘Chandragupta I’ for Megasthenes' time. The correct king is Chandragupta Maurya; look for the word ‘Maurya’ in the options.
Fa-hien
- According to the books, the first traveller from China to reach India and Bengal
- Came in the time of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II
- Purpose: to study Buddhism and visit holy places
- Passed through the port of Tamralipti in Bengal; returned to China by sea in 414 (Banglapedia)
- Famous book: Fo-kuo-ki
Hiuen Tsang
- Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar and translator; the books give his birth as about 603 in Henan, China
- Came to India in Harshavardhana's time, about 630, and to Bengal about 638 (as the books say)
- In Bengal he visited Pundravardhana, Samatata, Karnasuvarna and Tamralipti (Banglapedia)
- Studied at Nalanda; his teacher was Shilabhadra
- Book: Si-yu-ki (his travel account)
Watch out: Both books print ‘Siddhigrantha’ as Hiuen Tsang's book. The real title is ‘Si-yu-ki’. If ‘Siddhigrantha’ is an option, the exam may expect it.
Memory trick: Fa-hien = Chandragupta II; Hiuen Tsang = Harshavardhana and Shilabhadra; Megasthenes = Indica.
Check yourself
Who was Hiuen Tsang's teacher?
At a glance
- 1
Megasthenes was a Greek traveller who came in Chandragupta Maurya's time; his book is ‘Indica’.
- 2
Fa-hien was a Chinese traveller who came in Chandragupta II's time; his book is Fo-kuo-ki.
- 3
Hiuen Tsang came to India in Harshavardhana's time, about 630; at Nalanda his teacher was Shilabhadra.
- 4
The books print Hiuen Tsang's book as ‘Siddhigrantha’; its real title is Si-yu-ki.