The Chinese traveller Yuan Chwang (Hiuen Tsang) who visited India reco

The Chinese traveller Yuan Chwang (Hiuen Tsang) who visited India recorded the general conditions and culture of India at that time. In this context, which of the following statements is/are correct?

  • 1. The roads and river-routes were completely immune from robbery.
  • 2. As regards punishment for offences, ordeals by fire, water and poison were the instruments for determining the innocence or guilt of a person.
  • 3. The tradesmen had to pay duties at ferries and barrier stations.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2013
Statements 2 and 3 are correct descriptions based on Yuan Chwang’s account of India during the reign of Harshavardhana. Statement 1 is incorrect as he himself reported being robbed.
Yuan Chwang’s “Si-Yu-Ki” (Records of the Western Regions) is a valuable historical source. He noted the judicial system sometimes employed ordeals by fire, water, poison, or weighing metal to determine guilt or innocence. He also documented that tradesmen were required to pay duties at various checkpoints, including ferries and barrier stations, which constituted a source of state revenue.
Regarding statement 1, Yuan Chwang explicitly details instances where he and his party were attacked and robbed, indicating that the roads and river routes were by no means completely safe or “immune” from robbery, although law and order were generally maintained in many areas under Harsha’s rule.
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