FOREIGN TRAVELLERS IN INDIA QUIZ EXPLANATION

MEGASTHENES

• He wrote the book Indica
• He was born around 350 BC.
• He visited India between 302 to 288 BC as an ambassador of a Greek Warrior.

FA-HIEN

• He was a Chinese pilgrim.
• He visited India around 400 AD.
• He compiled a travelogue “Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms.”

SI-YU-KI

• He was a Chinese traveller.
• He visited India through Silk Route.
• He spent 5 years at the University of Nalanda & studied under Acharya Shilabhadra.

AL-BIRUNI

• He was born in khwarazm(present day Uzbekistan).
• He translated several Sanskrit works,including Patanjali’s work of Grammar.
• His Kitab-ul-Hind is a voluminous text written in Simple Arabic.

MARCO POLO

• He was an Italian merchant.
• One of his book mentioned that China had large area and great wealth.
• His book inspired Christopher Columbus.

IBN BATTUTTA

• He was a Moroccan traveller.
• He wrote a book of travels called “Rihla”.
• He was fascinated by Paan(Betel leaves ) and Coconut.

NICOLO DE CONTI

• He was an Italian merchant.
• He confirmed the gold and spice trade amongst India,Sumatra and China.
• He referred Telugu language as ” “Italian of the East”.

ABDUR RAZZAQ

• He was a Persian ,Timurid chronicler.
• He visited the Vijaynagara Kingdom at the time of Dev Raya II.
• He wrote a 45 page narrative of his mission to India which appeared as a chapter in his book.

DOMINGO PAES

• He was a Portuguese merchant.
• He visited India between 1520-1522 AD.
• He recorded his journey in his “Chronica dos reis de Bisnaga” book.

WILLIAM HAWKINS

• He was a representative of East India Company.
• He was also an ambassador of the British King James-I.
• He came to India in 1608 & travelled to Agra in the court of Mughal Emperor Jahangir.

SIR THOMAS ROE

• He was an English diplomat.
• The main objective of his mission was to get “protection of the factory of British East India Company” at Surat.
• His “Journal of the Mission to the Mughal Empire” is a treasured contribution to the history of India.

JEAN-BAPTISTE TAVERNIER

• He was a 17th century gem merchant.
• In his life,he made 06 voyages to Persia and India.
• He is popular for his discovery of Blue Diamond.

FRANCOIS BERNIER

• He was a Frenchman and a doctor.
• He came to India in 1656 and stayed here for 12 years in the Mughal Empire.
• He described Mughal cities as “Camp Towns”.