Hiuen Tsang was a Chinese pilgrim who came to India in the first half of the Seventh Century A.D. in order to visit the places of pilgrimage associated with Buddha. He stayed here for 15 years during which he travelled widely and closely observed the country and its people. On returning to China, he put down all his impressions in a book called Si- yu-ki or ‘The Records of the Western World’.
This book proved to be an invaluable source of information to historians about Harsha and the political, social, economic and religious conditions in India during his reign. Bana Bhatta was the court poet of Harsha who wrote a book called Harsha Charita giving a vivid account of the king’s deeds. He also wrote a masterpiece entitled Kadambari.