Consider the following statements:
1. The Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hien attended the fourth Great Buddhist Council held by Kanishka.
2. The Chinese pilgrim Huen-Tsangmet Harsha and found him to be antagonistic to Buddhism.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A
1 only
B
2 only
C
Both 1 and 2
D
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: Option D
Explanation
1 Statement 1 is incorrect. The Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hien (Faxian) visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (Gupta dynasty) around the early 5th century CE. The fourth Great Buddhist Council was held much earlier, during the reign of Kanishka (Kushan dynasty), around the 1st or 2nd century CE in Kashmir. Fa-Hien could not have attended it.
2 Statement 2 is incorrect. The Chinese pilgrim Huen-Tsang (Xuanzang) visited India during the reign of King Harshavardhana in the 7th century CE. Huen-Tsang's detailed accounts depict Harsha as a patron of Buddhism, not antagonistic to it. Harsha organized grand assemblies, including one at Kannauj to honor Huen-Tsang and discuss Buddhist doctrines.