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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Education in Assam

Education in Assam
Assam boasts of the most wide-ranging networks of higher educational institutions in the whole of North-Eastern region of India. Assam has developed into a top educational destination at the state as well as at the national level. To enhance the status of Assam education, the state government has introduced many innovative education polices. It’s capital city; Guwahati is a key destination for higher education for students of the whole of north-eastern region. One of India's best boarding schools The Assam Valley School is located in the Balipara district of Assam. It is a co-educational residential school. It is an ICSE school. This article offers an understanding of Assam Education system.Assam has several institutions for tertiary education and research. The major institutions are:

Universities
Medical Colleges
Law Academy

Gauhati University


The University is located at Jalukbari within the Guwahati city area. The campus has got some hillock on the southern side and the mighty river Brahmaputra is flowing on the northern side of it. The campus areas has been developed to a small township, now known as 'Gopinath Bardoloi Nagar'. It has now about 5000 population including 3000 students residing in the hostels. Apart from the residential quarters of teachers, officers and employees of the University, there are 22 halls of residence for University students. The necessary civic amenities such as health service, water supply, street lighting, internal roads, guest house, Post and Telegraph office, a branch of State Bank of India, canteens, a market, parks, playgrounds, auditorium, indoor stadium etc. are provided in the campus. The University is 10 km from the Borjhar International Airport on National Highway No. 37; 5 km from Kamakhya Railway Station; and 10 km from Guwahati Railway Station as well as from the Bus stop near the Cachari (D. C. court) at the heart of the Guwahati City. The capital complex of Assam at Dispur is 22 km away from the University. The University is easily accessible from the Guwahati city, and Guwahati has road, rail and air links from all parts of the Country. A large number of bus services from various parts of Assam have their station at Adabari Bus Stand which is 2 km away from the campus.

Gauhati University
Motto"Vidyana Sadhayeta" which means 'achievement through learning', i.e. Knowledge.
Established1948
TypePublic
ChancellorHis Excellency the Governor of Assam
Vice-ChancellorProf. Okhil Kumar Medhi
LocationGuwahati, Assam, India
CampusUrban
AffiliationsUGC
Websitehttp://www.gauhati.ac.in/


Administration
                Gauhati University was established by an act of the State Legislature, namely, the Gauhati University Act 1947 (Assam Act, XVI of 1947), of the Government of Assam in the year 1948. The University is funded by the University Grants Commission and the Government of Assam. Besides, various agencies of the Cetntral and State Government provide various grants and assistance for Research and other Academic activities. The University is in its 58th year existence, and is the oldest, largest, and the most premier seat of higher education in the entire North Eastern Region of India.
                The first Court meeting of the University was held on 26-1-48 at the old Sudmerson Hall of Cotton College, Guwahati. Accordingly the date '26 January' is observed as the Foundation Day of Gauhati University. Thanks to the relentless and untiring efforts of a band of dedicated workers like Gopinath Bordoloi (the first Chief Minister of Assam. He was awarded 'Bharat Ratna' posthumously), Madhab Bezbarua, Bhubaneswar Barua, Sarat Chandra Goswami, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (former President of India), and many others, and the help and co-operation of the people of Assam, the University could be eatablished in 1948.
                  The University which started functioning from the city centre was shifted to the present campus in 1955-56.
                  The University has been awarded a 4-star (****) status by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of UGC.
                  Our objective is to revitalize its educational leadership and transform the University from an institution of higher education to an institution of higher development of the intellect, the will, and the moral; through continuous self-development, collaboration and sharing of knowledge with institutions of excellence. The university have also come with a 5-years Integrated MCOM course from 2009 onwards, for excellence of students in the field of commerce.

Placement Cell
Placement Services for the students of the university in a collective and organized way have started recently but have earned success. In case of certain departments, Placement Services have always existed resulting in over cent percent employments. The University is now gearing up to extend Placement Services to all the students and departments in the campus and affiliated colleges. The Placement Cell extends warm invitation to everyone concerned to carry out Recruitment Drive in the Campus for the PG students of the University. If required special arrangements can be made to make available under-graduate students from affiliated colleges as well.

