Ancient India

Ancient India Chapter 1 - Sources

In what ways the travel records of the Chinese Buddhist scholars help in reconstruction of ancient Indian history?

Background Discussion

This question is from the Sources chapter. As per the latest trend of the questions being asked by the UPSC and also according to the very nature of the subject, Sources is one of the most important parts of the syllabus. 

Every year, UPSC asks at least 2/3 questions in the paper I directly coming from the sources chapter and then there are many more questions arising out of historiographical debates. The better the understanding of the nature of the sources, more the answers become informed with it and the marks also increase proportionately.

The relevant line in the syllabus regarding this question reads “Foreign accounts: Greek, Chinese and Arab writers”. In so far as the Chinese accounts are concerned, there have been two direct questions asked so far – 

1.  Examine the information of Fa Hien about the political, religious, social and economic conditions of India. Make a comparative study of his account with that of Yuan Chwang. [2003, 60m]

2.  In what ways are the accounts of the Graeco Romans and the Chinese helpful in reconstructing the social history of India? How far is their information corroborated by other Contemporary sources? [2009, 60m]

Apart from this, the older questions about Gupta and Harsha also demand the information about the Chinese accounts. 

Ancient India Chapter 1 - Sources

In what ways the travel records of the Chinese Buddhist scholars help in reconstruction of ancient Indian history?

Answer Discussion

Faxian, Xuanzang, and Yijing were among hundreds of Chinese monks who made pilgrimages to India during the first millennium CE. These travel records are important historical resources for several reasons. 

•  They provide meticulous accounts of the nature of Buddhist doctrines, rituals, and monastic institutions in India.

•  They contain vital information about the social and political conditions in India and also kingdoms situated on the routes between China and India. 

•  They offer remarkable insights into cross-cultural perceptions and interactions. 

•  They throw light on the arduous nature of long-distance travel, commercial exchanges, and the relationship between Buddhist pilgrims and itinerant merchants. 

Important Aspect

This, so far, is a general approach and pointers. In it, you may add specific points about experiences and observations of individual traveller as substantiating points at various places. But that must not be the only thing in the body. Those will be examples, and cannot replace the analytical part of the main body given above. Otherwise, your answer will get confined to only Point No 2 mentioned above. Always try add more dimensions and analytical perspective to improve the overall quality of the answer. 

Thus, the question is NOT about writing factual description about the information given in the accounts of Faxian and Xuanzang. Those facts are important but they make the supporting fodder for the actual arguments which would be the main answer. Let’s not commit that mistake. 

Additional Information

The spread of Buddhist doctrines from India to China beginning sometime in the first century CE triggered a profusion of cross-cultural exchanges. Chinese pilgrims played a key role in the exchanges between ancient India and ancient China. They introduced new texts and doctrines to the Chinese clergy, carried Buddhist paraphernalia for the performance of rituals and ceremonies, and provided detailed accounts of their spiritual journeys to India. Records of Indian society and its virtuous rulers, accounts of the flourishing monastic institutions, and stories about the magical and miraculous prowess of the Buddha and his disciples often accompanied the descriptions of the pilgrimage sites in their travel records. 

In fact, these travel records contributed to the development of a unique perception of India among members of the Chinese clergy. For some, India was a sacred, even Utopian, realm. Others saw India as a mystical land inhabited by “civilized” and sophisticated people. In the context of Chinese discourse on foreign peoples, who were often described as uncivilized and barbaric, these accounts significantly elevated the Chinese perception of Indian society. 

Through their narratives, they sought to provide the followers of the Buddhist doctrine in China an opportunity to envision the sites and events in the life of the Buddha that they considered sacred and miraculous. Additionally, these pilgrims, by returning with Buddhist texts, relics, and other paraphernalia, tried to recreate in China an Indic world where the followers could perform pilgrimages without embarking on the arduous journey to India and, at the same time, dispel their feeling of borderland complex.