Travellers in Ancient India MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Travellers in Ancient India - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Option 2.

Key Points

• Pair 1: Krishnadeva Raya – Domingo Paes 
  • Correct. Domingo Paes, a Portuguese traveller, visited the Vijayanagara Empire during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya (r. 1509–1529).
  • His accounts give vivid details of the empire’s prosperity, military strength, and urban planning.
• Pair 2: Deva Raya II – Nicolo de Conti
  • Correct. Nicolo de Conti, an Italian merchant and traveller, visited during the time of Deva Raya II (r. 1422–1446).
  • He described the grandeur of the capital and the cultural richness of the court.
• Pair 3: Harihara I – Vasco da Gama 
  • Incorrect. Vasco da Gama arrived in India in 1498 during Saluva dynasty, long after Harihara I (founder, ruled from 1336–1356).

The correct answer is B.
Key Points

• Fa-Hien:
  • He was a Chinese Buddhist monk, who visited India in around 405 A.D.
  • He visited India during the region of Chandragupta II.
  • Fa-Hein travelled to many cities associated with the life of the Buddha such as Sravasti, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, Rajgir, etc.
  • The Fa-Hien account suggests that during Guptas there was peace and security within the empire.
• Hiuen-Tsang:
  • He visited India in 630 A.D during the reign of Harsha Vardhana.
  • He was a Chinese traveller.
  • Hiuen-Tsang was impressed by King Harsha’s patronage of both scholarship and Buddhism.
  • Harsha Vardhana invited Hiuen Tsang to Kumbh Mela in Prayag.
  • As per Hiuen-Tsang, the burden of taxation in Harsha's reign was less and the main source of income was land revenue.
• Al-Masudi :
  • He was an Arab traveller.
  • He visited India in 957 A.D.
  • He explained his journey in his book Muruj-ul-Zehab.
• Ibn Battuta :
  • He was a Moroccan traveller, who visited India in around 1333 A.D, during the rule of Mohammed Bin Tughlaq.
  • He wrote a book called Rihla.

The correct answer is Option 2.

Key Points

• Pair 1: Krishnadeva Raya – Domingo Paes 
  • Correct. Domingo Paes, a Portuguese traveller, visited the Vijayanagara Empire during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya (r. 1509–1529).
  • His accounts give vivid details of the empire’s prosperity, military strength, and urban planning.
• Pair 2: Deva Raya II – Nicolo de Conti
  • Correct. Nicolo de Conti, an Italian merchant and traveller, visited during the time of Deva Raya II (r. 1422–1446).
  • He described the grandeur of the capital and the cultural richness of the court.
• Pair 3: Harihara I – Vasco da Gama 
  • Incorrect. Vasco da Gama arrived in India in 1498 during Saluva dynasty, long after Harihara I (founder, ruled from 1336–1356).

The Correct Answer is option 3.

Key Points

• Megasthenes was a Greek ambassador sent by Seleucus I Nicator to the court of Chandragupta Maurya. He authored the famous account ‘Indica’, which provides details about the Mauryan administration, capital Pataliputra, and socio-political life. Hence, Pair 1 is correct.
• Fa-Hien was a Chinese Buddhist monk who visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) in the early 5th century CE.
• His primary purpose was to collect Buddhist texts and observe monastic practices. Hence, Pair 2 is correct.
• Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang) was another Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who came during the reign of Harshavardhana (7th century CE).
• He attended the Kannauj assembly and documented valuable information on Harsha's administration, society, and religious life. Hence, Pair 3 is correct.

The correct answer is - 2 and 4 only

Key Points

• Ibn Battuta
  • He was a Moroccan traveller who extensively toured India.
  • He observed that Indian cities were densely populated and prosperous.
• Al-Biruni
  • His work Kitab-ul-Hind was indeed written in Persian.
  • The chapters were structured by starting with a question, followed by descriptions from Sanskritic traditions, and concluded with comparisons.

Additional Information

• François Bernier
  • François Bernier was actually a French physician and traveller who visited the Mughal Empire, not Italian.
• Travellers to India
  • Many foreign travellers visited India over the centuries, documenting their observations which provide valuable historical insights.
  • These travellers included notable figures such as Marco Polo and Niccolò de' Conti.

The correct answer is Harshavardhan.

Key Points

Hiuen​ Tsang:

• A Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator who travelled to India in the seventh century.
• He described the interaction between Chinese Buddhism and Indian Buddhism during the early Tang dynasty.
• He became famous for his seventeen-year overland journey to India.
• He visited India during the reign of Harshavardhan who came to admire him for his deep devotion to Buddhism.

Additional Information

• Other Foreign Travellers to India:

The correct answer is Megasthenes.

Key Points

• At the time of the treaty between the Greek ruler Seleucus I Nicator and the Indian ruler Chandragupta Maurya, he appears to have been serving as an officer under Sibyrtius.
• Megasthenes was an ancient Greek historian, diplomat and Indian ethnographer, and explorer in the Hellenistic period.
• Megasthenes wrote the book “Indica”.
• Megasthenes was a Greek ambassador of Seleucus I Nicator in the court of Chandragupta Maurya.

Additional Information

• Huien Tsang visited India in 630 A.D.- 645 A.D. He was a Chinese traveler. He visited India during the supremacy of Harsha Vardhana.
• Abdur Razzak visited India in 1443 A.D.- 1444 A.D. He was also an ambassador of Persia. He visited India during the rule of Deva Raya II of Vijayanagar.
• Captain William Hawkins visited India in 1608 A.D. – 1611 A.D. He visited India during the reign of Jahangir.
• Captain William Hawkins led the first expedition of the English East India Company to India in 1609.

The correct answer is Harshavardhan.