Dibrugarh University

                Dibrugarh University is a university in the Indian state of Assam. It was set up in 1965 under the provisions of the Dibrugarh University Act, 1965, enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly. It is a teaching-cum-affiliating university with limited residential facilities. The university is situated at Rajabheta at a distance of about five kilometers south of the premier Dibrugarh town (New Market)and at the centre of the city of Dibrugarh, 10 km away from Lepetkata .
The Dibrugarh district is well known for its vast mineral resources (including oil, natural gas and coal), flora and fauna and many tea plantations. The diverse tribes with their distinct dialects, customs, traditions and culture also make this area attractive to students of anthropology and sociology, art and culture.
The Dibrugarh University Campus is well linked by roads, railways, air transport and waterways. National Highway No. 37 passes through the University Campus. The territorial jurisdiction of Dibrugarh University covers seven districts of Upper Assam, viz Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sibsagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dhemaji and Lakhimpur. It has 140 affiliated colleges. The campus extends over an area of more than 500 acres (2.0 km2) of which 60 acres (240,000 m2) are still tea plantations.
It is accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, with a B grade. Dibrugarh University is a member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). The degrees conferred by this university are recognised by all the universities in India and abroad on reciprocal basis. From the academic session of 2009-10 the University changed its academic system from the 'Semester system' to the 'Choice-based Credit system'.

Miscellanea:
The Centre for Management Studies, Dibrugarh University, is a rising management school and is part of Dibrugarh University. It started functioning on February 3, 2003. It is currently running five programmes of study - Ph. D., MBA (FT), MBA (PT), PGDTM and BBA. The present Vice-Chancellor of Dibrugarh University is Dr. K.K.Deka.
Considering the importance and demand for 5 Year Integrated Law education and also the advice of the Bar Council of India and other State Bar Councils, Dibrugarh University has established a Centre for Juridical Studies in the campus and admitted the first batch of students in the year 2006. The duration of the programme is of five academic years consisting of ten semesters. It is a full time degree programme. The Centre sets its goals and objectives of Dibrugarh University.
The mission of the CJS are -
1.Promotion of legal education so as to assimilate, create and disseminate knowledge.
2. To train and promote human resources
3.To inculcate the values of good citizenship, national unity and integrity, respects of national values and symbols.

Assam Agricultural University

Assam Agricultural University (AAU) was established in 1969 under the Assam Agricultural University Act 1968 January 2, 1969. The jurisdiction of the University extends to the entire State of Assam with regard to teaching, research and extension education in the field of agriculture and allied sciences. The University has a number of campuses with its head quarter located at Borbheta at a distance of about 5 km from both bus station and railway station and 2 km from airport of the Jorhat. The city can be reached easily from Guwahati, the capital of Assam, by Air/Road/Rail. The latitude, longitude and altitude of Jorhat are 26°44´N, 94°l0´E and 9l m. above mean sea level respectively. The objectives of the University are:
  • To make provision for imparting education to the people in agriculture and other allied branches of learning
  • To further the advancement of learning and research in agriculture and other allied sciences
  • To undertake the extension of such sciences especially to the rural people of the state.
Assam Agricultural University
Established1969
TypePublic
Vice-ChancellorDr. Kamal Malla Bujarbaruah
LocationJorhat, Assam, India
CampusRural
AffiliationsICAR
Websitewww.aau.ac.in


Colleges
The university has faculties and colleges all over Assam for imparting education:
  • Faculty of Agriculture, Jorhat
  • Faculty of Home Science, Jorhat
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, Khanapara
  • College of Fishery Science, Roha
  • Biswanath College of Agriculture, Biswanath Chariali
  • North Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, North Lakhimpur
  • Dhubri College of Agriculture, Dhubri

Research Stations

The university has six Regional Agricultural Research Stations in each agricultural zone of Assam at:
  • Titabar - Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone
  • North Lakhimpur - North Bank Plain Zone
  • Shillongoni - Central Brahmaputra Valley Zone
  • Diphu - Hill Zone
  • Gossaigaon - Lower Brhamaputra Valley Zone
  • Karimganj - Barak Valley Zone
The university also has four Commodity Research Stations at:
  • Citrus Research Station, Tinsukia
  • Sugarcane Research Station, Buralikson
  • Coconut Research Station, Kahikuchi
  • Goat Research Station, Burnihut
The university also has established Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) for extension purpose in all the districts of Assam.

