Famous Foreign Travellers to India

Famous Foreign Travellers to India

Important Foreign Travellers/Envoys

• Megasthenes (302-298 BC):

  • An ambassador of Seleucus Nikator, who visited the court of Chandragupta Maurya.

  • He wrote an interesting book, 'Indica', in which he gave a vivid account of Chandragupta Maurya's reign.

• Fa-Hien (405-411 AD):

  • He came to India during the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya.

  • The object of his visit was to see the holy places of Buddhism and to collect Buddhist books and relics.

  • He was the first Chinese pilgrim to visit India.

• Hiuen-Tsang (630-645 AD):

  • He visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana.

• I-tsing (671-695 AD):

  • A Chinese traveller, he visited India in connection with Buddhism.

  • His work, Biographies of Eminent Monks, provides us with useful information about the social, religious, and cultural life of the people of this country.

• Al-Masudi (957 AD):

  • An Arab traveller, he has given an extensive account of India in his work 'Muruj-ul-Zahab'.

• Al-Beruni (1024-1030 AD):

  • His real name was Abu Rehan Mahamud, and he came to India along with Mahmud of Ghazni during one of his Indian raids.

  • He travelled all over India and wrote a book, 'Tahqiq-i-Hind'.

  • The book deals with the social, religious, and political conditions in India.

• Marco Polo (1292-1294 AD):

  • A Venetian traveller, he visited South India in 1294 A.D. (during the reign of Pandyan ruler of Madurai, Madverman Kulshekhara: 1272-1311).

  • His work, The Book of Sir Marco Polo, gives an invaluable account of the economic history of India.

• Ibn Batuta (1333-1347 AD):

  • A Moroccan traveller, he visited India during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq.

  • His book 'Rehla (the Travelogue)' throws a lot of light on the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq and the geographical, economic, and social conditions in India.

• Shihabuddin al-Umari (1348 AD):

  • He came from Damascus.

  • He gives a vivid account of India in his book Masalik albsar fi-mamalik al-amsar.

• Nicolo Conti (1420-1421 AD):

  • A Venetian traveller, he gives a comprehensive account of the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar.

• Abdur Razzaq (1443-1444 AD):

  • He was a Persian traveller who came to India and stayed at the court of the Zamorin at Calicut.

  • He has given a vivid account of the Vijayanagar empire, especially of the city.

  • He describes the wealth and luxurious life of the king and the nobles.

• Athanasius Nikitin (1470-1474 AD):

  • He was a Russian merchant who visited South India in 1470.

  • He describes the condition of the Bahmani kingdom under Muhammad III (1463-82).

• Duarte Barbosa (1500-1516 AD):

  • He was a Portuguese traveller.

  • He has given a valuable narrative of the government and the people of the Vijayanagar empire.

• Dominigo Paes (1520-1522 AD):

  • He was Poa Portuguese traveller, who visited the court of Krishnadeva Raya of the Vijayanagar Empire.

• Femao Nuniz (1535-1537 AD):

  • A Portuguese merchant who visited the Vijayanagar empire.

  • He wrote the history of the empire from its earliest times to the closing years of Achyutdeva Raya's reign.

• John Hughen Von Linschotten (1583 AD):

  • He was a Dutch traveller who gave a valuable account of the social and economic life of South India.

• William Hawkins (1608-1611 AD):

  • He was an English ambassador of the British King James I to the court of Jahangir (1609).

  • He resided at Agra for two years (1609-11) and received numerous favours from the emperor, who called him 'Inglish Khan'.

• Sir Thomas Roe (1615-1619 AD):

  • He was an ambassador of James I, King of England, at the court of Jahangir, the Mughal emperor.

• Francisco Palsaert (1620-1627 AD):

  • He was a Dutch traveler who stayed at Agra and gave a vivid account of the flourishing trade at Surat, Ahmedabad, Broach, Cambay, Lahore, Multan, etc.

