Через какой океан плыл знаменитый путешественник тур хейердал: Грандиозное путешествие Тура Хейердала в океане на плоту. Никто не верил, а у него получилось. Давайте, вспомним, как это было | Природа Северо-Запада

невероятная история Тура Хейердала / Путешествия / XCOM-HOBBY

В конце апреля 1947 года жители Перу наблюдали удивительную картину: шестеро отважных путешественников во главе с Туром Хейердалом готовились пересечь Тихий океан на бальсовом плоту. «Кон-Тики» был завален мешками с провизией и инвентарем, корзинами и связками бананов.

В тот день у причала собрались корреспонденты местных газет, представители власти и обычные зеваки. Экспедицию окрестили «авантюрой» и «самым экстравагантным способом массового самоубийства». Когда плот оказался в 50 милях от берега в открытом океане, буксировавший его военный катер отчалил обратно, а путешественники отправились в неизведанное — к берегам Полинезии, навстречу опасным океанским течениям и штормовым ветрам.

Почти за семь десятилетий экспедиция обросла массой легенд и новых подробностей. Но настоящая история знаменитого путешествия, которое многих вдохновило на смелые поступки, все же сохранилась.

Как все начиналось

За 10 лет до начала всемирно известной экспедиции Тур Хейердал вместе с супругой посетили Маркизский архипелаг, где проводили очередное исследование. В Полинезии норвежский археолог впервые услышал о Тики — боге и вожде здешних племен.

Тур Хейердал и его жена Лив

Местный старец поведал историю божества, которое привело его предков на острова из большой страны, помогло пересечь океан и обосноваться на новой родине. Захватывающий рассказ, больше похожий на миф или легенду, поразил путешественника. 

К своему удивлению, совсем скоро он нашел доказательства правоты рассказчика — гигантские изваяния Тики, напоминающие огромные статуи в Южной Америке. Во время изучения старинных архивов, музейных экспонатов и манускриптов Хейердал увидел рисунок плотов древних индейцев Южной Америки, который и стал началом великой авантюры.

Окончательная идея экспедиции была оформлена лишь в 1946 году. Археолог твердо решил доказать теорию заселения островных архипелагов по пути от латиноамериканского побережья к Полинезии. До великого открытия считалось, что кокосы, произрастающие на островном архипелаге, занесены из Южной Америки морской водой. Но у Хейердала была своя теория.

Тур Хейердал

В Нью-Йорке он попытался заинтересовать идеей одного из ученых, но столкнулся с категоричным возражением. Научным сотрудникам теория показалась возмутительной и вызвала шквал негодования. 

Когда путешественник попробовал объясниться, один из ученых с улыбкой ответил: «Ну что ж, попробуйте пройти из Перу до тихоокеанских островов на бальсовом плоту».

Отважная команда и строительство плота

Вместе с отчаянным антропологом в экспедицию отправились еще 5 человек: штурман и художник Эрик Хессельберг, кок Бенгт Даниэльссон (он единственный из экипажа говорил по-испански), радист Кнут Хаугланд, второй радист Турстейн Робю и техник, инженер и метеоролог Герман Ватцингер.

Седьмым участником плавания и его талисманом стал южноафриканский попугай Лолита.

Изначально команда планировала построить плот из бальсовых деревьев, растущих на берегу Эквадора, как это делали древние инки. Но путешественники смогли найти подходящий материал лишь в глуби континента. Для строительства потребовалось 9 стволов огромных деревьев, с которых пришлось снять кору и сплавить до Лимы, столицы Перу.

Представители местной власти до конца не верили в успех экспедиции, однако успели заключить между собой пари, взяли автографы у экипажа и выделили портовый док и рабочих, которые активно участвовали в строительстве. Из больших стволов они выпилили бревна, ставшие основой плота. Поверх основания закрепили еще один слой древесины, но уже меньшего размера. Палубу застелили бамбуковыми циновками, а посредине соорудили хижину из банановых листьев.

Удивительно, но судно удалось построить без единого гвоздя, согласно традициям индейских племен. Руль и мачту выполнили из мангрового дерева, все составные части прочно скрепили веревками, а художник и участник экспедиции Эрик Хессельберг нарисовал на парусе изображение Кон-Тики — бога солнца, почитаемого древними инками.

Среди океанских просторов 

28 апреля 1947 года команда начала путь от перуанского порта Кальяо. Военно-морской катер отбуксировал плот до течения Гумбольдта, откуда команда продолжила двигаться самостоятельно. 

