Hiuen Tsang was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is recognised for his important contributions to Chinese Buddhism, his travels from 629 to 645 CE in India, his efforts to bring over 657 Indian books to China, and his translations of some of these works. During the time of King Harsha Vardhan, Hiuen Tsang, popularly known as Xuanzang, collected Buddhist writings. This article will explain to you the Hiuen Tsang which will be helpful in Ancient History preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Hiuen Tsang

• Hiuen Tsang was born in Guoshi Town Luozhou (near present-day Luoyang, Henan) around 600 A.D. and died in China in 664 A.D.
• His family had a long tradition of academic talent, and he was the youngest of four children.
• Before converting to Buddhism, he received a classical education.
• He travelled to India in 629 CE, worried by contradictions in sacred writings, to investigate religion at its source.
• In the year 630, he crossed Central Asia on foot and arrived in India, where he studied at the famous Nalanda monastery.
• Hiuen Tsang visited Assam (Kamarupa) in 642-43 A.D. during his time in India and joined King Bhaskar Varman's court.
• Much information about administrative, political, religious, economic, and social realities in India during those days may be found in his famous work Si-Yu-Ki: Buddhist Record of the Western World.

Hiuen Tsang - Painting

Hiuen Tsang - The Traveller

• In AD 627, Tang China was at war with the Gokturks, and Tang Emperor Taizong had forbidden foreign travel.
• In 629, Hiuen Tsang managed to flee the empire by convincing Buddhist guards at Yumen Cross to allow him pass through Liangzhou (Gansu) and Qinghai.
• He travelled west to the Tian Shan after crossing the Gobi Desert to Hami City (then Kumul).
• In AD 630, he met the Buddhist ruler of Turpan, who assisted him in preparing for his trips.
• His artwork 'Travel to the West' (Si-Yu-Ki) depicted the Flaming Mountains near Turpan, China's hottest point.
• He visited Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tashkent, and Samarkand in Uzbekistan), as well as the Iron Gate and the Pamir Mountains (a mountain range that runs across Central Asia, South Asia, and East Asia, where the Himalayas meet the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and the Hindu Kush).
• He visited various Buddhist temples and relics upon his arrival in Afghanistan, notably the Nava Vihara, the world's westernmost vihara (as described by Hiuen Tsang).
• In Afghanistan, he encountered Dharma Simha, a non-Mahayana monk with whom Hiuen Tsang studied early Buddhist scriptures, and discovered over 3,000 non-Mahayana monks, including Prajnakara.
• He also obtained the important Mahavibhasa manuscript, which he later translated into Chinese.
• Hiuen Tsang and Prajnakara saw hundreds of non-Mahayana temples in Central Afghanistan, as well as two massive Bamiyan Buddhas carved out of the rockface.
• They resumed their trek and arrived in Kabul, where they found over 100 monasteries and 6000 monks, the majority of them Mahayana monks.
• Around the year 630, Xuanzang landed in Gandhara (then the northwestern Indian subcontinent), which is today Pakistan and Afghanistan. Here he met the first Jains and Hindus he would encounter on his travels.
• On his journey out of Danapur (now Jalalabad, Afghanistan), he travelled via the Khyber Pass and arrived at Purushapura, Gandhara's capital (Now Peshawar in Pakistan). Here he came upon the Kanishka Stupa.

Hiuen Tsang - In India

• He travelled across Swat Valley to Uddayana, where he witnessed 1,400-year-old monasteries that formerly held 18,000 monks.
• On his approach to Burner Valley and Shahbaz Garhi, he crossed the Indus River at Hund and arrived at Taxila.
• Hiuen Tsang observed most of Taxila's Sangharamas (temples and monasteries) ruined and deserted due to local royal struggle.
• Xuanzang/Hiuen Tsang discovered over 100 monasteries and over 5,000 monks when he landed in Kashmir in AD 631.
• In AD 634, Xuanzang travelled via Chiniot and Lahore before landing in Matipura (known as Mandawar today near Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh). At Matipura Monastery, Xuanzang studied under Mitrasena.
• Among the places he visited in India were Jalandhar in Punjab, Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, Bairat in Rajasthan, and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.