Important Points

Xuan Zang (Hsüan Tsang):

• A Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator who travelled to India in the seventh century.
• He described the interaction between Chinese Buddhism and Indian Buddhism during the early Tang dynasty.
• The primary aim of the visit of Hiuen Tsang to India was to gain knowledge of Buddhism and collect its religious texts.
• As he did not get the permission of the Chinese emperor to visit India, he slipped away from there in 629 A.D.
• He remained at the University of Nalanda for about five years.
• He also participated in one of the religious assemblies called by Harsha at Prayag.
• He became famous for his seventeen-year overland journey to India.
• He visited India during the reign of Harshavardhan who came to admire him for his deep devotion to Buddhism. So, option 3 is correct.

Additional Information

Other Foreign Travellers to India:

The correct answer is Fa Hien.

Key Points

• Fa Hien (399-411 A.D.): He was a Chinese Buddhist monk who came to India in the reign of Chandragupta II also known.
• I-Tsing (671–695 AD): A Chinese traveler, he visited India in connection with Buddhism and he gave us some information about the first Gupta ruler.
• Harshavardhana (606 AD to 647 AD):
  • He was the most prominent ruler of the Pushyabhuti dynasty.
  • He ruled from his capital Kannauj.
  • Under Harsha, the Pushyabhuti empire covered much of North and Northwestern India.
  • Empire extended to the East till Kamarupa, and south until the Narmada river.
  • His reign is well documented by Banabhatta in Harshacharita.
  • Chinese traveler Hieun Tsang visited India during his period.

The correct answer is 1400.Key Points

• The Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Xuan Zang, came to the Indian subcontinent about 1400 years ago.

• A Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator who travelled to India in the seventh century.
• He described the interaction between Chinese Buddhism and Indian Buddhism during the early Tang dynasty.
• The primary aim of the visit of Hiuen Tsang to India was to gain knowledge of Buddhism and collect its religious texts.
• As he did not get the permission of the Chinese emperor to visit India, he slipped away from there in 629 A.D.
• He remained at the University of Nalanda for about five years.
• He also participated in one of the religious assemblies called by Harsha at Prayag.
• He became famous for his seventeen-year overland journey to India.
• He visited India during the reign of Harshavardhan who came to admire him for his deep devotion to Buddhism.

Additional Information

Other Foreign Travellers to India:

The correct answer is Chandragupt Maurya.

• Famous Greek ambassador Megasthenes come to Chandragupt Maury.
• Megasthenes was a Greek ambassador of Seleucus I Nicator.
• 'Indica' is the reputed work of Megasthenes.
• Megasthenes also describes India's two major rivers Sindhu and Ganga.

Additional Information

• Megasthenes visited the Maurya capital Pataliputra.
• He provides a detailed account of the rivers of the Punjab region in north-western India.

Important Points

Other Greek envoys to the Indian court are known after Megasthenes: 

• Deimachus as an ambassador to Bindusara.
• Dionysius, as an ambassador to Ashoka.

The correct answer is Harshavardhana.

Important Points

• During the reign of Harshavardhana famous Chinese traveler, Hieun Tsang visited India.
• The Chinese traveler, Hiuen Tsang, who visited India during his reign, has given a vivid description of the social, economic, and religious conditions, under the rule of Harsha spoke highly of the king.
• Harshavardhana is well known for his religious toleration, able administration, and diplomatic relations. He maintained diplomatic relations with China and sent envoys, who exchanged ideas of the Chinese rulers and developed their knowledge about each other.
• In 620 A.D. Harshavardhana invaded the Chalukya kingdom in the Deccan, which was then ruled by Pulakesin II. But the Chalukya resistance proved tough for Harshavardhana and he was defeated.
• Hiuen Tsang has taught many secrets of Chinese wisdom to Indians. Hiuen Tsang returned to China he brought with him Sanskrit scriptures and books of wisdom. 

The correct answer is Chinese Buddhist monk Hiuen Tsang.

Key Points

• Chinese Buddhist monk Hiuen Tsang visited the Chalukya kingdom during Pulakeshin II's reign and praised him in his writings.
• Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang visited India in the seventh century and stayed for fifteen years. During Harsha’s reign, it took almost 16 years to reach India. 
• Hiuen Tsang described that India was divided into three varnas Brahmans, Kshatriyas and Shudras( those who do agriculture) along with these three there was additional varna known as untouchables.
• During Harsha’s reign and Hiuen Tsang travel, he recorded that Buddhism was divided into eighteen sects with Nalanda as its famous centre where 10000 monks taught Buddhist philosophy of the Mahayana school.
• In 670 AD another Chinese pilgrim visited India- I-tsing- who also recorded Nalanda in his travelogue.

Additional Information

Chalukya Dynasty:

• Pulakesin I was the founder of the Chalukya Dynasty.
• He established its capital at Badami (Vatapi).
• Kirtivarman I was the son of Pulakesin I.
• Vijayaditya was the longest-serving king of the Chalukya Dynasty.
• Pulakesin II defeated the Mahendravarman I of the Pallava dynasty.
• The last king of the Chalukya Dynasty, Kirtivarman II was defeated by Dantidurga.

The correct answer is Harshvardhana.

Key Points

• Chinese traveler Huien Tsang visited India during the reign of Harshvardhana.

Additional Information

• Chinese Traveler visited India
  • Fa-Hien 405 A.D. – 411 A.D. 
    • He was a Chinese Buddhist monk.
    • He visited India during the reign of Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II).
    • He is known for his visit to Lumbini.
    • His voyage is described in his travelogue “Record of Buddhist Kingdoms”.
  • Huien Tsang 630 A.D. – 645 A.D. 
    • He was a Chinese traveler.
    • He visited India during the supremacy of Harsha Vardhana.
    • Si-yu-ki or ‘The Records of the Western World’ was written by him.