С первых дней плавания «Кон-Тики» послушно двигался по океанскому течению. Благодаря прочности и отличному рулевому механизму проблем с управлением не возникало, а продуманное расписание вахт и распределение обязанностей обеспечили безопасность и благоприятную дружескую атмосферу. 

В экспедиции Тур Хейердал начал снимать документальный фильм. Если кому-то из экипажа хотелось уединения, он мог на время пересесть в резиновую лодку, которую прочно прикрепили к плоту. 

Все вопросы путешественники решали собственными силами или на общих собраниях. Хотя маршрут экспедиции проходил вдали от морских путей, а погода то и дело приносила штормовые ветра, плавание обошлось без серьезных происшествий. В пути команда потеряла лишь попугая, который упорхнул во время бури.

Участники экипажа готовили еду на примусе. Чтобы защитить прибор от повреждений, его хранили в деревянном ящике и убирали в хижину. Однажды на палубе случился пожар, но слаженная работа помогла вовремя справиться с огнем.

Часть команды питалась морепродуктами. Во время плавания на борт часто попадала летучая рыба и другие обитатели океана, а для приготовления полноценного обеда достаточно было на 20 минут закинуть удочку в открытое море. 

Двое членов экипажа приняли участие в интересном эксперименте. Они отказались от свежей рыбы и питались сухими пайками, которые были разработаны для американских военных, но еще не опробованы. Для поддержания солевого баланса в организме участники экспедиции смешивали питьевую воду с морской, а запасы пресной воды пополняли во время тропических дождей.

Путешествие не обошлось без встречи с опасными жителями океанских глубин. Однажды китовая акула подплыла к судну настолько близко, что одному из членов экипажа пришлось использовать копье, чтобы спасти команду. Бывали случаи, когда плот окружали целые стаи кровожадных акул, но все обошлось.

Первая серьезная опасность подстерегла команду на половине пути. Плот пережил сразу две больших бури, одна из которых не прекращалась в течение пяти дней. Во время шторма экипаж потерял рулевое весло, а парус и палуба получили серьезные повреждения. Когда ветер утих, команде удалось восстановить поломку, покрепче связать бревна, которые сильно разошлись, и благополучно продолжить путь. 

Заветная цель совсем близко

Ежедневно «Кон-Тики» проходил путь в 80 км, но рекордом стало расстояние в 130 км, которое экипаж преодолел в погожий день. 

Основная сложность состояла в постоянной проверке узлов. Члены команды без труда ныряли под воду, но каждое погружение могло оказаться фатальным. Стаи акул, которые приплывали на запах крови пойманной и разделанной рыбы, часто окружали плот и не позволяли вовремя проверить механизм. Чтобы избежать опасной встречи, команда смастерила специальную корзину для ныряльщика. Как только акула появлялась в поле зрения, проверяющий мог спрятаться и подать знак экипажу, чтобы его вытянули на борт.

Команда «Кон-Тики» обсуждает маршрут

Шел 93-й день плавания, когда команда впервые увидела островки земли с кокосовыми зарослями, но вместе с хорошей новостью пришли неприятности. Вблизи архипелага Туамоту существовала вероятность наткнуться на опасные рифы, которые были практически не видны из-за небольшого размера. Во время прибоя члены экипажа старались как можно лучше разглядеть дно и островки кораллов.

На 97-й день команда встретила лодку местных жителей, которые помогли экипажу грести, а на 101-й день — в третий раз увидела землю. Выбиваясь из сил, мореплаватели причалили к коралловому атоллу Рароиа. К счастью, плот успешно выдержал встречу с рифами.

Так 7 августа 1947 года команда оказалась на уединенном острове архипелага Полинезия, преодолев путь в 6980 км. Неделю экипаж наслаждался роскошными кокосовыми пальмами и прозрачным океаном, пока на горизонте снова не показалась лодка местных жителей.

Путешествие длиной в 101 день закончилось. Каждый день отважные мореплаватели боролись со стихией, совершали невероятные открытия и встречались с опасными жителями океана. 

Команда во главе с Туром Хейердалом доказала, что в мире нет ничего невозможного. Вопреки всему, экипаж отчаянных романтиков, смельчаков и первооткрывателей пересек Тихий океан на простом плоту, став настоящей сенсацией. 