Hiuen Tsang and Buddhism

• Hiuen Tsang witnessed 100 monasteries in this area with 10,000 monks (both Mahayana and non-Mahayana) and was impressed by King Harsha's support for both scholarship and Buddhism.
• He spent some time in the city studying early Buddhist scriptures.
• Xuanzang visited Givishan (Kashipur), Ayodhaya, the seat of the Yogacara school, and Kaushambi during Harsha's rule in AD 636. He then travelled north to Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh, and lastly to Terai in Nepal.
• His last stop before arriving in Lumbini was in Kapilavastu (the birthplace of Buddha).
• Hiuen Tsang travelled from Lumbini to Kushinagar, Sarnath, Varanasi, Vaishali, Patiputra (Patna), and Bodh Gaya in the year 637. He also went to Bhagalpur's Champa Monastery.
• Hiuen Tsang spent five years studying at Nalanda, the premier Indian institution in Bihar at the time.
• Hiuen Tsang studied logic, grammar, Sanskrit, and the Yogacara school of Buddhism in Nalanda.
• At Nalanda, Xuanzang met the venerable Silabhadra (expert of Yogacara teaching and personal teacher of Hiuen Tsang).
• While studying Buddhism at Nland University in India, Xuanzang discovered eleven commentaries on Vasubandhu.

Hiuen Tsang and Harshavardhan

• Crossing the rivers Yamuna, Shrughna, and Ganga, Xuanzang travelled south to Kannauj, the magnificent capital of northern Indian King Harsha Vardhan's domain.
• Hiuen Tsang was returned to Kannauj at King Harshavardhana's request to attend a large Buddhist Assembly.
• The gathering was attended by neighbouring kings, Buddhist monks, Brahmans, and Jains.
• Hiuen Tsang was also summoned by King Harsha to the Kumbh Mela in Prayag, where he witnessed King Harsha's extravagant gift-giving to the poor. The king then bid him farewell in grand style.
• After a 16-year voyage that included the Khyber Pass, Hindu Kush, Kashgar, Khotan, and Dunhuang, Xuanzang returned to China and landed in Chang'an on the 7th day of the first month of AD 645.

Hiuen Tsang - Literary works

• The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, written by Xuanzang, is the longest and most extensive description of Central and South Asian countries left to posterity by a Chinese Buddhist traveller.
• 657 Sanskrit Buddhist books were retrieved and translated by Xuanzang. He acquired the greatest Buddhist education he could get across India.
• Much of this effort is described in the Life of Xuanzang, Huili's companion volume to Xiyu Ji, the Biography of Xuanzang.
• His rendition of the Heart Sutra serves as the foundation for all Chinese comments and recitations of the sutra in China, Korea, and Japan.

Conclusion

Hiuen Tsang entered India after crossing the Black Range and entering the kingdom of Lampa. His travelogue divides India into fascicles that are distinct from those of Central Asia. During Emperor Harsha's reign, the Chinese adventurer Hiuen Tsang funded a trip to India. During that time, he went on a trip (AD 627-643). When he returned to China, he wrote a book called 'Si-yu-ki,' or 'Record of the Western Countries,' which featured a detailed account of India under Harsha's dominion.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which of the following was the primary reason for Hiuen Tsang's journey to India?

A) To study Indian architecture
B) To collect Buddhist scriptures
C) To explore Indian trade routes
D) To spread Chinese culture

2. Hiuen Tsang spent a significant amount of time at which Indian ruler’s court?

A) Ashoka
B) Chandragupta II
C) Harsha
D) Kanishka

3. Hiuen Tsang studied at which famous ancient Indian university?

A) Takshashila
B) Nalanda
C) Vikramashila
D) Valabhi

4. Which book did Hiuen Tsang write based on his travels in India?

A) Arthashastra
B) Indica
C) The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions
D) Rajatarangini

5. Hiuen Tsang’s travelogue provides information about which Indian dynasty?

A) Maurya
B) Gupta
C) Chola
D) Vardhana

GS Mains Questions and Answers

Q1: Discuss the significance of Hiuen Tsang’s visit to India and the importance of his travel accounts for Indian history.