Faculties

Departments under Assam Agricultural University against various faculties are:
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
  • Agronomy
  • Agricultural Biotechnology
  • Agricultural Economics & Farm management
  • Agricultural Engineering
  • Agricultural Meteorology
  • Agricultural Statistics
  • Animal Husbandry & Dairying
  • Biochemistry & Agricultural Chemistry
  • Crop Physiology
  • Entomology
  • Extension Education
  • Horticulture
  • Nematology
  • Plant Breeding & Genetics
  • Plant Pathology
  • Soil Science
  • Tea Husbandry & Technology
FACULTY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE
  • Animal Genetics & Breeding
  • Animal Nutrition
  • Animal Production & Management
  • Extension Education (Veterianry)
  • Veterinary Anatomy & Histology
  • Veterinary Gynaecology
  • Veterinary Medicine, Public Health & Hygiene
  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Veterinary parasitology
  • Veterinary pathology
  • Veterinary Pharmacology & Toxicology
  • Veterinary Physiology
  • Veterinary Surgery & Radiology
  • Poultry Science
FACULTY OF HOME SCIENCE
  • Child Development & Family relations
  • Clothing & Textiles
  • Extension Education
  • Food & Nutrition
  • Family resource management
FACULTY OF FISHERIES SCIENCE
  • Aquaculture
  • Fish Biology
  • Hydrography
  • Fish Technology & Engineering
  • Fish Extension Education
  • Fish Economics & Management
Assam Agricultural University (AAU) is the only educational centre in the world to offer a comprehensive four-year degree program in Agriculture with specialization in Tea Husbandry and Technology (THT), which covers the entire gamut of tea cultivation, production and marketing. The Faculty of Agriculture offers B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D degree programs. The Faculty of Home Science offers B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree programs in all departments and a Ph.D. degree program in Food and Nutrition only.


Gauhati Medical College and Hospital

Gauhati Medical College
Established1960
SuperintendentDr. K. K. Saikia
PrincipalDr. M.M.Deka
LocationBhangagarh, Guwahati, India
AffiliationsGauhati University,Medical Council of India
Websitehttp://gmchassam.gov.in


General Information on Academic Courses:
Graduate Education
Degree Awarded: M.B.B.S. Duration of the Course: Five years, which include one year internship. Major subjects: Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Forensic & State Medicine, Community Medicine, Medicine, Surgery (which includes Orthopedics), Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ophthalmology & Otorhinolaryngology. University Of Affiliation: Gauhati University. Medical Council of India recognizes MBBS Degree. Total Number of under graduate admissions per annum: 156. Method of Selection: Entrance test conducted by All India and State level selection bodies. Post Graduate Education
Degree and Diploma in different Subjects
Method of Selection: Entrance tests conducted by All India and state level selection bodies. Duration of Post Graduate course: Degree 3 years; Diploma 2 years. For Postgraduate (Degree) studies: Thesis is compulsory.
Anatomy MS - 4 Anesthesiology MD - 4 DA -6 Biochemistry MD - 4 Community Medicine MD - 2 Dermatology MD - 2 ENT MS - 4 DLO -2 Forensic Medicine MD - 2 DFSM - 2 Medicine MD - 10 Microbiology MD - 4 Obsterics & Gyne. MS - 8 DGO - 6 Ophthalmology MS - 6 DO - 4 Orthopedics MS - 2 Pathology MD - 4 DCP - 5 Pediatrics MD - 3 DCH -4 Pharmacology MD - 2 Physiology MD - 4 Psychiatry MD - 2 Radio Diagnosis MD - 4 Surgery MS - 10 Post Doctoral Education
The MCh Courses are:
Subjects No. of Seats Plastic Surgery 2 Paediatric Surgery 2 Cardio-Thoracic Surgery 1 Urology 1 Neurosurgery 1 The DM Courses are:
Subjects No. of Seats Neurology 2 Endocrinology 1 Cardiology 1 Hostel Accommodation
Gauhati Medical College is a residential college having hostel facilities for both male and female students.

