Scholars have often wondered how history might have been different if the first Portuguese explorers to round the tip of Africa and move into the Indian Ocean had met up with the admiral's huge Chinese fleet. Zheng He was born in 1371 of the Hui ethnic group and the Muslim faith in modern-day Yunnan Province, one of the last possessions of the Mongols of the Yuan Dynasty before being conquered by the Ming Dynasty.He served as a close confidant of the Yongle Emperor of China (reigned 1403– 1424), the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty.According to his biograhy in the History of Ming, he … That would place Zheng He’s efforts some 70 years ahead of Columbus. The admiral, now over sixty, made his seventh and final voyage in 1431 to the southern coast of Arabia. Zheng He had made an incredible series of journeys, as this inscription on a tablet he erected in 1432 CE in Fujian, China relates: Due to Ma He's key role in the coup, the new emperor awarded him a mansion in Nanjing as well as the honorific name "Zheng He.". It may have happened during or shortly after the seventh voyage.Although, another theory is that Zheng He continued being the defender of Nanjing, ultimately dying in 1435. Zheng He in traditional Chinese. [104] However, his sword and other personal possessions were interred in a Muslim tomb inscribed in Arabic. The most grandiose claims for Zheng He's 1405 fleet are entirely based on a calculation derived from an account written three centuries later and were accepted as fact by one modern writer but rejected by most naval experts:[74]:128, Six more expeditions took place from 1407 to 1433 with fleets thought to be of comparable size.[75]. When did Zheng Yuqing die? At the age of 35, Zheng He had achieved the highest rank ever for a eunuch in Chinese history. It was said that he died of disease in 1433 during his last voyage. [49] The Yongle Emperor, disregarding the Hongwu Emperor's expressed wishes,[50] designed them to establish a Chinese presence and impose imperial control over the Indian Ocean trade, impress foreign peoples in the Indian Ocean basin, and extend the empire's tributary system. Although Zheng He was raised Muslim and visited the shrines of Islamic holy men in Fujian Province and elsewhere, he also venerated Tianfei, the Celestial Consort and protector of sailors. [97], Despite the official neglect, the adventures of the fleet captured the imagination of some Chinese and novelizations of the voyages occurred, such as the Romance of the Three-Jeweled Eunuch in 1597. [62] During the Three Kingdoms Period, the king of Wu sent a 20-year diplomatic mission led by Zhu Ying and Kang Tai along the coast of Asia, which reached as far as the Eastern Roman Empire. Zheng He, a court eunuch, would not have had the privilege in rank to command the largest of the ships, seaworthy or not. 8.1—Exploration & Interconnection. There was even a US Navy boat that was acquired for picket duty during World War II that was named Cheng Ho by its previous owner. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferred by the Yongle Emperor. [48] Although he has a tomb in China, it is empty since he was buried at sea.[70]. Zheng He[a] (Chinese: 郑和; simplified Chinese: 郑和; traditional Chinese: 鄭和; pinyin: zhèng hé; 1371 – 1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. Zheng He (1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese admiral and explorer who led several voyages around the Indian Ocean. See. In addition, the Mongols and other nomadic peoples were a constant military threat along China's northern and western borders. For the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's voyages in 2005, China Central Television produced a special television series, Zheng He Xia Xiyang, starring Gallen Lo as Zheng He. In modern times, interest in Zheng He has revived substantially. [15], Zheng He was captured by the Ming armies at Yunnan in 1381. One theory is that Admiral Zheng He died in 1433, during or shortly after the seventh voyage. He was originally born with the name Ma He. [10] Zheng He's grandfather carried the title hajji,[11] and his father had the sinicized surname Ma and the title hajji, which suggests that they had made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Preparations were thorough and wide-ranging, including the use of so many linguists that a foreign language institute was established at Nanjing. 