₹750
An account of the grandeur of ancient India as perceived by her foreign visitors from hoary times, and their wonder at her rich philosophical efflorescence and material abundance. The foreigners marvelled at the deep spiritual convictions that allowed yogis and widows to ascend a burning pyre without murmur; the social harmony of myriad tribes and castes; and above all, the common culture and love of justice permeating and binding all in seamless unity. Beginning with the Greeks and especially those who accompanied Alexander, these accounts comprise our first records into the social, moral, legal, and economic life of the Indian people, and the early development of the civilisational paradigm of dharma, artha, kama and moksa. The rise of Christianity pushed Europe into a cocoon. Thereafter, Buddhist pilgrims from China traversed the land between the fourth and the eighth centuries, visiting the major monasteries and sites associated with the Buddha, and left interesting memoirs behind. This uninhibited intellectual and spiritual exploration of India’s Sanskritic or Indic culture ended abruptly with the rise of Islam in Arabia in the seventh century, and its outward thrust into Europe, north Africa, Central Asia and the Indian sub-continent, where it fought to establish political and religious supremacy. Possibly the last Buddhist monk to take the land route to India was the Korean pilgrim Hye Ch’O, who arrived as the armies of Islam began cutting through Central Asia…
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| CONTENTS | |
| Publisher’s Note — Pgs. v | HWUI SENG AND SUNG YUN — Pgs. 157 |
| Introduction — Pgs. vii | Chapter 14 |
| Chapter 1 — Pgs. | YUAN CHWANG — Pgs. 173 |
| HERODOTUS — Pgs. 1 | Book II — Pgs. 175 |
| Book I — Pgs. 1 | Book III — Pgs. 185 |
| Book III — Pgs. 1 | Book IV — Pgs. 188 |
| Book IV — Pgs. 3 | Book V — Pgs. 194 |
| Book VII — Pgs. 4 | Book VI — Pgs. 203 |
| Chapter 2 — Pgs. | Book VII — Pgs. 206 |
| KTESIAS THE KNIDIAN — Pgs. 5 | Book VIII — Pgs. 209 |
| Fragment I. Ecloga in Photii, Bibl. LXXII, p. 144 seqq. 6 | Book IX — Pgs. 221 |
| Chapter 3 — Pgs. | Book X — Pgs. 231 |
| STRABO — Pgs. 13 | Book XI — Pgs. 244 |
| Book XV — Pgs. 13 | The Life of Hsuan-Tsang |
| Chapter 4 — Pgs. | Book II (‘Life’) — Pgs. 253 |
| PLINY — Pgs. 29 | Book III (‘Life’) — Pgs. 256 |
| Indian Animals — Pgs. 31 | Book IV (‘Life’) — Pgs. 262 |
| Indian Plants — Pgs. 32 | Book V (‘Life’) — Pgs. 272 |
| Indian Minerals and Precious Stones — Pgs. 37 | Book VI (‘Life’) — Pgs. 285 |
| Chapter 5 — Pgs. | Book VII (‘Life’) — Pgs. 289 |
| ARRIAN — Pgs. 41 | Book VIII (‘Life’) — Pgs. 293 |
| Book IV — Pgs. 41 | Book IX (‘Life’) — Pgs. 293 |
| BOOK V — Pgs. 43 | Book X (‘Life’) — Pgs. 294 |
| Chapter 6 — Pgs. | Chapter 15 — Pgs. |
| ARRIAN - INDIKA — Pgs. 51 | I-TSING — Pgs. 295 |
| Chapter 7 — Pgs. | Introduction — Pgs. 296 |
| PERIPLUS MARIS ERYTHRAEI — Pgs. 57 | CHAPTER IV Distinction between pure and impure food — Pgs. 297 |
| II. Articles of Commerce mentioned in the Periplus — Pgs. 57 | CHAPTER VII The morning inspection of water as to insects — Pgs. 298 |
| III. Plants and their products — Pgs. 58 | CHAPTER IX Rules about the reception at the Upavasatha Day — Pgs. 299 |
| IV. Metals and Metallic Articles — Pgs. 60 | CHAPTER X Necessary food and clothing — Pgs. 305 |
| V. Stones — Pgs. 61 | CHAPTER XX Bathing at proper times — Pgs. 310 |
| ANONYMI [ARRIANI UT FERTUR] PERIPLUS | CHAPTER XXV Behaviour between teacher and pupil — Pgs. 311 |
| MARIS ERYTHRAEI — Pgs. 62 | CHAPTER XXVII On symptoms of bodily illness — Pgs. 311 |
| India’s Trade with the Roman World: A Loan Contract on Papyrus — Pgs. 67 | CHAPTER XXVIII Rules on giving medicine — Pgs. 311 |
| Recto, Column 2 — Pgs. 68 | CHAPTER XXIX Hurtful medical treatment must not be practiced — Pgs. 312 |
