He commanded seven naval expeditions almost a century before the Portuguese reached India by sailing around the southern tip of Africa. Zheng He. How far did Zheng He travel? Zheng He was the best known of the Yongle emperor’s diplomatic agents. 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). Soon after he ascended the throne, the emperor conferred on Ma the surname Zheng, and he was henceforth known as Zheng He. During the next 30 years (till 1445 CE), he was in command of the world’s largest fleet, funded by the Ming emperor, sailed to the east coast of Africa into the Persian Gulf. Zheng died in Calicut in the spring of 1433, and the fleet returned to China that summer. The Ming Dynasty fell to invaders who began the Qing Dynasty. 4000 B. "The Seven Voyages of Zheng He." The Seven Voyages of Zheng He. An extensive seaborne commerce had developed to meet the taste of the Chinese for spices and aromatics and the need for raw industrial materials. He was then conscripted into the army commanded by a Ming prince, none other than the future emperor Yongle. What three regions did Zheng He travel to on his naval expedition? Cost very expensive, belief that. From Africa, Zheng He brought back such exotica as lions, leopards, camels, ostriches, rhinos, zebras, and giraffes. Mark is a history writer based in Italy. Besides animals, Zheng He also brought back gems, spices, medicines, and fine cotton cloth, as well as knowledge of strange foreign peoples and customs. 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. Undeterred, Zheng He abducted the king and brought him in person back to the Chinese imperial court, where he was later released after promising to pay regular tributes, which he did do. 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. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 07 February 2019 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. These voyages traveled through the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and along the east coast of Africa. He contracted an illness, and whether he successfully returned to China or died during his return is unknown. The system had lapsed during the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1276-1368 CE) but Yongle wanted to revive it. Zheng He was a Chinese explorer who lead seven great voyages on behalf of the Chinese emperor. In 1424 the Yongle emperor died. 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. Zheng He was from a Hui (Chinese Muslim) family. He sailed to Thailand, Java, Brunei, Arabia and India. Admiral Zheng He (aka Cheng Ho, c. 1371-1433 CE) was a Chinese Muslim eunuch explorer who was sent by the Ming dynasty emperor Yongle (r. 1403-1424 CE) on seven diplomatic missions to increase trade and secure tribute from foreign powers. 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. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the Publishing Director at AHE. Web. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 07 Feb 2019. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. License. Under the Yongle administration (1402–24), the war-devastated economy of China was soon restored. He traveled with over 60 other ships, some of which were over 400 feet long, known as treasure ships. Born into a Muslim peasant family in Yunnan province in southern China c. 1371 CE, his family-given name was Ma Ho. The two men, both eunuchs (as was the custom for captains), arrived in Australia in 1422 - Hong on the west coast, Zhou on the east - and spent several months exploring, landing in several places. For some 300 years the Chinese had been extending their power out to sea. 1/4/1431 Death of the Yongle Emperor. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. The massive fleet of 317 ships had been under construction since 1403 CE and included 62 baochuan, then the largest ships in the world. 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. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. This time he also found time to stop off at the Maldive Islands, before crossing the Arabian Sea and reaching Hormuz on the Persian Gulf. 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. Top Answer. Zheng He’s initial trip took him from the South China Sea through the Indian Ocean to Calicut, India, and back. Ancient History Encyclopedia. isolationism. On his fourth voyage Zheng He left China in 1413. His seven total voyages were diplomatic, military, and trading ventures, and lasted from 1405 – 1433. Britannica now has a site just for parents! He went via Southeast Asia, sailing down the coast of Vietnam, stopping at Sumatra and Java and then on through the Malay Archipelago and through the Straits of Malacca, crossing the eastern Indian Ocean to reach India and Sri Lanka. 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. Some rulers were not so keen, of course, notably Alagakkonara, the king of Sri Lanka, who turned out less than welcoming to these strange visitors and tried to plunder Zheng He’s ships. Books Exploring the lands around the Indian Ocean. See Answer. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? Zheng He was the best known of the Yongle emperor’s diplomatic agents. Again he visited Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and Africa. Zheng defeated Alagonakkara’s forces and took the king back to Nanjing as a captive. Europe, India, and Africa. Solved: How did Zheng He travel? Zheng He, like many great explorers before and since, died in the middle of an expedition, his seventh voyage. 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. 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. It also confirmed the Chinese vanity that their own culture was superior to all others. His grandfather was a noble from the Mongolian tribe and once made a pilgrimage to Mecca. He'd travel by ship (a subject that he was very understood of); were he realized diplomatic, military, trading ventures voyages across Asia … 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. Technological developments in shipbuilding and in the arts of seafaring reached new heights by the beginning of the Ming. His tomb was erected in Nanjing, China, where it stands today. Yongle’s successor, Xuande (r. 1426-36 CE) had initially supported Zheng’s continuing voyages but he eventually put an end to the costly expeditions. The Ancient History Encyclopedia logo is a registered EU trademark. 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. 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. Ancient History Encyclopedia. The second voyage on its return in 1408 CE successfully resolved a local dispute on Java. The Ming court then sought to display its naval power to bring the maritime states of South and Southeast Asia in line. Last modified February 07, 2019. The Seven Voyages of Zheng Heby Vmenkov (CC BY). 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. 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. What better way to convince the powerful officials of the imperial bureaucracy that he was the chosen one than having foreign ambassadors prostrate themselves in the Forbidden City and offer up a handsome sample of the riches of their country? 