History & Civics
Who was Fa-hien? What did he say about India?
Gupta Age
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Answer
Fa-hien was a Chinese pilgrim who visited India on a religious mission during the reign of Chandragupta II. He made careful unbiased observations about the conditions at that time.
Fa-hien gave following accounts about India:
- Magadha was a prosperous country with large towns and wealthy population.
- Pataliputra was a flourishing city with numerous charitable institutions including a hospital.
- People led a simple life, observing the Buddhist rules of conduct even though they were wealthy.
- Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Buddhism and Jainism were main religions. People had no ill-will towards other sects.
- Hindu Gods and Goddesses were depicted on coins and also in sculptures and paintings.
- The penal code was mild and the offences were ordinarily punished by fines only.
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Related Questions
With reference to the administrative system of the Guptas, answer the following questions:
(a) Explain the position and powers of the king during the Gupta Age.
(b) Describe briefly the administration of villages during the Gupta period.
(c) According to the Allahabad Pillar, how many types of rulers existed during Samudragupta's reign? How did Samudragupta deal with them?
With reference to the picture given alongside, answer the following:
(a) Identify the temple given in the picture. Where is it located? To whom is this temple dedicated?
(b) Mention the architectural features of this temple.
(c) Briefly describe the famous educational institution set up during this period.
Imagine a meeting between Fa-hein and Harisena. Write down the discussion between them about religion in Gupta period. How would they had conversed with each other due to the barrier of language the two had?
What role did the Gupta Kings play in promoting religion? Do you think that the religion followed by the rulers gained prominence? Give reasons to support your answer.