Foreign Travellers in Ancient and Medieval India

Jul 14, 2026

Uploaded by Miles

This document is a promotional material for a Prelims Preparatory Programme for 2025, focusing on the topic 'Foreign Travellers in Ancient and Medieval India'. It highlights the programme as affordable, effective, and personalized, and provides links to join a Telegram channel for further information.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

PRELIMS PREPARATORY PROGRAMME 2025 Affordable, Effective, and Personalized Foreign Travellers in Ancient and Medieval India | Century / Time Period | Traveller Name | Country / Origin | Indian King / Kingdom Visited (or Period) | Notable Work / Significance | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Ancient India | | | | | | Late 4th Century BCE | Megasthenes | Greek (Seleucid Emp.) | Chandragupta Maurya (Mauryan Empire) | Ambassador of Seleucus Nicator.
Wrote 'Indica' (survives in fragments), providing valuable details on Mauryan administration, society (7 castes mentioned), Pataliputra city. | | Early 3rd Century BCE | Deimachus | Greek (Seleucid Emp.) | Bindusara
(Mauryan Empire) | Ambassador who succeeded Megasthenes. His work is lost but mentioned by later writers like Strabo. | TOUCH LINK TO JOIN THE TELEGRAM CHANNEL-[https://t.me/ISSF_UPSC](https://t.me/ISSF_UPSC) | Early 5th Century CE | Faxian (Fa-Hien) | Chinese | Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (Gupta Empire) | Buddhist monk seeking authentic scriptures.
Wrote 'Fo-Kwo-Ki' (Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms) .
Described social, religious (esp. Buddhism), economic conditions, Pataliputra, mild administration. | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 7th Century CE (c. 630-645 CE) | Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) | Chinese | Harshavardhana (Vardhana Dynasty);
also visited Chalukyas (Pulakesin II), Pallavas | Buddhist monk and scholar. Wrote'Si-Yu-Ki' (Buddhist Records of the Western World) .
Detailed account of Harsha's court, Nalanda University, Indian society, geography, Buddhism.
Called 'Prince of Pilgrims'. | | Late 7th Century CE (c. 671-695 CE) | I-Tsing
(Yijing) | Chinese | Post-Harsha Period | Buddhist monk. Visited Nalanda University.
His accounts describe Buddhist practices, monastic life, and education system in India. | TOUCH LINK TO JOIN THE TELEGRAM CHANNEL-[https://t.me/ISSF_UPSC](https://t.me/ISSF_UPSC) | 10th Century CE (c. 915-916 CE) | Al-Masudi | Arab
(Baghdad) | Gurjara-Pratihara (Mahipala I) / Rashtrakuta period (visited Gujarat region) | Arab historian & geographer. Wrote'Muruj-ul-Zehab' (Meadows of Gold) .
Described Indian geography, society, and the monsoon. Mentioned rivalry between Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas. | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Medieval India | | | | | | 11th Century CE (c. 1017-1030 CE) | Al-Biruni | Persian (Khwaraz m) | Accompanied
Mahmud of Ghazni | Scholar in various fields. Wrote'Kitab-ul-Hind' or 'Tahqiq-i-Hind'(Researches on India) .
Comprehensive account of Indian sciences, religion, philosophy, society, caste system. Called'founder ofIndology'. | | Late 13th Century CE (c. 1288-1293 CE) | Marco Polo | Venetian
(Italian) | Pandya Kingdom (Madurai),
Kakatiya Kingdom (visited ports like Kayal) | Merchant traveller. Described South Indian kingdoms, trade (horses, pearls), customs in 'The Travels of Marco Polo'. | | 14th Century CE (c. 1333-1347 CE) | Ibn Battuta | Moroccan | Muhammad bin Tughlaq

Jul 14, 2026

Uploaded by Miles