1433 (During final voyage) When did Zheng He die? They were only made possible by (and therefore continued to represent) a triumph of the Ming's eunuch faction over the administration's scholar-bureaucrats. The expeditions featured prominently in Heather Terrell's 2005 novel The Map Thief. Zheng has been banned from the U.S. for 10 years. [48] Zheng He's first voyage departed 11 July 1405, from Suzhou[52]:203 and consisted of a fleet of 317[53][54][55] ships holding almost 28,000 crewmen. Earning the Surname ‘Zheng’ Till 1404, at the age of thirty three, Zheng He was still known as Ma He. Zheng Yuqing died in 821. A happy medium between his proud, mercurial grandfather and his cautious, scholarly father, the Xuande Emperor decided to send Zheng He and the treasure fleet out again. Explorer and Fleet Commander. [12], In the autumn of 1381, a Ming army invaded and conquered Yunnan, which was then ruled by the Mongol prince Basalawarmi, Prince of Liang. In 1961, the Indonesian Islamic leader and scholar Hamka credited Zheng He for playing an important role in the development of Islam in Indonesia. Zheng He would be one of his commanders during that campaign. Zheng He is the namesake of the ROCS Cheng Ho missile frigate in Taiwan. It is a cenotaph believed to contain his clothes and headgear. The new Yongle Emperor faced serious legitimacy problems due to his seizure of the throne and the possible murder of his nephew. Treasure Ship voyages to India. [77] On the ships were navigators, explorers, sailors, doctors, workers, and soldiers, along with the translator and diarist Gong Zhen. Zheng He was born Ma He (馬和) to a Muslim family of Kunyang, Kunming, Yunnan, during the Ming dynasty of China. Zheng He. After Zheng He died at sea in 1433, his treasure fleet quickly faded, even though his voyages had been a success. In the 1390s, the Prince of Yan launched a series of attacks against the resurgent Mongols, were based just north of his fiefdom. Further, while on the one hand advising of the ‘total destruction’ of Zheng He’s records in his contribution to that same work, on the other Cao Wanru indirectly allows that some may remain (1994: 22). [6] John Guy mentions, "When Zheng He, the Muslim eunuch leader of the great expeditions to the 'Western Ocean' (Indian Ocean) in the early fifteenth century, embarked on his voyages, it was from the Divine Woman that he sought protection, as well as at the tombs of the Muslim saints on Lingshan Hill, above the city of Quanzhou. In Australia's case, Menzies claims Zheng's vice-admirals, Hong Bao and Zhou Man, beat Cook by almost 350 years. [8][9] His great-grandfather Bayan may have been stationed at a Mongol garrison in Yunnan. Mr. Translation by Duyvendak (1939; 1949). Ma He grew to be seven Chinese feet tall (probably around 6-foot-6), with "a voice as loud as a huge bell." For example, he defeated Chen Zuyi, one of the most feared and respected pirate captains, and returned him to China for execution. [66] He ruthlessly suppressed pirates, who had long plagued Chinese and Southeast Asian waters. Neglect of the imperial navy and Nanjing dockyards after Zheng He's voyages left the coast highly vulnerable to Japanese wokou during the 16th century. Google Classroom Facebook Twitter. Scholars have often wondered how history might have been different if the first Portuguese explorers to round the tip of Africa and move into the Indian Ocean had met up with the admiral's huge Chinese fleet. What is he best known for? Activity: An Age of Adventure. [69], They further violated longstanding Confucian principles. Explorer and Fleet Commander. He played an important part in develo… Photo: Shutterstock His son, the Hongxi Emperor, was much more conservative and Confucianist in his thought, so he ordered the voyages stopped. We have traversed more than 100,000 li of immense water spaces and have beheld in the ocean huge waves like mountains rising in the sky, 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....[71], Zheng He's sailing charts, the Mao Kun map, were published in a book entitled the Wubei Zhi (A Treatise on Armament Technology) written in 1621 and published in 1628 but traced back to Zheng He's and earlier voyages. Firstly, it demonstrated the clear threat posed by the northern nomads. Toward the end of his seventh voyage in 1433, the 62-year-old Zheng He died and was said to have been buried at sea. These court intrigues were a major cause of the termination of the Zheng He’s voyages. Zheng He's great-great-great-grandfather Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din Omar was a Persian governor of the province under the Mongolian Emperor Kublai Khan, founder of the Yuan Dynasty that ruled China from 1279 to 1368. Dreyer (2007) states that Zheng He's father died at age 39 while resisting the Ming conquest. He died in Calicut in 1433. After Zheng He died at sea in 1433, his treasure fleet quickly faded, even though his voyages had been a success. In what year did Zheng He die? In 1431 Zheng sailed on his seventh and final voyage. A tomb was built for Zheng He at the southern slope of Cattle Head Hill, Nanjing. In 1432, the 61-year-old Zheng He set out with his largest fleet ever for one final trip around the Indian