Articles on Chinese Pilgrim Accounts
Pataliputra: Its Importance in the History of Buddhism
By Binayendranath Chaudhuri · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1956
Chaudhuri’s historical essay assesses the role of Pāṭaliputra (modern Patna) in the rise and spread of Buddhism. He traces the city’s origins as the Mauryan capital and notes that Emperor Aśoka convened the Third Buddhist Council there, sending missionaries…
Harsa's Accession and the Harsa Era
By Dineshchandra Sircar · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1951
D.C. Sircar’s ‘Harsa’s Accession and the Harsa Era’ evaluates the chronology of Harshavardhana’s rise to power and the era named after him. Using the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang’s account as a primary source, the article recounts that upon ascending the…
A Note on Rājagṛha
By Helen M. Johnson · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1946
This short note engages with recent scholarship on the ancient city of Rājagṛha, capital of the Magadha kingdom in the Buddha’s time. In a monograph on Rājagṛha, Dr. B. C. Law had argued that the city mentioned in Jain and Buddhist texts was distinct from…
Harikela and the Ruins at Mainamati
By Dinesh Chandra Bhattacharya · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1944
Harikela and the Ruins at Mainamati is an article that attempts to identify the location of the ancient kingdom of Harikela, celebrated in Chinese accounts as a major seat of Buddhist learning in eastern India. Drawing on the travel records of Hiuen Tsang and…