Chinese monk opened history's eyes to India

A major reference point in Indian history is 630 AD. That is the year Xuanzang reached Adinapur (present-day Jalalabad, Afghanistan). Incidentally, Adinapur was part of the ancient Indian kingdom of Gandhara (present-day Kabul) until a century before the arrival of Xuanzang.

Without Xuangzang's documentation of his journey and stay in India, Indian history would have had to wait for its first written reference point. It helped historians chart not only the classical and late medieval periods but also the ancient period of Indian history. This, perhaps, is the greatest contribution of Xuanzang to Indian history, which, until his visit to the court of Emperor Harshavardhana (or Harsha) in Kannauj (in modern-day Uttar Pradesh province), was scattered in edicts, seals, parchments and oral tales.

Although Banabhatta, Harsha's court poet, wrote Harshacarita (The Deeds of Harsha), recounting the emperor's reign, Xuanzang's account gives vivid details of life in India under Harsha's rule. It is from Xuanzang's account that we come to know how Harsha treated the three dominant religions of the time - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism - and the respect he had for scholars, poets and artists.