• Peter Mundy (1630-34 AD):

  • He was an Italian traveller to the Mughal Empire during the reign of Shah Jahan.

  • He gives valuable information about the living standard of the common people in the Mughal Empire.

• John Albert de Mandesto (1638 AD):

  • He was a German traveller who reached Surat in 1638.

• Jeen Baptiste Tavemier (1638-1663 AD):

  • He was a French traveller and gem merchant who visited India six times; his account covers the reign of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.

• Nicolao Manucci (1653-1708 AD):

  • He was an Italian traveller who served at the court of Dara Shikoh.

• Francois Bernier (1656-1717 AD):

  • He was a French physician and philosopher.

  • Danishmand Khan, a noble of Aurangzeb, was his patron.

• Jean de Thevenot (1666 AD):

  • He was a French traveller who gave a good account of cities like Ahmedabad, Cambay, Aurangabad, and Golconda.

• John Fryer (1672-1681 AD):

  • He was an English traveller who gave a vivid account of Surat and Bombay.

• Gemelli Careri (1695 AD):

  • He was an Italian traveller who landed at Daman.

  • His remarks on the Mughal emperor's military organisation and administration are important.

Abbreviated or Alternative Names of Famous Personalities

Important Sayings

• "Back to Vedas" - Dayanand Saraswati

• "India is for Indians" - Dayanand Saraswati

• "Dharma Chakra Pravartana" - Mahatma Buddha

• "Dilli Chalo!" - Subhash Chandra Bose (battle cry of Azad Hind Fauj)

• "Quit India" (slogan) - Yusuf Meherally

• "Do or Die" - Mahatma Gandhi (while launching the Quit India movement in 1942)

• "Give me blood and I will give you freedom" - Subhas Chandra Bose (to soldiers of Azad Hind Fauj)

• "My ultimate aim is to wipe every tear from every eye" - Mahatma Gandhi

• "The ambition of the greatest man (i.e., Mahatma Gandhi) of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye" (A Tryst with Destiny - PM speech on the eve of India's Independence) - Jawaharlal Nehru

• "Swaraj (self-rule) is my birthright and I will have it" - Bal Gangadhar Tilak

• "Every blow that is hurled on my back will be a nail in the coffin of the British Empire" - Lala Lajpat Rai

• "The Congress is tottering to its fall and one of my greatest ambitions while in India is to assist it to a peaceful demise" - Lord Curzon

• "Muslims were foolish, they demanded protection, and Hindus were also foolish, they rejected that demand" - Abul Kalam Azad

• "Sare Jahan Se Acchha Hindustan Hamara" - Iqbal

• "Vande Mataram" - Bankim Chandra Chatterji

• "Jan Gan Man Adhinayak Jai hei" - R.N. Tagore

• "Samrajyawad Ka Nash ho" - Bhagat Singh

• "Read, fight and unite" - B.R. Ambedkar

• "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" - Lal Bahadur Shastri

• "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan" - Atal Bihari Vajpayee

• "Jai Hind!" - Subhash Chandra Bose

• "Aaraam Haraam Hai" (Cast off your Laziness) - Jawaharlal Nehru

• "Sampurn Kranti" (Total Revolution) - Jai Prakash (J.P.) Narayan

Final Thoughts

Foreign travellers played a vital role in documenting India’s rich cultural, political, and social heritage. Their unbiased observations provide unique insights into the country’s dynasties, religions, trade, and daily life during different historical periods. From Megasthenes’ detailed account in Indica to Ibn Battuta’s vivid travelogue, these writings serve as precious historical sources.

They help modern scholars and students understand how India appeared to the outside world. Additionally, the nicknames of Indian leaders and inspiring historical quotes included in the content reflect the depth and diversity of India’s freedom struggle and spiritual traditions.

Learning about these travellers and voices from history makes our understanding of India’s legacy more complete and meaningful.