Триумфальное возвращение и мировая слава

Заслуги экспедиции мгновенно признало мировое сообщество. Невероятно, но команде удалось совершить сразу три открытия: 

• доказать факт пересечения древними племенами Тихого океана из Южной Америки;
• подтвердить теорию о том, что кокосы из Южной Америки в Полинезию были завезены на плотах;
• обнаружить живую змеиную макрель, которую до этого изучали лишь по выброшенным на берег особям. Команда выяснила, что днем она обитает на глубине, а с приходом темноты начинает охоту и поднимается на поверхность.

После возвращения домой Тур Хейердал написал книгу «Путешествие на “Кон-Тики”», ставшую мировым бестселлером и переведенную на 70 языков. Документальный фильм «Кон-Тики», снятый Хейердалом во время путешествия, был удостоен премии «Оскар» в 1952 году. Позже, в 2012 году, на экран вышел художественный фильм «Кон-Тики», который был номинирован на премии «Золотой глобус» и «Оскар».

Музей «Кон-Тики»

Легендарный «Кон-Тики» по сей день хранится в одноименном музее в Осло. Удивительно, но плот прекрасно сохранился и даже выдержал длительную транспортировку на норвежском судне. Ученые уверены, что бальсовые бревна до сих пор могут держаться на воде и противостоять стихии.

