Travellers | Period They Stayed In India | Ambassador From Which Country | Reign of Rulers | Contribution To India |
Deimachos
| 320-273 BC | Greek Ambassador | Deimachos came to India and explored the reign of Bindusara. | - |
Megasthenes
| 302-298 B.C | Greek ethnographer & ambassador. | Megasthenes was the Ambassador of Seleucus Nicator. He also visited the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
| He wrote the book Indica to describe the beauty of India.
|
Ptolemy . | 130 A.D.
| Greece Envoy and Famous Geographer | - | He explained the beauty of Ancient India in the book “Geography of India.” |
Fa-Hien
| 405-411 A.D | Chinese Traveller To India & Chinese Buddhist Monk
| He arrived in India during the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. | Fa-Hien had a visit to the birthplace of Buddha, Lumbini. Also made a Travelogue with the name “Records of Buddhist Kingdoms”. He created the travelogue account Fo-Kyo-Ki. |
Hiuen-Tsang
| 630-645 A.D. | Chinese Buddhist Monk and Chinese Traveller To India
| Hiuen-Tsang came to India during the reign of Harshavardhana. | He explored Tashkent and Swat Valley. He wrote the book with the name “Si-Yu-Ki or the records of western world” to define the beauty of the place he visited |
Itsing
| 671- 695 A.D. | He was one of the famous Chinese travellers who visited India | Itsing visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana and mainly arrived in India to create a connection with Buddhism. | Itsing played an important role in creating Biographies of Eminent Monks. He also gave useful information about the social, religious and cultural life of the Indian people |
Al-Masudi
| 957 A.D. | Famous Arab Traveller | - | Al-Masudi also made an extensive account of India to work on Muruj-al-Zahab |
Al- Beruni or Abu Rehan Mahamud
| 1024-1030 A.D. | Muslim Scholar and Polymath
| He accompanied Mahmud Ghazni while attacking India in one of his wars. | He was the first Muslim scholar who completed in studies in India. He was also the founder of Indology. He wrote the book Tahqiq-i-Hind/Kitab-ul-Hind. |
Marco Polo
| 1292-1294 AD | Venetian Traveller
| He had a visit to South India in 1294 A.D. Marco Polo came to India during the reign of Pandyas, Madverman, Kulshekhara (1272-1311) | Marco Polo wrote the book “The Book of Sir Marco Polo” to explain the economic history of India.
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Ibn Batuta
| 1333-1347 A.D. | Morrish traveller | He visited India while Muhammad-Bin-Tughlaq was ruling the country. | He created a travelogue “Rehla” |
Shihabuddin al-Umari
| 1348 A.D. | From Damascus | - | He wrote the book “ Masalik albsar fi-mamalik al-amsar” |
Nicolo Conti
| 1420-1421 A.D. | Venetian traveller | He arrived in India while Devraya I of the Sangam Dynasty was ruling the Vijayanagar empire. | He made the graphic account of the Vijayanagara capital.
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Abdur Razzaq
| 1443-1444 A.D. | Persian traveller and Ambassador of Shahrukh of the Timurid dynasty. | He came to India while Devraya II of the Sangam dynasty was ruling the Vijaynagar Empire. He came to India at Zamorin's Calicut. | Abdur Razzaq gave a brief account of India and explained in Matla us Saddin wa Majma ul Bahrain.
|
Athanasius Nikitin
| 1470- 1474 A.D. | Russian merchant
| He made a visit to south India in 1470 AD. | He explained the Bahmani kingdom in India under Muhammad III He wrote a book, “The journey beyond 3 seas.” |
Duarte Barbosa
| 1500-1516 A.D. | Portuguese traveller
| - | He described the people and government of the Vijayanagar Empire in one of his books.
|
Domingo Paes
| 1520-1522 A.D. | Portuguese traveller | He came to India and visited the court of Krishnadeva Raya of the Vijayanagar Empire. | - |
Fernao Nuniz
| 1535-1537 A.D | Portuguese merchant | He came to India, while, Achyutdeva Raya of Tuluva dynasty ruling the Vijayanagar Empire. | He explained the history of the Vijayanagar empire. Also described the Achyutdeva Raya’s reign. |
John Hughen Von Linschoten
| 1583 A.D. | Dutch traveller
| - | He described the social and economic life of the people in South India. |
William Hawkins
| 1608-1611 A.D. | Ambassador of James I, king of England.
| He arrived in India during the reign of Jahangir, the great Mughal Emperor. William finch also accompanied with the William Hawkins | - |
Sir Thomas Roe
| 1615-1619 A.D | Ambassador of James I, king from England.
| He arrived in India during the reign of Jahangir, who was the great Mughal Emperor. | - |
Edward Terry
| 1616 A.D | Ambassador of Thomas Roe.
| - | He explained the Indian social behaviour of Gujarat |
Franciso Palsaert
| 1620-1627 A.D. | Stayed in Agra and Dutch traveller | - | He described clearly the major trade of Surat, Broach, Lahore, Ahmadabad, Cambay, Multan etc. |
Peter Mundy
| 1630-34 A.D. | Italian traveller
| He reached India during the reign of the Mughal Emperor, Shahjahan. | He explained the living standard of the people under the rule of the Mughal Empire. |
John Albert de Mandesto
| 1638 A.D. | German traveller | Landed in Surat | - |
Jeen Baptiste Tavernier
| 1638-1663 A.D | French traveller
| He visited India 6 times during the rule of Shahjahan and Aurangzeb. | - |
Nicolao Manucci
| 1653-1708 A.D. | Italian traveller | He got the opportunity to serve in the court of Dara Shikoh. | - |
Francois Bernier
| 1656- 1717 A.D. | French physician and Philosopher | He visited India while Aurangabad was ruling the country. | - |
Jean de Thevenot
| 1666 A.D. | French traveller
| - | He explained the life of people in Aurangabad, Cambay, Ahmadabad, and Golconda. |
John Fryer
| 1672-1681 A.D. | English traveller
| | He learnt the trade of Surat and Bombay. |
Gemelli Careri
| 1695 A.D | Italian traveller
| Initially landed in Daman. | He admired the Mughal emperor’s military organisation. He also made a note on the importance of administration |