Famous Alumni:
Sangeeta Saikia—cardiologist ,USA
Subrata chakrabarty, Anaesthesiologist, Toronto, Canada
Eamon Dutta, psychiatrist, USA
Deborshi sarma , Professor, Lady Hardinge Medical College


Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

                 Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (Hindi: भारतीय प्रोद्योगिकी संसथान गुवाहाटी, IIT Guwahati, IITG) is an autonomous engineering and technology-oriented institute of higher education established by the Government of India, located in Guwahati, in the state of Assam in India. It is the sixth Indian Institute of Technology established in India. IITG is officially recognised as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. The institute consistently ranks amongst the top engineering colleges in the academic ranking of Indian colleges by various engineering education surveys like India Today, Dataquest etc.

History

The history of IIT Guwahati traces its roots to the 1985 Assam Accord signed between the All Assam Students Union and the Govt. of India, which mentions the general improvement in education facilities in Assam and specifically the setting up of an IIT.
            IITG was established in 1994 by an act of parliament and its academic programme commenced in 1995.[1] IITG admitted its first batch of students into its Bachelor of Technology programme in 1995. The selection process was the same as that of all IITs, i.e. through the Joint Entrance Examination. In 1998, the first batch of students were accepted into the Master of Technology program through the GATE.
             The campus of IITG is situated on the northern banks of Brahmaputra and abuts the North Guwahati town of Amingaon.

Campus and geography

The campus is on a 700 acres (2.8 km2) plot of land located on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra around 20 km from the heart of the city. It has the majestic Brahmaputra on one side, and hills and vast open spaces on others.

Academics

                     Currently IIT Guwahati houses the following departments :
  • Department of Biotechnology
  • Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Department of Chemical Science and technology
  • Department of Civil Engineering
  • Department of Computer Science and Engineering
  • Department of Design
  • Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering(recently merged to EEE Department)
  • Department of Humanities|Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Department of Mathematics
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • Department of Physics
  • Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering
The aforementioned departments of the Institute offer B. Tech., B. Des., M. Des., M. Tech., Ph.D. and M.Sc. programmes.
IIT Guwahati was also the first IIT[citation needed] to introduce design as one of the disciplines at Undergraduate and Ph.D level. The Department of Design (DoD) at the institute awards the degree of B.Des. (Bachelor of Design),M.Des (Master of Design) & PhD on completion of the undergraduate and postgraduate academic programs respectively.
Presently there are about 2300 students on rolls, 215 faculty members and 300 support staff.

Student life and hostels

            IIT Guwahati is a fully residential campus. The Gymhkana Club promotes the objectives of fostering extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, welfare of students and their stay on the campus.

                  All the students live in hostels located in the campus. The hostels are named after various rivers and tributaries of North-East India, namely Manas, Dihing, Kapili, Siang, Kameng, Barak, Subansiri (Girl's Hostel), Umiam, Dibang and Brahmaputra. Apart from these, there is a Married Scholars Hostel for married students doing their post graduation.

Techniche

                Techniche is an annual techno-management festival of IIT Guwahati. Techniche is held in September every year over a period of three days. Techniche provides students from schools and colleges across India, a platform to interact with many experts in various subject areas via its lecture series. It has been attended by P. Chidambaram, Kiran Bedi, H. C. Verma, Mike Fincke, John C. Mather and others. Techniche ’10 was held from September 2 to September 5.

Alcheringa

                     Alcheringa is the annual cultural festival of IIT G, usually held during the first week of February. The festival is the largest cultural festival of the northeastern region of India. People from all over the country attend this festival, and take part in various events. The highlights of the festival are the “Pro-Nites” where popular artists and bands like Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, KK, Bands like Eluveitie, Swaratma, Parikrama and Raghu Dixit Project perform to huge audiences. The 2010 edition of Alcheringa which took place between Feb 4th to Feb 7th was called the “Xtreme Edition” as the Swiss folk metal band, Eluveitie, performed in India for the first time.

