THE LIFE OF HIUEN – TSIANG

One of the first pilgrims to
travel to India from China, Hiuen-Tsiang was a monk whose journeys brought
him in close contact with India’s flourishing Buddhist culture, giving him a
deep understanding of the political, social, and economic scenarios of the
country. Translated in the mid-nineteenth century by Samuel Beal, this
gripping account of a scholar’s journeys takes us across seventeen years of
travel-through the Gobi desert, to the ancient monasteries of Kabul, and
finally to the hotbed of Buddhism, India. Known as the Master of the Law,
Hiuen-Tsiang provided an insightful commentary on India’s social structure
during the times of monarchs such as Ashoka and Harsha. A book replete with
undertones of adventure and wanderlust, The Life of Hiuen-Tsiang is a
riveting narrative about one of the world’s most celebrated travellers.