Answer: Hiuen Tsang’s visit to India is significant as it offers a comprehensive account of Indian society, politics, and religion during the 7th century CE. His travelogue, "The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions," serves as one of the most detailed and valuable sources of information about ancient India, especially during the reign of King Harsha. Hiuen Tsang described the state of Buddhist monastic institutions, including Nalanda University, as well as the cultural and religious diversity of India. His accounts also shed light on the political dynamics of the time, the administrative systems, and the interaction between different kingdoms.

The importance of Hiuen Tsang’s travel accounts lies in the fact that they fill in gaps in Indian historical records from that era. His observations help historians understand the spread of Buddhism, the decline of ancient Indian dynasties, and the socio-religious landscape of the subcontinent. Furthermore, his writings had a profound influence on both Indian and Chinese historiography, making them essential for the study of ancient Indian history.

Q2: Analyze the political and religious conditions of India during Hiuen Tsang’s visit.

Answer: During Hiuen Tsang's visit to India in the 7th century CE, the country was under the rule of several powerful dynasties, with King Harsha of the Vardhana dynasty being a major political figure in North India. Harsha's reign is known for its political stability, prosperity, and patronage of Buddhism. Hiuen Tsang observed that Buddhism, though in decline, still had significant influence, especially in northern regions where Buddhist monasteries like Nalanda were flourishing.

Hiuen Tsang also recorded the coexistence of various religious practices, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. He noted the tolerant atmosphere under King Harsha, where followers of different faiths enjoyed freedom of worship. However, his accounts also highlight the decline of Buddhist institutions in certain parts of India, attributed to a resurgence of Hinduism and internal conflicts within the Buddhist community.

Q3: Evaluate the contribution of foreign travelers like Hiuen Tsang to the reconstruction of Indian history.

Answer: Foreign travelers like Hiuen Tsang made invaluable contributions to the reconstruction of Indian history by providing detailed descriptions of the political, social, and religious conditions of India during their visits. Their accounts offer insights into periods for which there are limited indigenous records. Hiuen Tsang’s travelogue, for instance, is one of the key sources for understanding the reign of King Harsha, the functioning of Nalanda University, and the religious landscape of India in the 7th century CE.

These travelers’ observations on Indian culture, architecture, and education help historians trace the development of various institutions and traditions. Their accounts also highlight the interactions between India and other regions, such as China, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, providing a broader perspective on India’s role in the global cultural and religious exchanges of the time.

Previous Year Questions on Hiuen Tsang

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2016:

Question: Which Chinese traveler is known for his detailed account of India during the reign of Harsha?

A) Fa-Hien
B) Hiuen Tsang
C) I-Tsing
D) Marco Polo

Answer: B

Explanation: Hiuen Tsang is the Chinese traveler known for his detailed account of India during the reign of Harsha. His travelogue provides valuable insights into the political and religious conditions of India during the 7th century CE.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2020 (GS Paper 1):

Question: "The travel accounts of foreign travelers such as Hiuen Tsang and Fa-Hien provide a unique perspective on ancient Indian society and religion." Discuss.

Answer: The travel accounts of foreign travelers like Hiuen Tsang and Fa-Hien offer a unique perspective on ancient Indian society and religion, complementing indigenous sources of information. These travelers observed and documented the social, religious, and political systems of India in great detail, providing valuable insights into daily life, religious practices, and the functioning of monastic institutions. Hiuen Tsang’s account, for example, highlights the state of Buddhism in India during the 7th century and provides an overview of the reign of King Harsha, while Fa-Hien’s writings focus on the Gupta period and the flourishing of Buddhism during that time. These accounts are invaluable for reconstructing Indian history, especially in periods where indigenous records are scarce.