Prelims 2025 · Q15
EasyFa-hien (Faxian), the Chinese pilgrim, travelled to India during the reign of
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Chandragupta II
Faxian's travels ran from about 399 to 414 CE, and he was in India in the early fifth century. Chandragupta II ruled the Gupta empire from about 375 to 415 CE, so the visit falls squarely in his reign.
- ✓ (b) Chandragupta II (c. 375–415 CE) was on the throne for the whole of Faxian's journey, recorded in his Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms (399–414 CE).
- ✗ (a) Samudragupta ruled about 335–375 CE, a generation before Faxian set out from China.
- ✗ (c) Kumaragupta I succeeded Chandragupta II only around 415 CE, after Faxian had already gone home.
Remember · Faxian (399–414 CE) came under Chandragupta II (c. 375–415 CE); Xuanzang came two centuries later under Harshavardhana (606–647 CE).
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 7 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 7 “Chinese traveller Faxian (pronounced as Fa-Shi-Anne) visited India in the early 5th century CE.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 2 “c. 320 CE Beginning of Gupta rule c. 335-375 CE Samudragupta c. 375-415 CE Chandragupta II; Vakatakas in the Deccan”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·