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…. After stopping at the principal ports of Asia, he proceeded westward from India to Hormuz. Zheng He is the first attested Chinese to visit the Swahili coast. The family name Ma was derived from the Chinese rendition of Muḥammad. The first three voyages of Zheng He (1404, 1408 and 1409 CE) followed more established trade routes. His father was a hajji, a Muslim who had made the hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. His seven total voyages were diplomatic, military, and trading ventures, and lasted from 1405 – 1433. Zheng He returned to China in 1407. The fleet visited towns along the east coast of Africa of what are now Somalia and Kenya and almost reached the Mozambique Channel. Zheng He was Risk Taking when he travelled to a lot of places where he didn't know and had to talk to people of other places when trading goods and luxurious items. Zheng He's fleet always knew where it was going, unlike the slightly later explorer, Christopher Columbus. Recommended Annotation Visible only to you On his final voyage, Zheng He diverted from his fleet on his personal hajj to Mecca. By 1405 CE Zheng He was an admiral in the imperial fleet, and he was selected by the emperor to lead a fleet across the Indian Ocean to explore the possibilities of new tributary states and bring them into the sphere of Chinese influence. There were also secondary adventures besides securing new diplomatic ties. 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. He visited the states of Southeast Asia, the coast of India, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the east coast of Africa. He also traded in porcelain and silver. In exchange, he brought back fuel, building materials and other exotic artifacts. Zheng died in Calicut in the spring of 1433, and the fleet returned to China that summer. On his second voyage, in 1408–09, Zheng He again visited Calicut—stopping as well in Chochin (Kochi) along the coast to the south—but encountered treachery from King Alagonakkara of Ceylon. Name 3 things that were banned with the death of Emperor Yongle's death. Yongle’s predecessors had been cautious to the point of isolationism when it came to foreign affairs, largely out of fear of military conquest by neighbouring peoples, especially the Mongols. Zheng died in Calicut in the spring of 1433, and the fleet returned to China that summer. Living in a region of China that was then controlled by the Mongols, Ma Ho was captured by Ming forces at the age of ten. Author of. Zheng He or Ma He (Chinese 郑和; 1371–1433) was an explorer, diplomat, and admiral from China.He lived during the Ming Dynasty.Zheng He was the leader of a very large fleet of ships that traveled all over the Indian Ocean and Southwest Asia.Zheng He was an eunuch of China's Imperial Court.The fleet that Zheng He commanded had 317 ships that were very large. 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. Many of the vessels, built at the shipyards of Nanjing, were equipped with such innovations as water-tight compartments, sternpost rudders, magnetic compasses and paper charts and maps. One of the enduring symbols of the Ming dynasty’s eagerness to extend international relations under its third emperor, Yongle, is the seven sea voyages of Zheng He. Chinese travelers abroad, as well as Indian and Muslim visitors, widened the geographic horizon of the Chinese. The ruler of Mogadishu was responsive and did send an embassy to Yongle, and even distant Zanzibar was reached by Zheng He’s fleet. Another possible motive, at least for the earlier voyages to Southeast Asia, may have been to discover the whereabouts of the deposed emperor Jianwen (r. 1398-1402) and so ensure he did not stir up a rebellion to take back his throne from his usurper Yongle. Ma He quickly became a eunuch of great influence in the Yongle court. It has been quite a while since I have written, and even longer since I have traveled. Updates? His voyages had the effect of extending China’s political sway over maritime Asia for half a century. Cartwright, Mark. In any case, the original aim of the voyages - to secure foreign tribute - was largely unsuccessful outside of Southeast Asia. Between 1405 and 1433, Ming China sent out seven gigantic naval expeditions under the command of Zheng He the great eunuch admiral. Related Content On the return trip in 1433 Zheng He died from illness in Calicut, India, and was reportedly buried at sea. A Chinese mission visited Mecca and continued to Egypt. Why did sea voyages for exploration come to … Biography >> Explorers for Kids. A sixth voyage was launched in 1421 to take home the foreign emissaries from China. These animals caused wonder back in China, where the giraffe, for example, was considered living evidence of the qilin, a sort of Chinese unicorn which represented good fortune. Wiki User Answered . 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. 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. Omissions? In 1405 a Chinese Muslim eunuch, Zheng He, launched the first of seven voyages west from China across the Indian Ocean. On his return in 1411 he touched at Samudra, on the northern tip of Sumatra. What Prompted the End of the Treasure Fleet? In the shift of policy his successor, the Hongxi emperor, suspended naval expeditions abroad. Cite This Work ". He used these ships under the service of the Chinese emperor in an effort to explore the vast chinese empire of the middle ages and to bring wealth back to the emperor. 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. These voyages traveled through the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and along the east coast of Africa. That would place Zheng He’s efforts some 70 years ahead of Columbus. Zheng He was a Chinese eunuch and explorer who commanded the Ming dynasty's "treasure fleet" of trading vessels on expeditions between 1405 and 1433. In 1381 Yunnan was reconquered by Ming dynasty forces, and he was captured, castrated, and sent into the army. 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. Voyages five, six, and seven (1417, 1421, and 1431 CE) reached even further afield, landing at Mogadishu, Malindi, and Mombassa, all on the coast of East Africa. China was introduced to glass by Arabian artisans who sailed back with Zheng He. The expense of the expeditions and the goods they carried did not match the value of the tributes that came in return. Zheng He’s seventh and final voyage left China in the winter of 1431. In 1400 the prince of Yan revolted against his nephew, the Jianwen emperor, taking the throne in 1402 as the Yongle emperor. by National Maritime Museum, Greenwich (CC BY-NC-ND). He then presented a large quantity of gifts and invited the ruler to either come in person or send an ambassador to the court of Emperor Yongle. A ship carries a complement of a thousand men…The vessel has four decks and contains rooms, cabins and saloons for merchants. After his voyages ended, China turned inwards once again ended its brief … Ancient History Encyclopedia. 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