Zheng He had made an incredible series of journeys, as this inscription on a tablet he erected in 1432 CE in Fujian, China relates: We have traversed more than one hundred thousand li (27,000 nautical miles) of immense waterspaces and have beheld in the ocean huge waves like mountains rising sky high, and we have set eyes on barbarian regions far away hidden in a blue transparency of light vapors, while our sails, loftily unfurled like clouds day and night, continued their course (as rapidly as) a star, traversing those savage waves as if we were treading a public thoroughfare…. Yet, in their wake, Chinese emigration increased, resulting in Chinese colonization in Southeast Asia and the accompanying tributary trade, which lasted until the 19th century. Zheng He was from a Hui (Chinese Muslim) family. Zheng He did not travel looking to conquer and kill but instead to show the might and wealth of the Ming Empire. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zheng-He, Jehovah’s Witnesses - Biography of Zheng He, Ancient History Encyclopedia - The Seven Voyages of Zheng He, Zheng He - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Zheng He - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Zheng He organized this expedition but did not actually lead it in person. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. An extensive seaborne commerce had developed to meet the taste of the Chinese for spices and aromatics and the need for raw industrial materials. A ship carries a complement of a thousand men…The vessel has four decks and contains rooms, cabins and saloons for merchants. By 1390, under the command of the prince of Yan, he had distinguished himself as a junior officer—skilled in war and diplomacy and having made influential friends at court. The junks Zheng had in his fleet would not have been significantly different from those described as follows by the famed Muslim traveller from Tangier Ibn Battuta (1304 - c. 1368 CE): The large ships have anything from twelve down to three sails made of bamboo rods plaited like mats. Which continents did Zheng He travel on his voyage? Last modified February 07, 2019. Large ships, overseas travel, contact with most foreigners. It also confirmed the Chinese vanity that their own culture was superior to all others. He'd travel by ship (a subject that he was very understood of); were he realized diplomatic, military, trading ventures voyages across Asia … He was also a Inquirer when he was determined to find places which were not discovered and was determined to go onto the voyages to trade with others. The Kangnido map(1402) predates Zheng He's voyages, and suggests that he had quite detailed geographical information on the totality of the Old World, from Europe and Africa in the west, to Korea and Japan in the east. His seven total voyages were diplomatic, military, and trading ventures, and lasted from 1405 – 1433. Ma Ho’s talents saw him progress through the ranks, being selected as the head eunuch and becoming an important support to Yongle’s claim for the throne. explorer Born: c. 1371 Birthplace: China An admiral in the Imperial Chinese navy, Zheng He made seven voyages to Southeast Asia, India, and Africa to explore and trade.In 1405 Zheng made his first trip, sailing to Vietnam and India with a fleet of Chinese boats known as junks. These Chinese junks, also known as ‘treasure ships’, were perhaps up to 55 metres (180 ft) in length and 8.5 metres (28 ft) wide (although the exact dimensions are disputed amongst historians). Traditional and popular accounts of Zheng He's voyages have described a great fleet of gigantic ships far larger than any other wooden ships in history. Giraffe Tribute to Emperor Yongleby Shen Du (Public Domain). 4000 B. Britannica now has a site just for parents! Menzies says that the Chinese map, found in a bookstore and created in the 18 th century, is attributed to Chinese Admiral Zheng He and shows a detailed map of America dating back to 1418. In October 1409 Zheng He set out on his third voyage. Cost very expensive, belief that. In 1424 the Yongle emperor died. In 1405 a Chinese Muslim eunuch, Zheng He, launched the first of seven voyages west from China across the Indian Ocean. Zheng He (or Ma Sanbao) (1371-1433 AD) was a court eunuch, marine explorer and fleet admiral, born into an adventurous Muslim family in Kunyang of Yunnan Province. On his return in 1411 he touched at Samudra, on the northern tip of Sumatra. Put simply, many foreign states, although interested in the trading possibilities, did not quite agree that China, the self-styled Middle Kingdom, was the centre of the world; a view confirmed by the opening up of the New World at the other end of the same century that Zheng He had begun his voyages. The young Ma Sanbao (later Ma He), as he was then known, was among the boys who were captured, castrated, and sent into the army as orderlies. Zheng He, Wade-Giles romanization Cheng Ho, original name Ma Sanbao, later Ma He, (born c. 1371, Kunyang, near