Summary:

A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms--Being an Account by the Chinese Monk Fa-Hien of Travels in India and Ceylon (Ad 399-414) in Search of the Buddhist Books of Discipline, is one of the most important source for reconstructing the life and conditions of the times. Though brief, his account of the general characteristics and tendencies of Gupta imperial administration is very valuable. Likewise, the account also gives a fair deal of information on the religious usages and practices and is invaluable for the graphic information it provides about Buddhism in India, Central Asia and Ceylon. Equally interesting and useful is the thrilling account of the perilous sea-voyage to South-East Asia and his journey through Central Asia to India.