Techniche and Alcheringa are the conducted on a very large scale every year, and are also growing in terms of participation and sponsors every year.

 






Monday, February 14, 2011

History of Assam

                 The history of Assam is the history of a confluence of peoples from the east, west and the north; the confluence of the Indo-Aryan, Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman cultures. Politically, it has been invaded, but has never served as a vassal or a colony to an external power till the advent of the Burmese in 1821 and subsequently the British in 1826.
The history of Assam is known from many sources. The Ahom kingdom of medieval Assam maintained chronicles, called Buranjis, written in the Ahom and the Assamese languages. History of ancient Assam comes from rock inscriptions and the many copper plates and royal grants the Kamarupa kings issued during their reign. Protohistory is reconstructed from folklore, epics like Mahabharata, and two medieval texts compiled in the Assam region—the Kalika Purana and the Yogini Tantra.
                
                 Paleolithic cultures: The earliest inhabitants of the region are assigned to the Middle Pleistocene period (781,000 to 126,000 years ago) in the Rongram valley of Garo Hills. The Paleolithic sites, which used handaxe-cleaver tools, have affinities to the Abbevillio-Acheulean culture. Other Paleolithic sites include those in the Daphabum area of Lohit district in Arunachal Pradesh which used stone tools from metamorphic rocks. The cave-based Paleolithic sites at Khangkhui in Ukhrul, Manipur, is placed in the Late Pleistocene period.
                There exists evidence of a microlithic culture in the Rongram Valley of Garo Hills that lie between the neolithic layers and virgin soil. The microliths here were made of dolerite, unlike those from the rest of India. Shreds of crude hand-made pottery indicate that the microlithic people were hunters and food-gatherers.
               Neolithic cultures: Early Neolithic cultures based on the unifacially flaked hand-axe in the Garo hills have developed in line with the Hoabinhian culture, and it is conjectured that this region was the contact point for the Indian and the Southeast Asian cultures.
The Late neolithic cultures have affinities with the spread of the Mon Khmer speaking people from Malaysia and the Ayeyarwady valley and late neolithic developments in South China. Since these cultures have been dated to 4500-4000 BCE, the Assam sites are dated to approximate that period.
These neolithic sites, though widely spread, are concentrated in the hills and high grounds, due possibly to the floods. These cultures performed shifting cultivation called jhum, which is still practiced by some communities in the region. Some typical sites are Daojali Hading in North Cachar hills, Sarutaru in Kamrup district and Selbagiri in the Garo Hills.
                  Metal age: There exists no archaeological evidence of Copper-Bronze or Iron age culture in the region. This might seem as an impossibility given that corresponding cultures have been discovered in Bengal as well as Southeast Asia. It can only be conjectured that metal age sites in the region exist but have not yet been discovered.
                  Megalithic cultures: Though the metal age seems to be missing in Assam, the Iron Age Megalithic culture of South India finds an echo in the rich megalithic culture in the region, which begins to appear earlier than the first millennium BCE,[1] and which continues till today among the Khasi and the Naga people. The affinity is with Southeast Asia. The megalithic culture was the precursor of the fertility cult and the saktism and the vajrayana Buddhism that followed.
Mythological Assam

Mythological Assam:                 
                    Protohistoric Assam is reconstructed from epics and literature from early times (Mahabharata, Kalika Purana, Yogini Tantra, etc.). The earliest political entity seems to have been led by a non-Aryan Danava dynasty with Mahiranga mentioned as the first king. This dynasty was removed by Narakasura. Naraka appears to be a generic name for many kings belonging to the Naraka dynasty. According to legend, the last of the Naraka kings was killed by Krishna and his son Bhagadatta took the throne. Bhagadatta is said to have participated in the Mahabharata war with an army of "chinas, kiratas and dwellers of the eastern sea", thereby indicating that his kingdom, Pragjyotisha, included part of Bangladesh. The last in the Naraka dynasty was a ruler named Suparua.

