List of Foreign Travellers in Ancient India- Deimachos, Ptolemy and more

India has long been a dream destination for visitors who desire to learn about one of the world’s first civilizations. Since the dawn of time, India has attracted several intrepid travelers who have fallen in love with its customs and colors. The previous visitors traveled to India to gain information, learning, and traditions, but the British travelers were truly the concealed form of imperialists. These explorers chronicled their travels around the country and were the first historians. The reports of these travelers account for the majority of what we know about ancient India today. The following is a List of Foreign Travellers in Ancient India and experienced its diverse cultural landscape:

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List of Foreign Travellers in Ancient India

1. Hiuen Tsang from China (630-645 A.D.)

Hiuen Tsang was one of the first and most well-known visitors to India, coming from China in search of Buddhist beliefs and practices. Hiuen Tsang was known as the “Prince of Pilgrims,” His accounts contain a wealth of information about India’s political, social, and religious landscape. He traveled to Kashmir, Punjab, Kapilavastu, Bodh-Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar, studied at the University of Nalanda, and decided to travel through the Deccan, Orissa, and Bengal. His accounts represent what ancient India must have been like.

2. Deimachos (320-273 BC)

During the reign of Bindusara, Deimachus traveled to India. Deimachus, the Syrian King Antiochus-I ambassador, was brought to the court of Bindusara. Megasthenes was replaced by Deimachus. Greek historians Megasthenes, Deimachus, and Dionysius served as diplomats in the Mauryan court.He has important knowledge regarding modern society and politics.

3. Ptolemy (130 A.D.)

From Greece
Geographer
Wrote “the geography of India”,which describes ancient Indian geography.

4. I-tsing from China (671- 695 A.D.)

He was a Chinese traveler and stayed in India in association with Buddhism. A Chinese pilgrim named I-tsing remained at Tamralipti for three years and studied Sanskrit. Yijing, formerly romanized as I-tsing, was a Tang-era Chinese Buddhist monk known as a wanderer and translator. His narrative of his journeys is an essential source for the history of the medieval kingdoms along the sea route between China and India, particularly Srivijaya in Indonesia. He was a student at Nalanda Buddhist University (now in Bihar, India), where he was also in charge of translating various Buddhist books from Sanskrit and Pali into Chinese. Yijing commended the excellent level of Buddhist education in Srivijaya and encouraged Chinese monks to study there before traveling to Nalanda in India.

5. Megasthenes from Greece (302-298 B.C.)

Megasthenes (c. 350 BC—c. 290 BC) was an ancient Greek historian and diplomat who wrote the Indica, a four-volume chronicle of India. He was an Ionian sent on diplomatic missions to the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta by the Hellenistic monarch Seleucus I. He spent around five years at Chandragupta Maurya’s palace (302-298 B.C.). He provided the most comprehensive description of India known to the Greek world at the time, and he served as a source for later historians like Diodorus, Strabo, Pliny, and Arrian. Megasthenes’ book had flaws, including factual errors, an unquestioning embrace of Indian mythology, and a desire to idealize Indian society according to Greek philosophical norms. We learn all he saw in India via his reports, including its geography, governance, religion, and society.

6. Fa Hien from China (405-411 A.D.)

Fa-Hien was the first Chinese priest to visit India to pursue important Buddhist texts. He traveled from Central China to Gandhara and Peshawar, primarily on foot, at the age of 65. He took the southern route via Dunhuang, Shenshen, Khotan, and then through the Himalayas to Gandhara and Peshawar. During Chandragupta Vikramaditya’s reign, a Chinese wayfarer came to India on foot. Faxian, the first Buddhist pilgrim to India, has provided invaluable information on the Gupta dynasty and the social and economic realms. He is well-known for his Lumbini visit. In his travelogue, “Record of Buddhist Kingdom,” he describes his journey. One of his most well-known works is ‘Foguoji.’

7. Vasco De Gama

Vasco De Gama was the first Portuguese explorer to reach India and the first European to do so. He was an essential traveler to India, and his history is intertwined with Goa’s. His mission made multiple stops in Africa until reaching the commercial town of Calicut, India, after traveling along the western coast of Africa and crossing the Cape of Good Hope. Da Gama landed in Goa on his second voyage to combat the rampant corruption that had corrupted the Portuguese authority in India.

Conclusion

The issue arises as to whether we have ever had any travelers who left their domestic fire to journey abroad. The answer is a resounding no. Even if they are, their stories and narratives do not contribute significantly to our current travel corpus. This was because, unlike Persia, Britain, Italy, and others, India had not been a very travel-friendly country. Indians regarded themselves to be contented people who rarely ventured beyond their limits. However, as tourism becomes more popular, Indians take more excursions and plan travels, resulting in them becoming observers rather than subjects of tales. After reading this article, you are well versed with the List of Foreign Travellers in Ancient India. You can find more blogs like this on the Oliveboard site.

FAQ’s

Who was the first person to visit India?

The first foreign visitor to India was Megasthenes, the envoy of Seleucus Nikator. He came to India during Chandragupta Maurya’s reign.

Who was the very first Chinese visitor to India?

The first Chinese visitor to India was Fa-Hien or Faxian (AD 399–413). He was a Buddhist monk who travelled the world to pursue ancient Buddhist writings.

What were the names of the two Chinese tourists that visited India?

Faxian and Faxian were two of the most important Chinese travellers who travelled to India and stayed here for many years before returning to China to share what they had learned (often spelt in Indian history books as Fa-Hian)

Who was the Chinese traveller who came to India during Chandragupta Maurya’s reign?

During the time of the Gupta monarch Chandragupta Maurya, Fa-Hien or Faxian came to India.

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