90000 Answers for The later life of Thor Heyerdahl 90001 90002 The later life of Thor Heyerdahl 90003 90004 90005 Right, well, for our presentation shall I start with the early life of Thor Heyerdahl? 90006 90005 Sure. Why do not you begin with describing the type of boy he was, especially his passion for collecting things. 90006 90005 That’s right, he had his own little museum. And I think it’s unusual for children to develop their own values ​​and not join in their parents ‘hobbies; 90006 90005 I’m thinking of how Heyerdahl would not go hunting with his dad, for example.90006 90005 Yeah, he preferred to learn about nature by listening to his mother read to him. And quite early on he knew he wanted to become an explorer when he grew up. That came from his camping trips he went on in Norway I think … 90006 90005 No, it was climbing that he spent his time on as a young man. 90006 90005 Oh, right … After university he married a classmate and together, they decided to experience living on a small island, to find out how harsh weather conditions shaped people’s lifestyles.90006 90005 As part of their preparation before they left home, they learnt basic survival skills like building a shelter. I guess they needed that knowledge in order to live wild in a remote location with few inhabitants, cut off by the sea, which is whatthey were aiming to do. 90006 90005 An important part of your talk should be the radical theory Heyerdahl formed from examining mysterious ancient carvings that he happened to find on the island. I think you should finish with that. 90006 90005 OK.90006 90005 All right, Victor, so after your part I’ll talk about Thor Heyerdahl’s adult life, continuing from the theory he had about Polynesian migration. Up until that time of course, academics had believed that humans first migrated to the islands in Polynesia from Asia, in the west. 90006 90005 Yes, they thought that travel from the east was impossible, because of the huge, empty stretch of ocean that lies between the islands and the nearest inhabited land. 90006 90005 Yes, but Heyerdahl spent ages studying the cloud movements, ocean currents and wind patterns to find if it was actually possible.And another communities lying to the east of Polynesia. But Heyerdahl knew they made lots of coastal voyages in locally built canoes. 90006 90005 Yes, or sailing on rafts, as was shown by the long voyage that Heyerdahl 90006 90005 did next. It was an incredibly risky journey to undertake — sometimes I wonder if he did that trip for private reasons, you know? To show others that he could have spectacular adventures. What do you think, Olivia? 90006 90005 Well, I think it was more a matter of simply trying out his idea, to see if migration from the east was possible.90006 90005 Yes, that’s probably it. And the poor guy suffered a bit at that time because the war forced him to stop his work for some years … 90006 90005 Yes. When he got started again and planned his epic voyage, do you think it was important to him that he achieve it-before anyone else did? 90006 90005 Urn, I have not read anywhere that that was his motivation. The most important factor seems to have been that he use only ancient techniques and local materials to build his raft. 90006 90005 Yes.I wonder how fast it went. 90006 90005 Well, it took them 97 days from South America to the Pacific Islands. 90006 90005 Mm. And after that, Heyerdahl went to Easter Island, did not he? We should mention the purpose of that trip. I think he sailed there in a boat made out of reeds. 90006 90005 No, that was later on in Egypt, Olivia. 90006 90005 Oh, yes, that’s right. 90006 90005 But what he wanted to do was talk to the local people about their old stone carvings and then make one himself to learn more about the process.90006 90005 I see. Well, what a great life. Even though many of his theories have 90006 90005 been disproven, he certainly left a lasting impression on many disciplines, did not he? To my mind, he was the first person to establish what modern academics call practical archaeology. I mean, that they try to recreate something from the past today, like he did with his raft trip. It’s unfortunate that his ideas about where Polynesians originated from have been completely discredited. 90006 90005 Yes.Right, well, I’ll prepare a PowerPoint slide at the end that acknowledges our sources. I mainly used The Life and Work of Thor Heyerdahl by William Oliver. I thought the research methods he used were very sound, although I must say I found the overall tone somewhat old-fashioned. I think they need to do a new, revised edition. 90006 90005 Yeah, I agree. What about the subject matter — I found it really challenging! 90006 90005 Well, it’s a complex issue … 90006 90005 I thought the book had lots of good points.What did you think of … 90006 90005 90006 90005 90070 90071 90006 .90000 IELTS Listening: Thor Heyerdahl — IELTS with Fiona 90001 90002 90003 90004 Questions 21 and 22 90005 90006 90002 90003 Which TWO hobbies was Thor Heyerdahl very interested in as a youth? 90009 A camping 90009 90004 В climbing 90005 90009 90004 C collecting 90005 90009 D hunting 90009 E reading 90009 90006 90002 Victor: Right, well, for our presentation shall I start with the early life of Thor Heyerdahl? 90009 Olivia: Sure. Why do not you begin with describing the type of boy he was, 90004 especially his passion for collecting things [21].90005 90006 90002 Victor: That’s right, he had his own little museum. And I think it’s unusual for children to develop their own values ​​and not join in their parents ‘hobbies. I’m thinking of how Heyerdahl 90026 would not go hunting 90027 with his dad, for example. 