Which Chinese traveller in ancient India wrote the diary called 'Records of the Travels to Middle India'?
- (a)Wang Xuance
- (b)Xuanzang
- (c)Yijing
- (d)Li Yibiao
Correct — A, Wang Xuance. Wang Xuance was a Tang-dynasty envoy who made several diplomatic missions to India in the 7th century and left an account of his journeys to 'Middle India' (Central India / Madhyadesha). Xuanzang's famous work is the 'Great Tang Records on the Western Regions', Yijing recorded Buddhist practices in India, and Li Yibiao was another Tang envoy — so among the four, the diary named here is Wang Xuance's.
- (b)Xuanzang — Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) wrote the 'Great Tang Records on the Western Regions' (Da Tang Xiyu Ji), not the diary named in this question.
- (c)Yijing — Yijing (I-Tsing) wrote an account of Buddhist practices observed in India and the southern seas, not the 'Records of the Travels to Middle India'.
- (d)Li Yibiao — Li Yibiao was a Tang envoy who travelled to India but is not credited with this particular travel diary.
Several Chinese travellers visited ancient and early-medieval India and left written accounts that are valuable historical sources. The best known are Faxian (Fa-Hien, Gupta era), Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang, 7th century) and Yijing (I-Tsing). Alongside these pilgrims, Tang diplomats such as Wang Xuance also journeyed to India and recorded their travels.
The question tests careful matching of a traveller to the title of his work. It is easy to default to Xuanzang, the most famous Chinese visitor, but his work has a different title; the diary about 'Middle India' is attributed to the envoy Wang Xuance.
- Wang Xuance was a 7th-century Tang envoy who made several missions to India.
- Xuanzang wrote the 'Great Tang Records on the Western Regions'.
- Yijing (I-Tsing) recorded Buddhist religious practice in India and the southern seas.
- Such Chinese accounts are important sources for reconstructing early Indian history.
- Defaulting to the most famous name (Xuanzang) without checking the title of the work.
- Mixing up the works of Xuanzang, Yijing and Faxian.
A traveller-to-work matching question — link the named diary to the correct Chinese visitor.
The following persons came to India at one time or another: I. Fa-Hien II. I-Tsing III. Megasthenes IV. Hieun-Tsang. The correct chronological sequence of their visits is:
- (a) III, I, II, IV
- (b) III, I, IV, II
- (c) I, III, II, IV
- (d) I, III, IV, II
Answer(b) III, I, IV, II
Same theme — foreign (including Chinese) travellers to India. That UPSC item orders Fa-Hien, I-Tsing, Megasthenes and Hiuen-Tsang chronologically; this one matches a Chinese traveller to his travel account.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Chinese pilgrim who visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana in the 7th century was
- (a)Faxian
- (b)Xuanzang
- (c)Megasthenes
- (d)Al-Biruni
Answer(b) Xuanzang — he visited during Harsha's reign in the 7th century.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Chinese traveller Faxian (Fa-Hien) visited India during the reign of
- (a)Chandragupta Maurya
- (b)Ashoka
- (c)Chandragupta II
- (d)Harshavardhana
Answer(c) Chandragupta II — Faxian travelled during the Gupta period.