Which Chinese traveler mentions a Maitraka ruler named Shiladitya?

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (d) Hiuen Tsang.

• Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese Buddhist monk, who visited India during the early 7th century (629–645 CE), mentions a Maitraka ruler named Shiladitya in his travel accounts.

• He describes Shiladitya as a powerful and prosperous ruler who was famous for his patronage of Buddhism and for maintaining a peaceful and flourishing kingdom.

• Shiladitya was one of the Maitraka rulers of Valabhi, a prominent kingdom in present-day Gujarat, which played a significant role in the Indian political landscape during the 6th and 7th centuries.

Information Booster:

• Hiuen Tsang’s travelogue provides significant details about the political, social, and religious life in India during the Gupta and Maitraka periods.

• He also provides detailed accounts of various places, including the famous Nalanda University and Bodh Gaya, where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

• Shiladitya's reign is noteworthy for the thriving of trade and culture, and Hiuen Tsang's mention of him provides historical context about the region's stability under the Maitrakas.

Additional Information:

• Fa-Hien (also spelled Faxian) was another prominent Chinese traveler who visited India earlier, around the 4th and 5th centuries CE. However, he does not mention Shiladitya.

• I-Tsing came to India after Hiuen Tsang, in the 7th-8th century, and focused on the spread of Buddhism rather than detailed political histories like Hiuen Tsang.