90006 90002 Olivia: Yeah, he preferred to learn about nature by listening to 90026 his mother read 90027 to him. And quite early on he knew he wanted to become an explorer when he grew up. That came from his 90026 camping trips 90027 he went on in Norway I think … 90006 90002 90004 Victor: No, it was climbing that he spent his time on as a young man [22].90005 90006 90002 90004 Questions 23 and 24 90005 90006 90002 Which do the speakers say are the TWO reasons why Heyerdahl went to live on an island? 90009 A to examine ancient carvings 90009 90004 В to experience an isolated place 90005 90009 C to formulate a new theory 90009 D to learn survival skills 90009 90004 E to study the impact of an extreme environment 90005 90009 90004 90009 90005 Olivia: Oh, right … After university he married a classmate and together, they decided to experience living on a small island, 90004 to find out how harsh weather conditions shaped people’s lifestyles [23].90005 90006 90002 Victor: As part of their preparation 90026 before they left home, they learnt basic survival skills 90027 like building a shelter. I guess they needed that knowledge 90004 in order to live wild in a remote location with few inhabitants, cut off by the sea, which is what they were aiming to do [24]. 90005 90006 90002 Olivia: An important part of your talk should be the 90026 radical theory Heyerdahl formed from examining mysterious ancient carvings 90027 that he happened to find on the island.I think you should finish with that. 90009 Victor: OK. 90009 90006 90072 90002 25 According to Victor and Olivia, academics thought that Polynesian migration from the east was 90026 impossible 90027 due to 90006 90002 90004 A the fact that Eastern countries were far away 90005. 90009 У the lack of materials for boat building. 90009 C the direction of the winds and currents. 90006 90002 Olivia: All right, Victor, so after your part I’ll talk about Thor Heyerdahl’s adult life, continuing from the theory he had about Polynesian migration.Up until that time of course, academics had believed that humans first migrated to the islands in Polynesia from Asia, in the west. 90006 90002 90004 Victor: Yes, they thought that travel from the east was impossible, because of the huge, empty stretch of ocean that lies between the islands and the nearest inhabited land [25]. 90005 90004 90009 90005 Olivia: Yes, but Heyerdahl spent ages 90026 studying the cloud movements, ocean currents and wind patterns 90027 to find if it was actually possible.And another communities lying to the east of Polynesia. But Heyerdahl knew they made lots of coastal voyages in 90026 locally built canoes. 90027 90006 90002 26 Which do the speakers 90004 agree 90005 was the main reason for Heyerdahl’s raft journey? 90006 90002 A to overcome a research setback 90009 В to demonstrate a personal quality 90009 90004 C to test a new theory 90005 90009 90009 Victor: Yes, or sailing on rafts, as was shown by the long voyage that Heyerdahl did next. It was an incredibly risky journey to undertake — sometimes I wonder if he did that trip for private reasons, you know? 90026 To show others 90027 that 90026 he could have spectacular adventures.90027 What do you think, Olivia? 90009 90004 Olivia: Well, I think it was more a matter of simply trying out his idea, to see if migration from the east was possible. 90005 90006 90002 90004 Victor: Yes, that’s probably it [26]. 90005 And the poor guy suffered a bit at that time because the war forced him to 90026 stop his work for some years 90027 … 90009 90009 90006 90002 27 What was most important to Heyerdahl about his raft journey? 90006 90002 A the fact that he was the first person to do it 90009 В the speed of crossing the Pacific 90009 90004 C the use of authentic construction methods 90005 90006 90002 Olivia: Yes.When he got started again and planned his epic voyage, do you think it was important to him that he achieve it 90026 before anyone else did 90027? 90006 90002 Victor: Uhm, I have not read anywhere that that was his motivation. 90004 The most important factor seems to have been that he use only ancient techniques and local materials to build his raft [27]. 90005 90004 90009 90005 Olivia: Yes. I wonder 90026 how fast 90027 it went. 90006 90002 Victor: Well, it took them 97 days from South America to the Pacific Islands.90006 90002 28 Why did Heyerdahl go to Easter Island? 90009 90004 A to build a stone statue 90005 90009 В to sail a reed boat 90009 C to learn the local language 90006 90002 Olivia: Mm. And after that, Heyerdahl went to Easter Island, did not he? We should mention the purpose of that trip. I think he sailed there in a boat made out of 90026 reeds. 90027 90009 Victor: No, that was later on in Egypt, Olivia. 90009 Olivia: Oh, yes, that’s right.Victor: But what he wanted to do was 90026 talk to the local people 90027 about their old stone carvings and 90004 then make one himself to learn more about the process [28].90005 90006 90002 29 In Olivia’s opinion, Heyerdahl’s 90026 greatest influence 90027 was on 90009 A theories about Polynesian origins. 90009 90026 В the development of archaeological methodology. 90027 90009 C establishing archaeology as an academic subject. 90006 90002 Olivia: I see. Well, what a great life. Even though many of his theories have been disproven, he certainly left a lasting impression on many disciplines, did not he? To my mind, he was the 90026 first person to establish what modern academics call practical archaeology.90027 90004 I mean, that they try to recreate something from the past today, like he did with his raft trip [29]. 