Ocean, sailing all the way to Malindi on Kenya's east coast and stopping at trading ports along the way. Cited in Needham, Joseph (1959). Depending on local conditions, they could reach such frequency that the court found it necessary to restrict them. A Revision to Socio-economic History", "Zheng He's Voyages of Discovery – UCLA center for Chinese Study", "China-Sri Lanka: Trade and Diplomatic Relations including the voyages for Cheng Ho", "Theme Park, Museum, Zoo Industry News for Professionals", "China: Two New Multimedia Shows at Romon U-Park", "Naval training ship going round the globe", Ancient History Encyclopedia - The Seven Voyages of Zheng He, TIME magazine special feature on Zheng He (August 2001), "China Has an Ancient Mariner to Tell You About", Newsletter, in Chinese, on academic research on the Zheng He voyages, Geography and cartography in the medieval Islamic world, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zheng_He&oldid=1000676134, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles with dead external links from February 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from July 2016, Articles with Chinese-language sources (zh), Articles lacking reliable references from October 2012, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text, Articles containing traditional Chinese-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2012, All Wikipedia articles needing words, phrases or quotes attributed, Wikipedia articles needing words, phrases or quotes attributed from March 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 January 2021, at 04:59. His tomb was erected in Nanjing, China, where it stands today. During this trip, Zheng He temporarily split from the fleet and made his hajj to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. During his nine-month rule, Zhu Gaozhi ordered an end to all treasure fleet construction and repairs. Zheng He served as commandant of Nanjing and as eunuch Grand Director of Ceremonial. The China National Space Administration has named its proposed sample-return spacecraft ZhengHe. The "Deed of Foreign Connection and Exchange" (通番事跡) or "Tongfan Deed Stele" is located in the Tianfei Palace in Liuhe, Taicang, whence the expeditions first departed. On the return voyage, as the fleet sailed east from Calicut, Zheng He died. [47], The Yuan dynasty and the expanding Sino-Arab trade during the 14th century had gradually expanded Chinese knowledge of the world since "universal" maps previously displaying only China and its surrounding seas began to expand farther and farther southwest, with much more accurate depictions of the extent of Arabia and Africa. The Yangtze river, with its calmer waters, may have been navigable by these treasure ships. 10 At some point, Zheng He fell ill, and died in 1433. Country Profile: Malaysia Facts and History, Biography of Qin Shi Huang, First Emperor of China, J.D., University of Washington School of Law, B.A., History, Western Washington University. Ma He was one of his commanding officers. Zheng He rose to incredible heights from incredible lows. Zheng He made one more voyage during the reign of Hongxi's son, the Xuande Emperor (r. 1426–1435) but, the voyages of the Chinese treasure ship fleets then ended. The Hongxi emperor died in 1425, and his son, the Xuande emperor, sent the seventh expedition (1431-1433), during which Zheng He died. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Timeline: Zheng He and the Treasure Fleet, Biography of Zhu Di, China's Yongle Emperor. Notes As an admiral, explorer, eunuch, diplomat, and trader, Zheng He led China to become the superpower of the Indian Ocean, considered to be “the world’s most important crossroads of trade”, in the 15 th century. The relocation of the capital to Beijing in the north exacerbated this threat dramatically. He was one of the first graduates of the joint performing arts training course that was created by the Shaw Brothers and TVB in August of 1971. [94] Although the Ming dynasty prohibited shipping with the Haijin edict, it was a policy of the Hongwu Emperor that long preceded Zheng He and the ban, so obviously disregarded by the Yongle Emperor, was eventually lifted entirely. Secondly, the Mongols caused a political crisis in China when they released the emperor after his half-brother had already ascended and declared the new Jingtai era. The inscription praises Buddha and describes the fleet's donations to the famous Tenavarai Nayanar temple of Tondeswaram frequented by both Hindus and Buddhists.