Megasthenes, 302 to 298 B.C.

Ambassador of Seleucus.

Traveled to India during Chandragupta Maurya’s rule.

Chandragupta is known as Sandrocottus among the

Greeks.

Author of the novel “Indica.”

Referred to as the “Father of Indian History” for being

the first to depict ancient India.
 Abdur Razzak – 1443 A.D. – 1444 A.D.

Islamic scholar and philosopher.

Visited India during Dev Raya II’s rule in

the Sangama dynasty.

Calicut people, described with bad

hygiene and polyandry practices (woman
takes two or more husbands at the same
time.) , didn’t leave a positive
impression.
 Alberuni – 1024–1030 A.D.

Traveled to India and wrote a book about Indian

culture.

Authored “Kitab-ul-hind” or “Tahqiq-i-Hind” after

studying the widely practiced Hindu religion.

Drew occasional parallels between Sufi doctrine and

Indian philosophy, as well as with Socrates,
Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, Galen, and others.

Visited During - Unknown

 Al-Masudi – 957 A.D.

The first Arab author to combine history

and scientific geography, known as the
“Herodotus of the Arabs.”

He visited India in 915 AD in the reign of

Gurjar Pratihara king Malipala-I.

Al-Masudi visited India during the

10th Century

He wrote 'Muruz-ul-Jahab'.
 Fa-Hien – 405 to 411 A.D.

Chinese Buddhist monk.

Traveled to India during the rule of

Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II).

Notable for visiting Lumbini.

His travel journal, “Record of Buddhist

Kingdoms,” details his adventure.
 Hiuen Tsang (630 to 645 AD)

Chinese Buddhist monk

Traveled from China to India during the

rule of King Harsha Vardhan.

Studied in Nalanda, a prestigious

institution in Bihar, for almost five years.

Wrote “The Records of the Western

World,” or Si-yu-ki.
 Ibn Battuta (1333 to 1347)

Moroccan nomad, world traveler in the 13th

century.

Left home at 21.

Arrived in Mohammad Bin Tughlaq’s royal court.

Set sail from Khambhat to Calicut, guests of the

ruling Zamorin.

Wrote the poem “Rihla.”

 Marco Polo (1292 and 1294)

Venetian trader and explorer.

Traveled from Europe to Asia.

Joined the Tanjore-area Tamil Pandya

kingdom.

Explored Southern India during

Rudramma Devi’s rule (1261 to 1295 CE).
 Nicolo Conti (1420 to 1421)

Italian explorer and merchant.

Traveled to India, possibly during Deva

Raya II’s rule in Vijayanagara.
 Thomas Roe (1615 A.D. – 1619 A.D)

English diplomat Sir Thomas Roe.

Visited India in 1615 during Jahangir’s rule.

Went to Surat seeking security for an English

company.

Left a valuable contribution to Indian history

with his “Journal of the Mission to the Mughal
Empire.”
 Francois Bernier (1656 A.D. – 1668A.D)

French traveler and doctor.

Spent the years 1656 to 1668 in India.

Visited during Shah Jahan’s rule.

Served as a doctor to Prince Dara Shikoh

before joining Aurangzeb’s court.
 Jean Baptiste Tavernier (1638-1663 A.D)

French traveler who visited India six

times during the reign of Shah Jahan and
Aurangzeb.
 William Hawkins (1608-1611 A.D)

Representative of King James I of

England.

Arrived in India during the rule of the

Mughal Emperor Jahangir.