India Through Foreign Eyes
Page Last Updated: February 17, 2024
Continuing our exercises in reconstruction of Indian history, we are providing some accounts of contemporary India through the writings of foreign travelers. The foreign accounts, while lacking native understanding of the complex culture of ancient Indians, do provide valuable objective documentation as also confirm some of the glories claimed in Indian inscriptions. - Ed.
| Fa-Hien's India Excerpts from the Chinese scholar's notes of Indian travel in A.D. 399-414 |
Alberuni's
India Is it ironic that some of the the most comprehensive study of Hindu India of the middle ages is performed by an Islamic scholar? |
| Father of Indology Krishnanand Kamat pays tribute to William Jones, who restarted the study of India in the 18th century. |
Hiun-Tsiang Hiun-Tsiang's travels in India in search of Buddhist texts & wisdom |
| Eye Witness Sati Sleeman's Eye Witness Account of a Voluntary Suicide Ritual |
Sati at Ikkeri Pietro Della Valle's 16th Century Account of Sati. |
| Queen Abbakka of Ullal Italian traveler Pietro Della Valle's account of Abbakka, a 16th century ruler of a small province in India. |
See Also:
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Historians of India -- biographies and interviews with Indian historians
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Kamat's Travels of India -- travel with Kamat to remotest corners of India and discover the undocumented India
