The accounts of foreign travelers, especially Chinese Buddhist pilgrims, are invaluable sources for ancient Indian history. This question tests the chronological matching of a specific traveler with an Indian ruler.
Understanding the Question, Key Concepts, and Approach
The question asks to identify the Chinese pilgrim who traveled through India during the rule of King Harshavardhana. The approach is to correlate the timelines of the well-known Chinese travelers with the reigns of prominent Indian kings.
Detailed Solution
Step 1: Identify the timeline of Harshavardhana. King Harshavardhana of the Vardhana dynasty ruled in the 7th century CE (c. 606–647 CE).
Step 2: Analyze the travel period of Hiuen Tsang. Hiuen Tsang (also known as Xuanzang) was a Chinese Buddhist monk who journeyed to India in the 7th century CE. He spent a considerable amount of time (c. 630–643 CE) in India, much of it within Harshavardhana's empire. His detailed travelogue, "Si-Yu-Ki" (Record of the Western Regions), provides a rich description of Harsha's court, administration, and the state of Buddhism in India, including a vivid account of Nalanda University.
Step 3: Eliminate other options.
Fa-Hien visited India earlier, during the 5th century CE, in the reign of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II.
I-Tsing traveled to India later in the 7th century CE, after Harshavardhana's death.
Sung Yun was an earlier traveler who visited India in the early 6th century CE.
Step 4: Conclusion. Hiuen Tsang is the Chinese traveler whose visit to India coincides with the reign of Harshavardhana.