UPSC Prelims 2025 Q15: Fa-hien's Visit and the Gupta Kings — Explained
Fa-hien (Faxian), the Chinese pilgrim, travelled to India during the reign of
- Samudragupta
- Chandragupta II
- Kumaragupta I
- Skandagupta
Answer: (b) Chandragupta II
Statement-wise explanation
- a: incorrect — Samudragupta ruled from about 330 to 380 CE. Faxian left China in 399 CE and reached India around 402 CE, roughly two decades after Samudragupta's reign ended. His achievements are known from the Prayaga (Allahabad) prashasti, not from any Chinese pilgrim's account.
- b: correct — Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) ruled from about 380 to 415 CE. Faxian travelled between 399 and 414 CE and spent about six years (c. 405–411 CE) in Gangetic India, which falls within this reign. Britannica records that he praised the government, the free rest houses and hospitals, and the goodwill of the people during this time.
- c: incorrect — Kumaragupta I ruled from about 415 to 455 CE. By then Faxian had left India: he spent two years in Sri Lanka and reached China by sea in 412 CE. Kumaragupta's reign is better known for the founding of Nalanda, which is traditionally credited to him.
- d: incorrect — Skandagupta ruled from about 455 to 467 CE, more than 40 years after Faxian went home. His reign is remembered for fighting off the Huna (White Hun) invasions, not for any Chinese pilgrim's visit.
How to eliminate
You need one date to solve this: Faxian travelled c. 399–414 CE. Then place the four kings in order: Samudragupta (c. 330–380), Chandragupta II (c. 380–415), Kumaragupta I (c. 415–455), Skandagupta (c. 455–467). The options run in succession order, so the question really asks which reign covers the years around 400 CE. If you only remember that Faxian came 'around 400 CE', you can drop Skandagupta at once, since he is linked with the Huna wars of the mid-5th century. Kumaragupta I is also out, because his reign began after Faxian had left. Do not mix up the two famous Chinese pilgrims. Faxian came in the 5th century under the Guptas. Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) came in the 7th century under Harshavardhana. Fact to remember: Faxian, about 400 CE, Chandragupta II Vikramaditya.
Know more
Faxian and the Gupta age
Faxian (Fa-hien) was a Chinese Buddhist monk who set out in 399 CE to find authentic texts of the Vinaya (monastic rules). He went overland through Central Asia and reached India around 402 CE. There he visited Buddhist sites such as Kapilavastu, Bodh Gaya and Pataliputra. He sailed home by way of Sri Lanka, where he spent two years, and reached China in 412 CE. His account is the Foguoji (A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms).
What he described in the Gangetic plains:
- A mild government. Most crimes were punished with fines, and people moved about freely.
- Charity: free rest houses, and a hospital at Pataliputra where the poor were treated free.
- Social exclusion: Chandalas lived outside the towns and had to signal when they came near.
- A flourishing Buddhist community with many monasteries.
Faxian was interested in religion, not politics, and does not name the reigning king. Historians date his stay to Chandragupta II's reign by its chronology.
Gupta succession: quick table
| Ruler | Approx. reign (CE) | Remembered for |
|---|---|---|
| Chandragupta I | c. 320–330/335 | Founder of the imperial line; Licchavi marriage |
| Samudragupta | c. 330–380 | Prayaga prashasti by Harishena |
| Chandragupta II | c. 380–415 | Conquest of Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra; title Vikramaditya; Faxian's visit |
| Kumaragupta I | c. 415–455 | Nalanda founded; held back the Huna threat |
| Skandagupta | c. 455–467 | Fought the Huna invasions |
Two pilgrims, two centuries
| Pilgrim | Period | Indian ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Faxian | c. 399–414 | Chandragupta II (Gupta) |
| Xuanzang | c. 629–645 | Harshavardhana (Pushyabhuti) |
UPSC often pairs a foreign traveller with a ruler. Learn the pairs: Megasthenes with Chandragupta Maurya, Faxian with Chandragupta II, Xuanzang with Harsha.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Faxian: The question turns on Faxian's travel years (c. 399–414 CE). Match them against the four reigns.
- Chandragupta II: One of the four options. Place his reign on the Gupta timeline and compare it with Faxian's years in India.
- Samudragupta: One of the four options. Check whether his reign could overlap a journey that began in 399 CE.
- Kumaragupta I: One of the four options. Compare when his reign began with when Faxian left India.
- Xuanzang: The other famous Chinese pilgrim, often confused with Faxian. He came two centuries later, under a different ruler.
- Gupta empire: The order and dates of the Gupta kings form the timeline this question is built on.