List of Foreign Travellers Who Came to India in the Medieval Period

India has been referred to as the world’s spiritual leader regarding the standard time interval. India’s educational system used to be unrivalled in the world. Perhaps this is why so many foreign visitors come to India to learn about its educational system. In this piece, we’ve included facts about foreign visits to India during the particular time, the Middle Ages. Some of the world’s earliest civilisations can be found on the Indian Subcontinent. We have compiled a list of foreign travellers who visited India throughout the Mediaeval Period, which will be very useful for candidates preparing for various competitive tests.

Few of the foreign travellers are

1. From China, Hiuen Tsang (630-645 A.D.)

2. Persia’s Al Beruni (1024-1030 A.D.)

3. Italy’s Marco Polo (1288-1292 AD)

4. Captain William Hawkins

5.  Persia’s Abdur Razzak (1443-1444 A.D.)

6. China’s Fa Hien (405-411 A.D.) was an important figure in Chinese history.

7. Italian Nicolo Conti (1420-1421 A.D.)

8. Thomas Roe (1615–1619 A.D.) was an Englishman

9. Domingo Peas from Portugal (1520 -1522 A.D.)

Hiuen Tsang (630-645 A.D.)

Hiuen Tsang was one of India’s first and most well-known visitors, coming from China searching for Buddhist beliefs and practices. His memoirs provide a wealth of knowledge on India’s political, social, and religious structures, and he has been dubbed the “prince of pilgrims.” 

He journeyed through the Deccan, Orissa, and Bengal, studying at the University of Nalanda. His tales represent what ancient India may have been like because he lived there for 14 years.

Persia’s Al Beruni (1025-1030 A.D.)

Mahmud of Ghazni “appointed” Al Beruni to write Kitab fi tahqiq ma li’l-hind, a massive commentary on Indian philosophy and culture. According to historians today, his insights into Indian reality, institutions of knowledge, social well, and religion are possibly the most profound produced by any voyage to India.

This Uzbek visitor studied India’s culture and literature for thirteen years.

Italy’s Marco Polo (1288-1292 AD)

The Venetian traveller Marco Polo is the most well-known traveller. He has visited India twice in 1287-78 and 1291-92. Many historians believe that the dates and travels he mentions are correct and particular.

Captain William Hawkins

Captain William Hawkins was the captain of the East India Company’s ship ‘Hector’ on a voyage to Surat with Captain William Hawkins  Keeling in 1607.

The English ship Hector was the first to dock in Surat.

In August 1608, Captain William Hawkins arrived in Surat but was seized by the Portuguese when his ship, the Hector, arrived.

Persia’s Abdur Razzak (1443-1444 A.D.)

One of India’s first mentions of the Vijaynagar empire comes from a Persian traveller who visited Vijayanagar in 1441. The Timurid Dynasty’s diplomat, Abdur Razzak, was the Shahrukh. He has a keen interest in travelling.

China’s Fa Hien (405-411 A.D.) was an important figure in Chinese history

Fa-Hien was the first Chinese monk to visit India to pursue ancient Buddhist texts. He journeyed from Central China to Gandhara and Peshawar, primarily on foot, at the age of 65, via Shenshen, Dunhuang, Khotan, and then over the Himalayas.

Italian Nicolo Conti (1420-1421 A.D.)

Nicolo De Conti (fl. 1419-1444). It provides a detailed picture of the existing city, one of the fascinating parts of his visit. He travelled to Mallapur near Madras, modern-day Chennai, from Vijayanagar and the Tungabudhra.

Thomas Roe (1615–1619 A.D.) was an Englishman

An English diplomat named Sir Thomas Roe. During the reign of Jahangir, he travelled to India in 1614-15. He visited Surat in search of security for a British business. His “Journal of the Mission to the Mughal Empire” is an essential part of Indian political and economic parts.

Domingo Paes of Portugal (1520-1522 A.D.)

Following the capture of Goa in 1510 and its elevation to the capital of the Portuguese Estado da Índia, countless Portuguese traders and visitors visited Vijayanagara, and detailed accounts of Bisnaga’s beauty were written. Domingos Paes’, written between 1520 and 1522, is the most important. Paes’ report, published during Krishnadeva’s reign and based primarily on direct observation, recounts the so-called feudal Malankara system.

Conclusion 

For example, many foreign visitors, including Captain William Hawkins, come to India at different standard time intervals. The great majority of visitors to India kept diaries. These travellers’ accounts addressed a wide range of subjects. The stories that have survived contain a wide range of topics. Some are particularly concerned with legal issues of particular pollutants, while others are more concerned with religious issues or architectural characteristics and monuments. Visitors to India painted a true picture of Indian culture in their descriptions. This part will look at famous visitors to India throughout history.