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The Voyages of Cheng Ho ( )

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1 The Voyages of Cheng Ho (1405-1433)
Armand Bodrug IT 7360 World History 10th Grade

2 Cheng Ho aka Eunuch Sanbao

3 Life of Cheng Ho (b. 1371) Belonged to the Hui ethnic group in modern-day south western Yunnan Province, still under Mongol influence at the time Religious affiliation: Islam; toleration; syncretism with Taoism and Buddhism Taken back to Nanjing as an eunuch to serve in the Ming imperial household

4 Life of Cheng Ho (continued)
Confidant of the 3rd emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Yongle Emperor; might have been appointed commander because as a Muslim he could more easily negotiate with Muslim merchants on the Indian Ocean Helped the Yongle Emperor with a coup d'état and as a result Cheng Ho was made head eunuch and admiral Today, Cheng Ho is used by PRC as a model for the integration of the Muslim minority into the larger nation

5 Expeditions of Cheng Ho (1405-1433) Why?
7 naval expeditions to over 30 countries sponsored by the Ming in order to: Establish/maintain a Chinese presence in SE Asia Impress foreigners from the Indian Ocean (aka Western Ocean to the Chinese at the time) basin Impose imperial control over trade Extend tributary system and collect pledges of loyalty

6 Armada and Crew Over 300 ships including 62 treasure ships (junks) and 28,000 crew including sailors, clerks, interpreters, officers, soldiers, artisans, doctors, traders, astrologers, et al. Largest naval force in world history before World War I 15th century Chinese junk (400 feet long) vs. European Santa Maria (85 feet long)

7 Map: Expeditions of Cheng Ho

8 Summary of Voyages ( ) 1st, 2nd, 3rd: SE Asia, India, Ceylon; pirates defeated in the Strait of Malacca; favorite places: Malabar Coast city-states, Calicut 4th: Persian Gulf, Arabia, Mecca; the first to travel beyond India and the Arabian Sea 5th, 6th, 7th: East Africa, Kenya; in Aden the sultan presented exotic gifts (i.e. zebras, giraffes, lions, and ostriches); Cheng Ho died in 1433 and buried at sea; fleet dismantled and records purged Google Earth file: TheVoyagesofAdmiralZhengHe kmz (Click link to open in Google Earth)

9 Interaction across Sea Lanes
Made in China: porcelain, silk, textiles, iron goods, military might and display To China: spices, nutmeg, gum, precious stones, gifts, tribute, exotic animals, diplomatic envoys Fun facts: In Thailand, Cheng Ho discovered that women managed all affairs including trading and punishments…and were “decidedly smarter than the men” The crew regarded the Javanese as “the most cruel people in the world,” charging that “the purchaser of a new knife tries it on the first person he meets” First giraffe brought to China misidentified as the qilin, the unicorn central to Chinese mythology

10 Why was the Fleet Dismantled?
High taxes were required to maintain such a huge armada Growth of piracy and smuggling led to a ban on trade to SE Asia A 15th century Minister of War complained: "The expeditions wasted tens of myriads of money and grain“ Comparison between Cheng Ho’s expeditions (financed by the state) vs. contemporary European expeditions (self-financed, based on trade and profit) Increasing costs of Mongol threats in the north and cost of the Great Wall Increasing power of merchant class seen as negative by Confucian authorities

11 Implications and Legacy of Cheng Ho’s Voyages
Large numbers of Chinese Muslims relocated to Malacca; propagation of Islam in SE Asia Malacca: large Islamic entrepôt/trade center High organizational and technological display of voyages did not lead to significant trade (Cheng Ho = admiral/official not merchant) Contemporary Chinese naval technology dismantled and possibly forgotten

12 Implications and Legacy of Cheng Ho’s Voyages (continued)
Cartographic knowledge expanded and accounts of visited places and customs recorded Banning of ocean going expeditions led to black market smuggling on local sea lanes PRC sees a parallel between Cheng Ho’s China not seeking hegemony in the 15th century and today (propaganda?)

13 Cheng Ho’s Tomb in Nanjing (d. 1433)

14 Further Reading Levathes, Louise (1997). When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405–1433. Oxford University Press Dreyer, Edward L. (2006). Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming, 1405–1433 (Library of World Biography Series). Longman If you like fantasy: Menzies, Gavin (2003). 1421: The Year the Chinese Discovered the World. Morrow/Avon Primary source: Ma Huan (1970). Ying-yai Sheng-lan, The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores (1433), translated from the Chinese text edited by Feng Ch'eng Chun with introduction, notes and appendices by J.V.G.Mills. White Lotus Press

15 Related Topics of Interest
Minorities in China The overseas Chinese Yi Soon-shin ( ): Korean admiral who repelled the Japanese invasion of Korea Wokou (Japanese pirates)


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