Ancient Assam:
                   The historical account of Assam begins with the establishment of Pushya Varman's Varman dynasty in the 4th century in the Kamarupa kingdom, which marks the beginning of Ancient Assam. This dynasty was most likely of aboriginal origin, but drew its lineage from Narakasura. The kingdom reached its zenith under Bhaskarvarman in the 7th century. Xuanzang visited his court and left behind a significant account. Bhaskar Varman died without leaving behind an issue and the control of the country passed to Salasthamba, who established the Mlechchha dynasty. After the fall of the Mlechchha dynasty in the late 9th century, a new ruler, Brahmapala was elected, who established the Pala dynasty. The last Pala king was removed by the Gaur king, Ramapala, in 1110. But the two subsequent kings, Timgyadeva and Vaidyadeva, though established by the Gaur kings, ruled mostly as independents and issued grants under the old Kamarupa seals. The fall of subsequent kings and the rise of individual kingdoms in the 12th century in place of the Kamarupa kingdom marked the end of the Kamarupa kingdom and the period of Ancient Assam.

Kamarupa, also called Pragjyotisha, was the first historical kingdom in Assam that existed between the 4th to the 12th century CE. Ruled by three dynasties from their capitals in present-day Guwahati and Tezpur, it covered the entire Brahmaputra river valley and, at times, North Bengal and parts of Bangladesh. Though the historical kingdom disappeared by 12th century to be replaced by smaller political entities, the notion of Kamarupa persisted and ancient and medieval chroniclers continued to call this region by this name. Coins of Alauddin Hussain Shah, who invaded the Kamata Kingdom in the late 15th century, called the region Kamru or Kamrud. In the 16th century the Ahom kingdom came into prominence and assumed for itself the political and territorial legacy of the Kamarupa kingdom. The name of this kingdom survives in Kamrup, a present-day district in Assam.
 In Hindu mythology, Narakasura or Naraka is the asura son of the earth goddess Bhudevi (Bhumi) and Lord Vishnu in his Varaha (boar) avatar (incarnation). In other sources, he is the son of the asura Hiranyaksha. He is said to have established the kingdom of Pragjyotisha in Assam after overthrowing the last of the Danava king Ghatakasura. It was foretold that he would be destroyed by a later incarnation of Vishnu. His mother, the earth, sought the boon from Vishnu that her son should have a long life, and that he should be all powerful. Vishnu readily granted these boons.The legend of Narakasura is important in the history of Assam since Narakasura is cited as the progenitor of many dynasties that ruled Kamarupa in historical times. A hill, to the south of Guwahati is named after him. He is also associated with the myth of the shakta goddess and place of worship Kamakhya. Narakasura became evil, in association with another Asura named Banasura. Drunk with power, as he knew himself to be unrivalled in prowess, he brought all the kingdoms on earth under his control. Next, he turned his eyes towards Swargaloka. Even the mighty Indra could not withstand the assault of this son of Vishnu and had to flee the heavens. Now Narakasura had become the overlord of both the heavens and earth. His reign of oppression was in full swing. Addicted to power, he abducted 16,100 women and imprisoned them in his palace. He stole the earrings of Aditi, the heavenly mother goddess, and usurped some of her territory.
                  
                  Xuanzang was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period. Born in Henan province of China in 602 or 603, from boyhood he took to reading sacred books, including the Chinese Classics and the writings of the ancient sages.While residing in the city of Luoyang, Xuanzang entered Buddhist monkhood at the age of thirteen. Due to the political and social unrest caused by the fall of the Sui dynasty, he went to Chengdu in Sichuan (Szechuan), where he was ordained at the age of twenty. From Xingdu, he travelled throughout China in search of sacred books of Buddhism. At length, he came to Chang'an, then under the peaceful rule of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Here Xuanzang developed the desire to visit India. He knew about Faxian's visit to India and, like him, was concerned about the incomplete and misinterpreted nature of the Buddhist scriptures that reached China.
He became famous for his seventeen year overland journey to India, which is recorded in detail in his autobiography and a biography, and which provided the inspiration for the epic novel Journey to the West.