| Verso, Column 2 — Pgs. 68 | CHAPTER XXXII The ceremony of chanting — Pgs. 312 |
| Chapter 8 | CHAPTER XXXIV The method of learning in the west — Pgs. 315 |
| AELIAN — Pgs. 71 | CHAPTER XL Such actions were not practised by the virtuous of old — Pgs. 317 |
| Frag. IV. Aelian, De Nat. Anim., Book XVII, 29 — Pgs. 78 | Chapter 16 |
| Frag. XXIII. Aelian, IV, 46 — Pgs. 78 | HYE CH’O — Pgs. 319 |
| Chapter 9 | 1. Vaisali (?) — Pgs. 320 |
| Philostratus: Life of Apollonius — Pgs. 81 | 2. Kusinagara — Pgs. 320 |
| Book I — Pgs. 83 | 3. Varanasi — Pgs. 321 |
| Book II — Pgs. 85 | 4. Central India and the Customs of the Five Regions of India — Pgs. 322 |
| Book III — Pgs. 89 | 5. The Four Great Stupas of Central India — Pgs. 323 |
| Book IV — Pgs. 94 | 6. South India — Pgs. 324 |
| Book VI — Pgs. 95 | 7. West India — Pgs. 325 |
| Book VII — Pgs. 102 | 8. North India (Jalandhara) — Pgs. 325 |
| Book VIII — Pgs. 103 | 9. Suvarnagotra — Pgs. 326 |
| Chapter 10 | 10. Takka — Pgs. 326 |
| Fragmentary References on India — Pgs. 105 | 11. Sindhukula — Pgs. 326 |
| Diodorus Siculus — Pgs. 105 | 12. Tamasavana — Pgs. 326 |
| Bardesanes of Babylon — Pgs. 108 | 13. Nagaradhana — Pgs. 327 |
| Physica, i. 56. Gaisford’s Edition — Pgs. 108 | 14. Kasmir — Pgs. 327 |
| Pseudo-Kallisthenes — Pgs. 109 | 15. Greater Bolor — Pgs. 329 |
| Kosmas Indikopleustes — Pgs. 111 | 16. Tibet — Pgs. 329 |
| Chapter 11 | 17. Lesser Bolor — Pgs. 329 |
| Buddhism in China: a general outline — Pgs. 115 | 18. Gandhara — Pgs. 330 |
| Chapter 12 — Pgs. | 19. Udyana — Pgs. 331 |
| FA-HIEN — Pgs. 123 | 20. Chitral — Pgs. 331 |
| Chapter 1 — Pgs. 124 | 21. Lampaka — Pgs. 332 |
| Chapter II — Pgs. 125 | 22. Kapisa — Pgs. 332 |
| Chapter III — Pgs. 125 | 23. Zabulistan — Pgs. 333 |
| Chapter V — Pgs. 127 | 24. Bamiyan — Pgs. 333 |
| Chapter VI — Pgs. 128 | 25. Tokharistan — Pgs. 333 |
| Chapter VII — Pgs. 128 | 26. Persia — Pgs. 334 |
| Chapter VIII — Pgs. 129 | 27. Arabs — Pgs. 334 |
| Chapter XII — Pgs. 129 | 28. Greater Fu-lin — Pgs. 335 |
| Chapter XIII — Pgs. 130 | 29. Six Countries of Central Asia — Pgs. 335 |
| Chapter XV — Pgs. 132 | 30. Ferghana — Pgs. 336 |
| Chapter XVI — Pgs. 132 | 31. Khuttal — Pgs. 336 |
| Chapter XVII — Pgs. 134 | 32. Turks — Pgs. 337 |
| Chapter XX — Pgs. 136 | 33. Wakhan — Pgs. 337 |
| Chapter XXII — Pgs. 138 | 34. Nine Shih-ni Countries — Pgs. 338 |
| Chapter XXIII — Pgs. 139 | 35. Ts’ung Ling — Pgs. 338 |
| Chapter XXIV — Pgs. 140 | 36. Kashgar — Pgs. 339 |
| Chapter XXV — Pgs. 140 | 37. Kucha — Pgs. 339 |
| Chapter XXVI — Pgs. 142 | 38. Khotan — Pgs. 339 |
| Chapter XXVII — Pgs. 142 | 39. Monasteries of An-hsi — Pgs. 340 |
| Chapter XXVIII — Pgs. 144 | 40. Wu Chih — Pgs. 340 |
| Chapter XXIX — Pgs. 144 | Chapter 17 — Pgs. |
| Chapter XXX — Pgs. 145 | KHMER’S HINDU KINGDOM — Pgs. 341 |
| Chapter XXXI — Pgs. 145 | The First Kaundinya Dynasty and the ‘Fan’ Rulers — Pgs. 341 |
| Chapter XXXII — Pgs. 147 | Chapter 18 — Pgs. |
| Chapter XXXIV — Pgs. 149 | IL YON — Pgs. 345 |
| Chapter XXXV — Pgs. 150 | BOOK II — Pgs. 346 |
| Chapter XXXVI — Pgs. 151 | Annexure 1 : Lives of Eminent Korean Monks — Pgs. 351 |
| Chapter XXXVII — Pgs. 152 | Annexure 2 : Chinese Monks in India — Pgs. 353 |
| Chapter XXXVIII — Pgs. 152 | References — Pgs. 369 |
| Chapter XL — Pgs. 153 | Bibliography and Suggested Readings — Pgs. 393 |
| Chapter 13 | Index — Pgs. 397 |
SANDHYA JAIN is a contemporary affairs analyst and independent researcher; she writes a fortnightly column for the daily newspaper, The Pioneer, and edits the web portal www.vijayvaani.com. A post-graduate from Delhi University, Jain is the author of Adi Deo Arya Devata: A Panoramic View of Tribal-Hindu Cultural Interface and Evangelical Intrusions. Tripura: A Case Study.
