Foreign Travellers or Envoys


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Foreign Travellers or Envoys

Megasthenes (302-298 BC)

An ambassador of Selecus Nikator, who visited e court of Chandragupta Maurya. He wrote an interesting book 'Indica'in which he gave a vivid account of Chandragupta Maurya's reign.

Fa- Hien ( 405 – 411 D )

He came to India during the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. The object of his visit was to see the holy places of Buddhism and to collect Buddhist books and relics. He was the first Chinese pilgrim to visit India.

Hiuen-Tsang(630-645AD)

He visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana.

Hiuen-Rsang (630 – 645 AD)

Chinese traveller, he visited India in connection with Buddhism. His work Biographies of Eminent Monks, provides us useful information about the social, religious and cultural life of the people of this country.

Al-Masudi (957 AD)

An Arab traveller, he has given an extensive account of India in his work 'Muruj-ul-Zahab'.

Al-beruni (1024-1030 AD)

His real name was Abu Rohan Mahamudand he came to India along with Mahmud of Ghazni during one of his Indian raids. He travelled all over India and wrote a book' Tahqiq-i-Hind'. The book dealts with the social, religious and political conditions in India.

Marco Polo (1292-1294 AD)

A Venetian traveller, he visited South India in 1294 A.D. (during the reign of Pandyan ruler of Madurai, Madverman Kulshekhara : 1272-1311). His work The Book of Sir Marco Polo' gives an invaluable account of the economic history of India.



Ibn Batuta (1333-1347 AD)

A Morrish traveller, he visited India during the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. His book' Rchla' (the Travelogue) throws a lot of light on tlie reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq and the geographical, economic and social conditions in India.

Shihabuddin al-Umari (1348 AD)

He came from Damascus. He gives a vivid account of India in his book, 'Masalik albsar fi-mamalik al-amsar’.

Nicolo Conti (1420-1421 AD)

A Venetian traveller, he gives a comprehensive account of the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar.

Athanasius Nikitin (1470-1474 AD)

He was a Russian merchant, who visited South India in 1470. He describes the condition of the Bahmani kingdom under Muhammad III(1463-82).

Duarte Barbosa (1500-1516 AD)

He was a Portuguese traveller. He has given a valuable narrative of the government and the people of the Vijayanagar empire.





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