Fa-hien (Faxian), the Chinese pilgrim, travelled to India during the reign of
Previous Year Questions: This question has been asked in the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2025 – Prelims – General Studies Paper I, held on Sunday, 25 May 2025.
Question: Fa-hien (Faxian), the Chinese pilgrim, travelled to India during the reign of
(a) Samudragupta
(b) Chandragupta II
(c) Kumaragupta I
(d) Skandagupta
प्रश्न: चीनी तीर्थयात्री फाहियान ने इनमे से किसके शासनकाल में भारत की यात्रा की थी?
(a) समुद्रगुप्त
(b) चंद्रगुप्त द्वितीय
(c) कुमारगुप्त प्रथम
(d) स्कंदगुप्त
Topic: Ancient Indian History
Explanation:
Fa-Hien, also spelled Faxian, was a Chinese Buddhist monk and traveler who visited India in the early 5th century CE during the reign of Chandragupta II ‘Vikramaditya’ (around 399–414 CE). His journey marks one of the earliest and most detailed foreign accounts of India’s social, religious, and cultural conditions during the Gupta period.
Image source: prasun123.wordpress.com
Purpose of Visit:
Fa-Hien undertook his journey primarily to:
Collect Buddhist scriptures (especially Vinaya texts related to monastic discipline).
Visit sacred Buddhist sites such as Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar.
Observe and document the practice of Buddhism in its land of origin.
Journey and Stay:
He traveled overland from China through Central Asia into North India and later to Sri Lanka.
He spent several years in India, especially in Pataliputra (modern Patna), Mathura, and Kapilavastu.
He returned to China by sea via Sri Lanka and Java.
Observations:
Fa-Hien admired the religious tolerance, prosperity, and justice of Gupta-era India.
He noted the absence of capital punishment, presence of hospitals, and well-organized monasteries.
Though India was predominantly Hindu at the time, Buddhism was still widespread, especially in the Gangetic plains.
Legacy:
Fa-Hien’s travelogue, titled “A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms”, provides valuable insights into Indian society, governance, urban life, and the status of Buddhism.
His writings are a key historical source for understanding early 5th-century India and cross-cultural exchanges between India and China.