90005 It’s unfortunate that his ideas about where Polynesians originated from have been completely discredited. 90009 90009 30 Which criticism do the speakers make of William Oliver’s textbook? 90009 90004 A Its style is out of date. 90005 90009 В Its content is over-simplified. 90009 C Its methodology is flawed. 90006 90002 Victor: Yes. Right, well, I’ll prepare a PowerPoint slide at the end that acknowledges our sources.I mainly used The Life and Work of Thor Heyerdahl by William Oliver. I thought the research 90026 methods he used were very sound 90027, although I must say 90004 I found the overall tone somewhat old-fashioned. I think they need to do a new, revised edition [30]. 90005 90006 90002 Olivia: Yeah, I agree. What about the subject matter — I found it really challenging! 90009 Victor: Well, it’s a complex issue … 90009 Olivia: I thought the book had lots of good points. What did you think of … 90006 90195 NB Vocabulary point 90196 90002 Question 30C: 90026 90199 his methodology 90200 90027 90026 90199 is ‘flawed’ 90200 90027 = 90026 inaccurate, incorrect, unsound, faulty, 90027 90006 90002 Opposite information in the text: I thought the research 90026 methods he used were very ‘sound’ = accurate, correct 90027 90006.90000 Thor Heyerdahl’s Son to Return Sacred Skulls to Easter Island (PHOTO) 90001 Europe 90002 90003 9:10 GMT 01.03.2019 90004 90005 (updated 9:11 GMT 01.03.2019) 90004 Get short URL 90007 90002 Chile has activated its demands that Norway returns the skeletons of Rapa Nui people from Easter Island, who view bones of the deceased as part of their cultural heritage. 90007 90002 At the age of 16, Thor Heyerdahl jr. went to Eastern Island with his famous father, adventurer and ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl.There, they took skeletons and skulls from burial caves. Now, after many decades, Thor Heyerdahl’s 80-year old son is about to deliver them back, the scientific portal 90011 Forskning.no 90012 reported. 90007 90002 In March, Heyerdahl jr. will visit Chile together with the royal couple and Norway’s foreign minister. On behalf of the Kon-Tiki Museum, which he himself has chaired for many years, he will sign the agreement to return the items to the Chilean authorities and the museum on Easter Island.90007 90002 The four skulls and several skeletons of the Rapa Nui people, who lived on Easter Island several hundred years ago, are part of the Kon-Tiki museum collection in Oslo. The museum also possesses 950 stones, about 400 stone axes and up to 3,000 other objects that adventurer and scientist Thor Heyerdahl took with him following the excavations on the isolated island community in Polynesia in 1955-56. 90007 90002 Heyerdahl jr. is the only surviving member of that expedition. He recalls pulling a skull from a lava cave on the island, as a 16-year-old boy.90007 90002 «Now, the circle is about to close», Thor Heyerdahl jr., Also a marine scientist, told Forskning.no. «The promise was that we’ll bring it back when we finish studying them. Now, we are making good the promise». 90007 90002 Heyerdahl jr. stressed that the skeletons proved very important for later investigations, as DNA analysis of some of the skeletons proved pre-European contact between Easter Island and South America. 90007 90002 90025 READ MORE: 90026 ‘Sensational Find’ Poised to Re-Write Danish History Dug Up in Viking Capital 90007 90002 The 1950s excavations on Easter Island were a follow-up on Thor Heyerdahl’s famous journey on the hand-built raft Kon-Tiki in 1947 whose goal was to prove that Polynesia was populated by people from South America.90007 90002 The Norwegian traveller’s theory encountered heavy opposition. As time went by, howerver, scientific analysis partially redeemed his hypothesis. 90007 90002 «He was right. There are traces of DNA in Polynesia originating from native Americans. Although they were not the first to come, they arrived very early», Kon-Tiki Museum director Martin Biehl said. 90007 90002 According to Biehl, who is to join the Chile visit in March, stressed that the Easter Island Musuem has not demanded the skeletons until recently, adding that they are engaging in dialogue.90007 90002 «The indigenous people of Easter Island believe that the soul itself, and everything that is inherited by knowledge, understanding and history, is physically located in the bone itself. So for them, the ancestral culture and identity rests within these skeletons and skulls. It’s a very strong symbolism «, Biehl explained. 90007 90002 The case has received a lot of attention in Chile and is part of an international trend where countries demand back their heritage exhibited in Western museums.90007 90002 90025 READ MORE: 90026 What a Catch! Norwegian Divers Fish Out 500-Year-Old Sword From Lake (PHOTO) 90007 90002 Biehl stressed, however, that Heyerdahl was neither a colonist nor a robber. 90007 90002 «He was a scientist who organised archaeological excavations with permission from the Chilean authorities. While working there, he enjoyed a very good relationship with the locals», Biehl stressed. 90007 90002 Easter Island is a Chilean island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania.It is home to Rapa Nui people and is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called moai. 90007 90002 Adveturer Thor Heyerdahl is one of the most famous Norwegians. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947 when he sailed 8,000 km across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands. Heyerdahl subsequently made other voyages designed to demonstrate the possibility of contact between widely separated ancient people, notably the Ra II expedition of 1970, when he sailed from the west coast of Africa to Barbados in a papyrus reed boat.Shortly before his death, he visited Russia and Azerbaijan during his last project, Search for Odin. 90007 90002 90025 READ MORE: 90026 Viking Booty: Norwegians Want to Wrest Royal Horn Back From Danes 90007.90000 The Famous Foreign Travelers Who Visited Ancient India: TripHobo 90001 90002 90003 90003 PC: commons.wikimedia.org 90005 90002 India has always been the dream destination for people who want to explore one of the earliest civilizations in the world. Since time immemorial, India has received several keen travelers who came here and fell in love with its traditions and colors. While the British travelers were actually the hidden form of imperialists, the earlier travelers came to India for the sake of attaining knowledge, learning, and customs.These travelers documented their experiences of the country and became the earliest chroniclers of history. In fact, most of what we know of ancient India today is through the accounts of these travelers. Here is the list of foreign travelers who visited India and explored its varied cultural terrain: 90005 90008 1. Hiuen Tsang from China (630-645 A.D.) 90009 90002 90011 90011 PC: Wikipedia 90005 90002 One of the earliest and the most celebrated travelers to India, Hiuen Tsang came from China to India in search of Buddhist belief and practice.He has been described as the «prince of pilgrims» and his accounts carry a lot of information on the political, social and religious set up of India. Hiuen Tsang visited Kashmir, Punjab and proceeded to Kapilavastu, Bodh-Gaya, Sarnath, and Kusinagara . He studied at the University of Nalanda and traveled through the Deccan, Orissa, and Bengal. Since he stayed in India for 14 long years, his accounts reflect what ancient India must have been once. 90005 90008 2. Al Beruni from Persia (1024-1030 A.D.) 90009 90002 90019 90019 PC: Wikimedia Commons 90005 90002 Al Beruni was an Islamic scholar who was «commissioned» by Mahmud of Ghazni to write his monumental commentary on Indian philosophy and culture Kitab fi tahqiq ma li’l-hind. In the words of the historians today, «His observations on Indian conditions, systems of knowledge, social norms, religion … are probably the most incisive made by any visitor to India.» Born in Uzbekistan, this traveler remained in India for thirteen long years to understand its culture and literature.90005 90008 3. Ibn Batuta from Morocco (1333-1347 A.D.) 90009 90002 It is unbelievable that a person could have traveled so much in times where no traveling paraphernalia was available. Meet Ibn Battuta who had a passion for travel unparalleled in history, inimitable by any individual. It is hard to believe that Ibn Battuta journeyed more than 75,000 miles (121,000 km), a figure unsurpassed by any individual explorer until the coming of the Steam Age some 450 years later. He was the only medieval traveler who is known to have visited the lands of every Muslim ruler of his time.His journeys include trips to North Africa, West Africa, Southern Europe, and Eastern Europe in the West, Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and China in the East, a distance surpassing threefold his near-contemporary Marco Polo. 90005 90002 90029 30 Historical Places in India 90030 90005 90008 4. Marco Polo from Italy (b.1254-d.1324) 90009 90002 Marco Polo, the Venetian traveler, is perhaps the most celebrated traveler even till today. He is said to have visited South India twice, in тисячі двісті вісімдесят вісім and 1292, where he saw a tomb of St.Thomas «at a certain little town» which he does not name. Many historians accept these dates and visits without question and identify the little town that he speaks of with Mylapore. 90005 90008 5. Abdur Razzak from Persia (1443-1444 A.D.) 90009 90002 One of the earliest mentions of the Vijaynagar empire in India comes through Abdul Razzak, the Persian traveler who visited it around 1440. His accounts of the Hampi marketplace, its architecture and grandeur have left a lot of corpus of history for later historians to work on.Abdur Razzak was the ambassador of the Shahrukh of the Timurid Dynasty. 90005 90008 6. Megasthenes from Greece (302-298 B.C.) 90009 90002 Megasthenes was a Greek historian who came to India in the fourth century B.C. as an ambassador of Seleucus Nicator. He lived in the court of Chandragupta Maurya for about five years (302-298 B.C.). His experience of India is written in his book entitled «INDIKA». Through his accounts, we come to know everything that he had seen in India- its geography, government, religion, and society.90005 90002 90029 Must Read: Oldest Languages ​​in the World Still in Use 90030 90005 90008 7. Fa Hien from China (405-411 A.D.) 90009 90002 90051 90051 PC: Wikipedia 90005 90002 Fa-Hien was the first Chinese monk to travel to India in search of great Buddhist scriptures. At the age of sixty-five, he traveled, mostly on foot, from Central China taking the southern route through Shenshen, Dunhuang, Khotan, and then over the Himalayas, to Gandhara and Peshawar. 