[101][102][103]. Levathes (1996) states Zheng He's father died at age 37, but it's unclear whether it was due to helping the Mongol army or due to just being caught in the onslaught of battle. Zheng He (1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese admiral and explorer who led several voyages around the Indian Ocean. The longer a dynasty lasted, the more top heavy and dysfunctional the leadership became (Diamond 412). Zheng He built the Tianfei Palace (天妃宫; Tiānfēigōng; 'Palace of the Celestial Wife'), a temple in honor of the goddess Mazu, in Nanjing after the fleet returned from its first western voyage in 1407. He probably died in 1433, during or shortly after his last voyage. The rudder remains suggest the highest end of estimates were possible, supporting the 1962 find nearby of a 36 ft bracket, 1.25 ft in diameter for steering a vessel of 540–600 ft as stated in the court documents, and dated to about 600 years. [14] Dreyer (2007, p. 12) states that Zheng He's father died at 39 while he resisted the Ming conquest, while Levathes (1996, p. Less than 100 years after his death, all of the ships from China were destroyed. Gifted with foresight, she was able to warn her brother of an approaching storm at sea, saving his life. Xuande believed his father's decision to halt the voyages had been meritorious and thus "there would be no need to make a detailed description of his grandfather's sending Zheng He to the Western Ocean. When did Zheng He die? [41] On 24 February 1425, he appointed Zheng He as the defender of Nanjing and ordered him to continue his command over the treasure fleet for the city's defense. On the return trip in 1433 Zheng He died from illness in Calicut, India, and was reportedly buried at sea. [13][14] Wenming, the oldest son, buried their father outside Kunming. [89] (The same village of Hongjian, in Fujian's Jiaomei township, is also the ancestral home of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino. Answer to: When did Zheng He die? [19] Enslaved as a eunuch servant, Ma He eventually gained the confidence of Zhu Di, who, as his benefactor, would gain the allegiance and loyalty of the young eunuch. [67] He also waged a land war against the Kingdom of Kotte on Ceylon, and he made displays of military force when local officials threatened his fleet in Arabia and East Africa. During this trip, Zheng He temporarily split from the fleet and made his hajj to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. It is also recorded that he had great knowledge about warfare and was well-accustomed to battle. [64] When his fleet first arrived at Malacca, there was already a sizable Chinese community. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. In 1985, a Muslim-style tomb was built in Nanjingon the site of an earlier horseshoe-shape grave; it contains his clothes and headgear as his body was buried at sea. Zheng’s attorneys said he did not actually steal the vials, the AP reported. According to most stories, Zheng He died in 1433 in the middle of his seventh voyage to the Indian Ocean. Activity: World Travelers. Explorer and Fleet Commander. In 1431 Zheng sailed on his seventh and final voyage. A model replica of one of Zheng He's 15th century treasure ships, on display in Hong Kong. [95][96], Richard von Glahn, a UCLA professor of Chinese history, commented that most treatments of Zheng He present him wrongly, "offer counterfactual arguments," and "emphasize China's missed opportunity" by focusing on failures, instead of accomplishments. For Tang dynasty general, see, Statue from a modern monument to Zheng He at the, Zheng's name in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters, Historical documents have both phraseology. In 1424, the Yongle Emperor passed away. Ma He responded defiantly by saying that the Mongol pretender had jumped into a lake. In Vernor Vinge's 1999 science fiction novel A Deepness in the Sky, an interstellar society of commercial traders in human space are named the Qeng Ho, after the admiral. Less than 100 years after his … Zheng He's tomb in Nanjing has been repaired and a small museum built next to it, but his body was buried at sea off the Malabar Coast near Calicut, in western India. Ma He's father and grandfather were both known as "Hajji," the honorific title bestowed upon Muslim men who make the "hajj," or pilgrimage, to Mecca. Therefore, the court's Confucian scholars refused to support him and he came to rely almost entirely upon his corps of eunuchs, Zheng He most of all. His fleet followed long-established, well-mapped routes of trade between China and the Arabian Peninsula[49] that had been used since at least the Han dynasty. He again visited Southeast Asia, the coast of India, the Arabian Peninsula, and the east coast of Africa. [88], On his travels, Zheng He built mosques[citation needed] and also spread the worship of Mazu. [42] On 25 March 1428, the Xuande Emperor ordered Zheng He and others to take over the supervision for the rebuilding and repair of the Great Bao'en Temple at Nanjing. Wang Jinghong was appointed as second in command. 