Question

Arrange the following foreign travelers in chronological order. \[ \begin{aligned} A.& \ \text{Fa-hien} B.& \ \text{Megasthenese} C.& \ \text{Niyarkes} D.& \ \text{Daimachos} \end{aligned} \] Choose the correct answer from the options given below :

• A. C, D, B and A
• B. D, B, C and A
• C. C, B, D and A
• D. B, A, D and C

Hint:

Chronological order: \[ \text{Niyarkes} \rightarrow \text{Megasthenes} \rightarrow \text{Daimachos} \rightarrow \text{Fa-hien} \] Megasthenes wrote Indica, while Fa-hien visited India during the Gupta age.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: Foreign travelers are extremely important sources for reconstructing ancient Indian history. Their writings provide valuable details regarding:
• administration,
• social customs,
• religion,
• economy,
• and political conditions. To solve chronological order questions, we must determine the approximate historical period in which each traveler visited India.

Step 1: Identifying the earliest traveler among the given names. \[ \text{Niyarkes (Nearchus)} \] Niyarkes was a Greek naval commander associated with Alexander the Great. He visited northwestern India around: \[ 326 \text{ BCE} \] Thus, he is the earliest among the given travelers. Therefore: \[ C = \text{First position} \]

Step 2: Determining the next traveler chronologically. \[ \text{Megasthenese} \] Megasthenes came to India as an ambassador of Seleucus Nikator in the court of Chandragupta Maurya. He visited India around: \[ 4^{th}\text{ century BCE} \] He wrote the famous work: \[ \textit{Indica} \] Thus: \[ B = \text{Second position} \]

Step 3: Finding the next traveler in sequence. \[ \text{Daimachos} \] Daimachos came after Megasthenes and served as an ambassador in the Mauryan court during the reign of Bindusara. Thus: \[ D = \text{Third position} \]

Step 4: Identifying the latest traveler. \[ \text{Fa-hien} \] Fa-hien was a Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who visited India during the Gupta period in the reign of Chandragupta II. He visited India during: \[ 5^{th}\text{ century CE} \] Thus: \[ A = \text{Fourth position} \]

Step 5: Writing the complete chronological sequence. Hence, the correct chronological order is: \[ \boxed{C \rightarrow B \rightarrow D \rightarrow A} \] Therefore, the correct option is: \[ \boxed{(3)\ C, B, D \text{ and } A} \]

Step 6: Historical significance of foreign travelers. The accounts of these travelers help historians understand:
• Mauryan administration,
• Gupta society,
• Buddhism in India,
• trade routes,
• and urban development. Their writings serve as external evidence for Indian history.