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Zheng He

Chinese admiral who led seven voyages across the Indian Ocean.

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Zheng He

User:Vmenkov · CC BY-SA 3.0

During the early Ming dynasty, a Chinese admiral and diplomat named Zheng He (1371–1433/1435) lived.[1] Seven treasure voyages across Asia were commanded by Zheng between 1405 and 1433.[2] China's political and commercial influence grew substantially because of his explorations along the Indian Ocean.[1]

Disembarkation point of Admiral Zheng He in
Disembarkation point of Admiral Zheng He in. Image: Mrpresidentfaris · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Life and work

Zheng He was born Ma He to a Muslim family in Yunnan.[3] He was captured by Ming armies and castrated between the ages of 10 and 14.[4][5] Zheng He was appointed Grand Director of the Directorate of Palace Servants.[6] He suppressed pirates and waged war against the Kingdom of Kotte on Ceylon.[7][8]

CMA CGM Zheng He (ship, 2015) in the port of Hamburg
CMA CGM Zheng He (ship, 2015) in the port of Hamburg. Image: Thomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, had Ma He serving in his household.[9] On 11 February 1404, during the Chinese New Year, the Yongle Emperor gave Ma He the surname "Zheng".[6] Departing from Suzhou on 11 July 1405, the first voyage included 317 ships and nearly 28,000 crewmen.[10] Among the places visited by the fleets were Brunei, Java, Siam, India, the Horn of Africa, and Arabia.[11]

Ideogrammes pour Zheng He
Ideogrammes pour Zheng He. Image: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

It is probable that Zheng He died while the treasure fleet was on its final voyage.[12]

Kunyang - Zheng He Park
Kunyang - Zheng He Park. Image: User:Vmenkov · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What the cited sources add

The Daxuexi Alley Mosque in Xi'an has a stele from January 1523 inscribed with Zheng He's fourth voyage.[11][13] Zheng He stopped in Brunei twice more than 600 years ago, according to a China Daily report.[14] According to Sen, the expeditions fostered state-controlled trade networks that reached as far as the Swahili coast.[2][15]

Kunyang - Zheng He Park
Kunyang - Zheng He Park. Image: User:Vmenkov · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Kunyang - Zheng He Park
Kunyang - Zheng He Park. Image: User:Vmenkov · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Zheng He", Britannica; Dreyer 2007, p. 11; "Admiral Zheng He & Southeast Asia", Bookshop.iseas.edu.sg; YUN-TS'IAO, HSU, "NOTES RELATING TO ADMIRAL CHENG HO'S EXPEDITIONS", Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1976, p. 134-140 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sen, "The impact of Zheng He's expedition on Indian Ocean", Bulletin of SOAS, 2016, p. 609–636 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dreyer 2007, p. 11; Guy, "The World of Khubilai Khan: Chinese Art in the Yuan Dynasty", Yale University Press, 2010, p. 176 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Levathes 1996, p. 62 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Levathes 1996, p. 62; Levathes 1996, p. 62; Dreyer 2007, p. 11; Dreyer 2007, p. 11 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dreyer 2007, p. 11; Dreyer 2007, p. 11 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Curtis, "The Belt and Road City: Geopolitics, Urbanization, and China's Search for a New International Order", Yale University Press; Bentley, "Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past", McGraw-Hill, 2007, p. 586 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Shipping News: Zheng He's Sexcentary", China Heritage Newsletter; "Old Port Pacification Superintendency", Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu; Wade, "Zheng He and Ming China's Voyages in the Early 15th Century", Oxford Research Encyclopedias, 29 May 2020; Pereira 2012, p. 265 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dreyer 2007, p. 11; Hoon, "Zheng He's art of collaboration: Understanding the legendary Chinese admiral from a management perspective", Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2012, p. 32, 155; Dreyer 2007, p. 11 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Chang 1974; Shih-Shan Henry Tsai, "Perpetual Happiness: The Ming Emperor Yongle", University of Washington Press, 2002; "The Archaeological Researches into Zheng He's Treasure Ships", Travel-silkroad.com; Richard Gunde, "Zheng He's Voyages of Discovery", UCLA Asia Institute; Tamura, "China: Understanding Its Past", University of Hawaii Press, 1997, p. 70; "The Archaeological Researches into Zheng He's Treasure Ships", Travel-silkroad.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Chan, "China, Brunei jointly reviving ancient maritime Silk Road", China Daily, 2018; Faculty of Archaeology, "The Ming Court as Patron of the Chinese Islamic Architecture: The Case Study of the Daxuexi Mosque in Xi'an", SHEDET, 20 December 2019, p. 134–158; Tamura, "China: Understanding Its Past", University of Hawaii Press, 1997, p. 70; Shih-Shan Henry Tsai, "Perpetual Happiness: The Ming Emperor Yongle", University of Washington Press, 2002; Tamura, "China: Understanding Its Past", University of Hawaii Press, 1997, p. 70; East Africa and it en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Zheng He" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Chang 1974; "The Seventh and Final Grand Voyage of the Treasure Fleet", Mariner.org (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Faculty of Archaeology - Fayoum University, "THE MING COURT AS PATRON OF THE CHINESE ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE: THE CASE STUDY OF THE DAXUEXI MOSQUE IN XI’AN", SHEDET ANNUAL PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ISSUED BY THE FACULTY OF ARCHAEOLOGY FAYOUM UNIVERSITY (2019), doi:10.36816/shedet.006.08. OpenAlex metadata CC0; paper not read. doi.org
  14. Chan, "China, Brunei jointly reviving ancient maritime Silk Road", China Daily, 2018. facts only, no text reused. chinadaily.com.cn
  15. Tansen Sen, "The impact of Zheng He's expeditions on Indian Ocean interactions", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (2016), doi:10.1017/s0041977x16001038. OpenAlex metadata CC0; paper not read. doi.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Zheng He (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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