Important Foreign Travellers / Envoys

Megasthenes (302-298 BC) : An ambassador of Selecus Nikator, who visited the court of
Chandragupta Maurya and wrote an interesting book Indica in which he gave a vivid account
of Chandragupta Mauryas reign.
Fa-Hien (405-411 AD) : He came to India during the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. He
was the first Chinese pilgrim to visit India to collect Buddhist texts and relics
Hiuen-Tsang (630-645 AD) : He visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana.
I-tsing (671-695 AD) : A Chinese traveller, he visited India in connection with Buddhism.
Al-Masudi (957 AD) : An Arab traveller, he has given an extensive account of India in his work
Muruj-ul-Zehab.
Al-beruni (1024-1030 AD) : He came to India along with Mahmud of Ghazni during one of his
Indian raids. He travelled all over India and wrote a book Tahqiq-i-Hind.
Macro Polo (1292-1294 AD) : A Venetian traveller, visited South India in 1294 A.D. His work
The Book of Sir Marco Polo gives an account of the economic history of India.
Ibn Batuta (1333-1347 AD) : A Morrish traveller, his book Rehla (the Travelogue) throws a lot
of light on the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq and the geographical, economic and social
conditions of that time.
Shihabuddin al-Umari (1348 AD) : He came from Damascus and he gives a vivid account of
India in his book, Masalik albsar fi-mamalik al-amsar.
Nicolo Conti (1420-1421 AD) : A Venetian traveller, gives a comprehensive account of the
Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar.
Abdur Razzaq (1443-1444 AD) : He was a Persian traveller, came to India and stayed at the
court of the Zamorin at Calicut. He has given a vivid account of the Vijaynagar empire.
Athanasius Nikitin (1470-1474 AD) : He was a Russian merchant, describes the condition of
the Bahmani kingdom under Muhammad III (1463-82).
Durate Barbosa (1500-1516 AD) : He was a Portuguese traveller, has given a valuable
narrative of the government and the people of the Vijaynagar empire.
Dominigo Paes (1520-1522 AD) : He was Portuguese traveller, visited the court of
Krishnadeva Raya of the Vijaynagar Empire.
Fernao Nuniz (1535-1537 AD) : A Portuguese merchant, He wrote the history of the empire
from its earliest times of the closing years of Achyutdeva Rayas reign.
John Hughen Von Linschotten (1583 AD) : He was a Dutch traveller, has given a valuable
account of the social and economic life of South India.
William Hawkins (1608-1611 AD) : He was an English ambassador of British King James I to
the court of Jahangir (1609).
Sir Thomas Roe (1615-1619 AD) : He was an ambassador of James I, King of England, at the
court of Jahangir, (the Mughal Emperor).
 Fransciso Palsaert (1620-1627 AD) : He was a Dutch traveller, stayed at Agra and gave a
vivid account of flourishing trade at Surat, Ahmedabad, Broach Cambay, Lahore, Multan, etc.
Peter Mundy (1630-34 AD) : He was an Italian traveller to the Mughal empire in the reign of
Shahjahan, he gives valuable information about the living standard of the common people in
the Mughal Empire.
John Albert de Mandesto (1638 AD) : He was German traveller, who reached Surat in 1638.
Jeen Baptiste Travernier (1638-1663 AD) : He was a French traveller, his account covers the
reign of Shahjahan and Aurangzeb.
Nicolao Manucci (1653-1708 AD) : He was an Italian traveller, got service at the court of Dara
Shikoh.
Francois Bernier (1656-1717 AD) : He was French physician and philosopher. Danishamand
Khan, a noble of Aurangzeb, was his patron.
Jean de Thevenot (1666 AD) : He was French traveller, has given a good account of cities like
Ahmedabad, Cambay, Aurangabad and Goloconda.
John Fryer (1672-1681 AD) : He was an English traveller, has given a vivid account of Surat
and Bombay.
Gemelli Careri (1693 AD) : He was an Italian traveller, his remarks on the Mughal emperors
military organisation and administration are important.