The correct answer is A. They were interested in Buddhism.
Chinese travellers visited India primarily because they were interested in Buddhism. Buddhism was founded in India in the 6th century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama, who is also known as the Buddha. The Buddha taught that suffering is caused by desire and that the way to end suffering is to extinguish desire. He also taught that the way to extinguish desire is to follow the Eightfold Path, which is a set of eight steps that lead to enlightenment.
Buddhism spread to China in the 1st century CE. The first Chinese Buddhist missionaries were sent to India by the Emperor Ming of Han in 64 CE. These missionaries brought back Buddhist texts and teachings, which helped to spread Buddhism in China.
Over the next few centuries, many Chinese travellers visited India to learn more about Buddhism. Some of these travellers were monks, who went to India to study at Buddhist monasteries. Others were pilgrims, who went to India to visit Buddhist holy sites.
The most famous Chinese traveller to India was Xuanzang. Xuanzang was a monk who lived in the 7th century CE. He travelled to India in 629 CE and spent 17 years there. During his time in India, he visited many Buddhist monasteries and holy sites. He also collected many Buddhist texts and teachings.
Xuanzang’s travels to India had a profound impact on Chinese Buddhism. His writings about his travels helped to spread Buddhism in China and to make it more popular. He also brought back many Buddhist texts and teachings, which helped to enrich Chinese Buddhism.
The following are brief explanations of each option:
- Option B: They were invited by ten Indian kings. This is not the primary reason why Chinese travellers visited India. While some Chinese travellers were invited to India by Indian kings, this was not the case for most Chinese travellers.
- Option C: They were interested to study Indian culture. This is not the primary reason why Chinese travellers visited India. While some Chinese travellers were interested in studying Indian culture, this was not the case for most Chinese travellers.
- Option D: They were interested to stay in India. This is not the primary reason why Chinese travellers visited India. While some Chinese travellers may have wanted to stay in India, this was not the case for most Chinese travellers.