1.2 Travellers:
Travellers are people who move from one place to another for different purposes such as trade, religion, education, work, exploration, or leisure. In ancient times, travellers mainly included merchants, pilgrims, and explorers. As transportation developed, travelling became easier and more common. Today, people travel for holidays, business, education, and cultural experiences.
Travellers have played an important role in the development of tourism.
Travelogues:
A travelogue is a written or recorded account of a person’s journey and travel experiences. It describes the places visited, people, culture, traditions, food, lifestyle and important events experienced during the journey.
Travelogues are useful in the history of tourism because they provide information about how people travelled and what different places were like in earlier periods. They also encourage others to explore new destinations.
Example: The travel writings of Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo are famous historical travel accounts.
Fahien:
Fa-Hien (Faxian) was a famous Chinese Buddhist traveller and pilgrim who travelled to India during the 5th century CE. He came to India mainly to study Buddhism and collect Buddhist scriptures. He visited important places such as Pataliputra, Mathura and Buddhist pilgrimage sites.
His travel account gives valuable information about Indian society, religion, culture and life during that period. Thus, Fa-Hien is an important traveller in the history of tourism and travel.
Hiuen Tsang:
Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang) was a famous Chinese Buddhist traveller and scholar who visited India during the 7th century CE, during the reign of Harshavardhana. He travelled to India mainly to study Buddhism and collect Buddhist scriptures.
He visited important places such as Nalanda, Kannauj and Buddhist pilgrimage centres. His writings provide valuable information about Indian society, religion, education, culture and administration during that period.
Marco polo:
Marco Polo was a famous Italian traveller and explorer of the 13th century. He travelled from
Europe to Asia, including China, and spent many years in the East. His travel account described the culture, people, trade and lifestyle of the places he visited. His writings helped Europeans learn more about Asia and encouraged exploration and travel.
Ibn Battuta:
Ibn Battuta was a famous Moroccan traveller and explorer of the 14th century. He started his journey in 1325 and travelled across many parts of Africa, Asia and Europe.
He visited India, China, Egypt, Persia and East Africa.
He stayed in India and served in the court of Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
He recorded his travel experiences in a book called Rihla.
His writings give useful information about the culture, people, trade and places of that period.
Vasco-da-gama:
Vasco da Gama was a famous Portuguese explorer. In 1498, he became the first European to reach India by sea from Europe by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.
He reached Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala in 1498.
His voyage opened a direct sea route between Europe and India.
His journey helped develop maritime trade and travel between Europe and Asia.
He played an important role in the history of European exploration and tourism.
Magellan:
Ferdinand Magellan was a famous Portuguese explorer who sailed for Spain. He led the first expedition to circumnavigate the world.
His voyage began in 1519.
He discovered the Strait of Magellan in South America.
He crossed the Pacific Ocean.
He died in the Philippines in 1521, but his crew completed the journey in 1522.
His expedition proved that the world could be travelled around by sea.
Trade Routes:
Trade routes are routes used by merchants and travellers to transport goods, ideas, culture, and knowledge from one place to another.
They connected different countries and civilizations.
Famous examples include the Silk Road and Spice Route.
Traders travelled by land and sea.
They helped in the exchange of spices, silk, precious stones, and other goods.
Trade routes also encouraged travel, cultural exchange, and tourism.
Silk Route:
The Silk Route was an ancient network of trade routes connecting China, India, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. It was mainly used to trade silk, spices, precious stones, textiles and other goods. Traders, travellers and scholars also used these routes to exchange ideas, cultures, religions and knowledge. The Silk Route played an important role in the development of international trade and tourism.
Spice Route:
The Spice Route was an ancient network of sea and land trade routes connecting Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. It was mainly used to trade valuable spices such as pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Traders travelled long distances to buy and sell these spices. The Spice Route helped in the exchange of goods, cultures, ideas and traditions between different countries. It also played an important role in the development of trade and travel.
Indian Travellers:
Indian travellers were people who travelled to different parts of India and other countries for trade, education, religion, and exploration. They helped in spreading Indian culture, ideas, languages, and knowledge to other regions.
Important Indian travellers:
Buddhist monks travelled to China, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia to spread Buddhism.
Scholars and pilgrims travelled to famous religious and educational centres like Nalanda.
Merchants travelled through land and sea routes to trade spices, textiles, and other goods.
Indian sailors travelled to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, promoting cultural and commercial relations.
PRIYADHARSHINI.S
BA. TOURISM AND TRAVEL MANAGEMENT (26-29)
ETHIRAJ COLLEGE FOR WOMEN