90005 90008 8. Nicolo Conti from Italy (1420-1421 A.D.) 90009 90002 Nicolo De Conti ‘(fl. 1419-1444) was a Venetian explorer and writer who visited the west coast of India to Ely and struck inland to Vijayanagar, the capital of the principal Hindu state of the Deccan. Of this city, Conti gives an elaborate description and one of the most interesting portions of his narrative. From Vijayanagar and the Tungabudhra he traveled to Maliapur near Madras, present-day Chennai 90005 90008 9. Afanasy Nikitin from Russia (1469-1472) 90009 90002 90063 90063 PC: Wikipedia 90005 90002 Nikitin, the Russian merchant, spent more than two years in India traveling to different cities, getting acquainted with local residents and carefully describing everything he saw.The notes of the merchant were compiled in the form of a so-called «Journey,» which is more like a traveler’s log. This work accurately described the nature and political organization of India as well as its traditions, lifestyle, and customs. 90005 90008 10. Domingo Paes from Portugal (1520-1522 A.D.) 90009 90002 After the conquest of Goa in 1510 and its rise as the capital of the Portuguese Estado da India, several Portuguese travelers and traders visited Vijayanagara and wrote detailed reports about the glory of Bisnaga of Vijayanagara.Most valuable is that of Domingos Paes written in c. 1520-22. The report of Paes, who visited Vijayanagara during Krishnadeva’s reign, is based primarily on careful observation as he describes in detail the so-called feudal nayankara system of Vijayanagara’s military organization and the annual royal Durga festival. 90005 90008 11. Fernao Nunes from Portugal (1535-1537 A.D.) 90009 90002 Fernao Nuniz, a Portuguese horse-trader, composed his account of India around 1536-37. He was in the capital of Vijaynagara, during the reign of Achyutaraya and may have been present at earlier battles fought by Krishnadevaraya.This visitor was particularly interested in the history of Vijayanagara, especially the foundation of the city, the subsequent careers of three dynasties of rulers, and the battles that they fought with the Deccan sultans and Orissan Rayas. His accounts also give an insight into the Mahanavami festival, where he notes admiringly the extravagant jewels worn by the courtly women, as well as the thousands of women in the king’s service. 90005 90002 90029 Also Read: Lesser Known Facts of Hampi 90030 90005 90008 12.Vasco De Gama (1497-99, 1502-03, 1524) 90009 90002 Vasco De Gama was the first Portuguese or in fact the first European to reach India. He is an important traveler to India whose history is closely intermeshed with that of Goa. After sailing down the western coast of Africa and rounding the Cape of Good Hope, his expedition made numerous stops in Africa before reaching the trading post of Calicut, India, in May 1498. For his second journey, Da Gama arrived in Goa with the task of combating the growing corruption that had tainted the Portuguese government in India.90005 90002 The question arises as to whether we had any travelers in the past who left their domestic hearth and left to travel abroad? The answer would be very few. Even if they are, there accounts and narratives do not add much to our travel corpus today. The reason was that India had not been much of a traveling nation like Persia, Britain, Italy and many more. Indians considered themselves to be a satisfied lot with their country and rarely went across the borders. However, with the growing trend of tourism, today Indians are making a lot of travel journeys and planning trips, thereby becoming the observers rather than the subjects of narratives.Let us travel, explore and know the world and write it down in our words forming our own travel diaries. 90005 90002 90029 * This is a List of Important Foreign travelers or Envoys in Indian history which is very important for examinations like UPSC, State Services, SSC, etc. Please let us know if you want any corrections or any addition to this list in the comments below. 90030 90005 90002 90005 90092 Frequently Asked Questions About Ancient travelers in India 90093 90094 90095 90002 90097 Q.Who is the first Chinese Traveller to India? 90098 90005 90002 A. Fa-Hien or Faxian (AD 399 — 413) was the first Chinese traveler to visit India. He was a monk and he traveled in search of great Buddhist scriptures. 90005 90102 90095 90002 90097 Q. Who is the first Traveller to India? 90098 90005 90002 A. Megasthenes, ambassador of Seleucus Nikator was the first foreign traveler to India. He visited India during the supremacy of Chandragupta Maurya. 90005 90102 90095 90002 90097 Q.Who were the two Chinese travelers who visited India? 90098 90005 90002 A. Two principal Chinese travelers who traveled to India lived here for many years and returned to China sharing their learnings were Faxian (often spelled in Indian history books as Fa-Hian 90005 90102 90095 90002 90097 Q. Who was the Chinese traveler to visit India during the period of Chandragupta Maurya? 90098 90005 90002 A. Fa-Hien or Faxian visited India during the reign of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta Maurya 90005 90102 90095 90002 90097 Q.Which foreign Traveller has been called Prince of medieval Travellers? 90098 90005 90002 A. Italian traveler Marco Polo (1254-1324) is called as Prince of medieval Travellers. He was a European traveler. He has recorded all his travel experiences in India, observations related to geography & economic history of India in the book named The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian. 90005 90102 90095 90002 90097 Q. Which European Traveller had observed a Hindu woman can go anywhere alone? 90098 90005 90002 A.Abbe J.A. Dubois (Jean-Antoine Dubois) commented, at the beginning of the 19th century, «a Hindu woman can go anywhere alone even in the most crowded places.» 90005 90102 90143 .