Page 16 - Jul - Sep 2021

Travellers
TRAVEL TRYSTS On India's
stories
glories
Since time immemorial, India has been visited
by many foreign travellers and envoys. Non-
secular texts like travel accounts provide
insightful details about India's administration,
society, culture, economy, etc.
Parchuri Adarsh Sai, Class 5 A, Gitanjali Primary School, Hyderabad

MEGASTHENES (302 B.C.E. - 298 B.C.E.)
Indica MARCO POLO (1292 C.E. - 1294 C.E.)
Greek ambassador Megasthenes was the fi rst foreign Voyages of Marco Polo
visitor to India. The surviving parts of Indica mentions
The European traveller from
about the administration, philosophy and diverse
Venice, was one of the earliest
culture of the people under the Mauryan Empire.
travellers to visit Southern
India. After visiting Tanjore, he
FA HIEN (411 C.E. - 405 C.E.) marks India as ‘the richest and
most splendid province in the
Record of Buddhist
world’.
Kingdoms
The Chinese Buddhist Monk
visited India during the reign IBN BATUTA
of Chandragupta II. In his
travelogue, he mentions the (1333 C.E. - 1347 C.E.)
liberal administration and Rihla
economic prosperity under
the Guptas. The Moroccan traveller
visited India during the
rule of Mohammed Bin
Tughlaq. The collection of
his travelogues, includes
AL-BIRUNI (1024 C.E. - 1030 C.E.)
a description of the
Tahqiq-i-hind "personalities, places,
governments, customs,
The Persian scholar accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni
cultures, and curiosities".
and wrote a book titled ‘Tahqiq-i-Hind’. He talked about
the social, political, religious, and economic conditions ACTIVITY: LOVE OF SAMOSAS!!
as well as the educational system of the then India. Ibn Batuta wrote that samosas were a favourite in the
ACTIVITY: ALBERUNI & ASTRONOMY Tughlaq court. Can you name the favourite food of any
one ruler of India?
Alberuni wrote an
extensive commentary
on Indian astronomy in
the Tahqiq-i-Hind which FRANCOIS BERNIER (1656 C.E. – 1668 C.E.)
was a translation of Travels in the Mughal Empire
Aryabhatta's work. Out
The French physician and traveller visited India
of 146 books written
by Alberuni, 95 were during the reign of Shah Jahan. He was physician to
Prince Dara Shikoh and the book mentions about
devoted to astronomy
and maths. Can you name some of his works? the rules and regulations under Dara Shikoh and
Aurangzeb.

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