Kunming, Yunnan province, China—died 1433, Calicut [now Kozhikode], India), admiral and diplomat who helped extend the maritime and commercial influence of China throughout the regions bordering the Indian Ocean. The fleet visited towns along the east coast of Africa of what are now Somalia and Kenya and almost reached the Mozambique Channel. Asked by Wiki User. Born into a Muslim peasant family in Yunnan province in southern China c. 1371 CE, his family-given name was Ma Ho. The return to isolationism may have been due to the increased threat from the Mongols, and the huge expense of rebuilding parts of the Great Wall of China likely called for some cutbacks elsewhere. Related Content Updates? The tribute, usually far less valuable than the goods which the emperors gave out, had always been a badge of approval to the Chinese, indicative that their emperor was indeed the Son of Heaven and the most powerful ruler on earth. These and other actions only strengthened the view that China was the chief power in the region and its greatest source of stability. Zheng He's fleet always knew where it was going, unlike the slightly later explorer, Christopher Columbus. In 1381, when he was about 10 years old, Yunnan, the last Mongol hold in China, was reconquered by Chinese forces led by generals of the Ming dynasty, which had overthrown the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty in 1368. China was introduced to glass by Arabian artisans who sailed back with Zheng He. Occupation: Explorer and Fleet Commander Born: 1371 in Yunnan Province, China Died: 1433 Best known for: Treasure Ship voyages to India Biography: Zheng He (1371 - 1433) was a great Chinese explorer and fleet commander. Traditionally, Tribute from abroad had confirmed the Chinese vanity that their own culture was superior to all others. Zheng He's Travel Journal: Blog Bibliography Top Moments Seventh Voyage. He introduced gold and silk to some of these regions. Later in life, he developed an interest in Buddhist teachings. "The Western Ocean" refers to the Asianand Africanplaces Zheng He explored, including: The second voyage on its return in 1408 CE successfully resolved a local dispute on Java. Zheng He was unusually tall for his time period, standing at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 meters). Many rulers took up the offer immediately and delegates were accommodated on Zheng He’s ships to be eventually taken to China on the return voyage. Between 1405 and 1433, Ming China sent out seven gigantic naval expeditions under the command of Zheng He the great eunuch admiral. Zheng He was the best known of the Yongle emperor’s diplomatic agents. Written in the Ruins: Cape Breton Island’s Second Pre-Columbian Chinese... Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike, Bennet Peterson, B. The family name Ma was derived from the Chinese rendition of Muḥammad. Omissions? That would place Zheng He’s efforts some 70 years ahead of Columbus. This is known history. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Zheng He’s seventh and final voyage left China in the winter of 1431. His seven total voyages were diplomatic, military, and trading ventures, and lasted from 1405 – 1433. Admittedly, they did not, like similar voyages of European merchant-adventurers, lead to the establishment of trading empires. He went on seven major expeditions to explore the world for the Chinese emperor and to establish Chinese trade in new … The traditional presentation of tribute to Chinese emperors by other, smaller states in Southeast Asia was given to prevent invasion or achieve a theoretical promise of protection in the case of invasion by a third party or because diplomatic missions giving that tribute were permitted to conduct trade while in China. His special interests include pottery, architecture, world mythology and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share in common. The scale of the fleets involved has also led some scholars to suggest the expeditions were rather more interested in some form of colonialism than mere diplomacy and trade, but this view is not widely held. After stopping at the principal ports of Asia, he proceeded westward from India to Hormuz. Technological developments in shipbuilding and in the arts of seafaring reached new heights by the beginning of the Ming. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Cite This Work Web. Chinese travelers abroad, as well as Indian and Muslim visitors, widened the geographic horizon of the Chinese. Name 3 things that were banned with the death of Emperor Yongle's death. Aiming to spread the word of the Chinese emperor's might and open Chinese trade to new markets, Zheng He traveled as far as the east coast of Africa. isolationism. 9000 C. 16000 D. 24000 ...” in History if there is no answer or all answers are wrong, use a search bar and try to find the answer among similar questions. Author of. There would be no more great maritime expeditions as the Chinese closed the door on the outside world and returned to its isolationist foreign policy of old. These expeditions traveled along the Indian Ocean trade routes as far as Arabia and the coast of East Africa, but in 1433, the government suddenly called them off. What Prompted the End of the Treasure Fleet? He visited the states of Southeast Asia, the coast of India, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the east coast of Africa. "The Seven Voyages of Zheng He." Following established sea routes but often finding himself the first ever Chinaman to land at many of his destinations, Zheng He is widely regarded as the greatest ever Chinese explorer. It has been quite a while since I have written, and even longer since I have traveled. He commanded seven naval expeditions almost a century before the Portuguese reached India by sailing around the southern tip of Africa. The ships were packed with fresh water, food supplies, and Chinese luxury goods intended to woo foreign rulers into displaying their appreciation of the Ming dynasty’s obvious wealth and power by sending back to China their own riches in tribute. Cartwright, Mark. The system had lapsed during the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1276-1368 CE) but Yongle wanted to revive it. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 07 Feb 2019. In the shift of policy his successor, the Hongxi emperor, suspended naval expeditions abroad. In 1381 Yunnan was reconquered by Ming dynasty forces, and he was captured, castrated, and sent into the army. Zheng was then selected by the emperor to be commander in chief of what became a series of missions to the “Western Oceans.” He first set sail in 1405, commanding 62 ships and 27,800 men. Cartwright, M. (2019, February 07). Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and Michigan State University and University of Missouri. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. Exploring the lands around the Indian Ocean. Zheng He was appointed garrison commander in Nanjing, with the task of disbanding his troops. The expense of the expeditions and the goods they carried did not match the value of the tributes that came in return. Yongle would dispatch many diplomatic missions across land routes to such places as Samarkand and Tibet but the man selected to lead the emperor’s most important maritime forays into foreign diplomacy was Zheng He. Get an answer to your question “About how many miles did Zheng He travel?A. The emperor even went so far as to ban the construction of any ocean-going ships and prohibit those that existed from being used for voyages beyond Chinese coastal waters. On his return to China in 1415, Zheng He brought the envoys of more than 30 states of South and Southeast Asia to pay homage to the Chinese emperor. He carried a cargo of silk, porcelain, and lacquer ware that the Chinese wanted to trade for pearls, … More secure on his imperial throne, and having grabbed it in the first place after a three-year civil war, Yongle perhaps sought some international legitimacy for his position as emperor. Europe, India, and Africa. https://www.ancient.eu/article/1334/. The Ming Dynasty fell to invaders who began the Qing Dynasty. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Zheng He’s initial trip took him from the South China Sea through the Indian Ocean to Calicut, India, and back. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. "The Seven Voyages of Zheng He." Zheng He is the first attested Chinese to visit the Swahili coast. These enormous treasure junks were commanded by the great admiral, Zheng He. Zheng He did command the third voyage (1409-1411) with 48 large ships and 30,000 troops, visiting many of the same places as on the first voyage but also traveling to Malacca … We have traversed more than 100,000 li (50,000 kilometers or 30,000 miles) 0 … Cartwright, Mark. The Ming government chose to adopt a policy of _____. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Professor of History, University of California, Davis, 1969–76. Zheng He, like many great explorers before and since, died in the middle of an expedition, his seventh voyage. Solved: How did Zheng He travel? 1/4/1431 Death of the Yongle Emperor. In 1400 the prince of Yan revolted against his nephew, the Jianwen emperor, taking the throne in 1402 as the Yongle emperor. The fleet visited Champa (now in southern Vietnam), Siam (Thailand), Malacca (Melaka), and the island of Java and then through the Indian Ocean to Calicut (Kozhikode) on the Malabar Coast of India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). There is a surviving painted silk scroll from the period showing a giraffe given to the emperor by King Saif Al-Din Hamzah Shah of Bengal. Was henceforth known as treasure ships note that content linked from this page may have different terms! S seventh and final voyage, zheng He China, where it was,. 1402 as the Yongle emperor, taking the throne, the Yongle court it in.. 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