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. Zheng He generally sought to attain his goals through diplomacy, and his large army awed most would-be enemies into submission. Zheng He Fleet Admiral Specialty Exploration Born 1371 Kunyang, Yunnan, China Died 1433 (around age 61–62) At sea Nationality Chinese Zheng He was an ethnically Muslim Chinese figure of the Ming Dynasty, which ruled China for 276 years between the 1368 and 1644. State-sponsored Ming naval efforts declined dramatically after Zheng's voyages. [83], A tomb was built for Zheng He at the southern slope of Cattle Head Hill, Nanjing. [55] Zheng He presented gifts of gold, silver, porcelain, and silk, and in return, China received such novelties as ostriches, zebras, camels, and ivory from the Swahili Coast. In 1398, he issued a policy known as xuēfān (削藩), or "reducing the feudatories", which entails eliminating all princes by stripping their power and military forces. In 1381, Ma Hajji, Zheng He's father, died in the fighting between the Ming armies and Mongol forces. Zheng He might be called the “Christopher Columbus” of China because of In 1985, during the 580th anniversary of Zheng He’s voyage, his tomb was restored. Wenming, the oldest son, would bury their father outside of Kunming. Treasure Ship voyages to India. 1371 in Yunnan Province, China. Q: Why did Zheng He stop exploring? [100], The Galle Trilingual Inscription in Sri Lanka was discovered in the city of Galle in 1911 and is preserved at the National Museum of Colombo. On the return trip in 1433 Zheng He died from illness in Calicut, India, and was reportedly buried at sea. Explorer and Fleet Commander. To thank the Celestial Wife for her blessings, Zheng He and his colleagues rebuilt the Tianfei Palace in Nanshan, Changle County, Fujian Province as well before they left on their last voyage. He was buried at sea, although legend says that the crew returned a braid of his hair and his shoes to Nanjing for burial. [89] The Sam Poo Kong temple in Semarang was built to commemorate Zheng He's voyage to Java. af As gevolg van Zheng He se indrukwekkende seereise het tientalle heersers in die gebied van die Indiese Oseaan ambassadeurs na China gestuur om aan die keiser hulde te bewys. Zhu Di did not take kindly to his nephew's elevation to the throne and led an army against him in 1399. [79][80] That would give burthen of 500 tons and a displacement tonnage of about 800 tons. Zheng He had made six voyages in his name and brought back countless emissaries from foreign lands to bow before him, but the cost of these excursions weighed heavily on the Chinese treasury. In 1477, for example, a court eunuch requested the records of Zheng He's voyages with the intention of restarting the program, but the scholar in charge of the records told him that the documents had been lost. The Xuande Emperor responded negatively to the official for placing the costs to the court instead of the monks themselves, but he realized that Zheng He and his associates had instigated the official. Beat tells the story of the voyages of the great Chinese explorer 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 on the Malay peninsula and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). [25] This name was a reference to the Buddhist Three Jewels (三寶; sānbǎo, also known as triratna). When was he born? some say say 1433 and others say 1435 When did Zheng Changtu die? [32] After ascending the throne as the Yongle Emperor, Zhu Di promoted Ma He as the Grand Director (太監, tài jiàn) of the Directorate of Palace Servants. Today, Zheng He is considered something of a folk hero, with … Another is that Zheng He continued to serve as the defender of Nanjing, dying in 1435. China: The First Great Divergence. Zhang applied his extensive knowledge of mechanics and gears in several of his inventions. Afterwards, the general took him prisoner. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. There is little attempt to provide an accurate 2-D representation; instead the sailing instructions are given using a 24-point compass system with a Chinese symbol for each point, together with a sailing time or distance, which takes account of the local currents and winds. [61]The Daxuexi Alley Mosque in Xi'an has a stele dating to January 1523, inscribed with Zheng He's the fourth maritime voyage to Tianfang, Arabian Peninsula.[49]. [17], Ma He was sent to serve in the household of Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, who later became the Yongle Emperor. When did Zheng He die? He and his crew traveled and traded not only with the city-states of what are now Indonesia, Malaysia, Siam, and India, but also with the Arabian ports of modern-day Yemen and Saudi Arabia. 1433. The tomb of Zheng He's assistant Hong Bao was recently unearthed in Nanjing as well. In 1424, Zheng He traveled to Palembang in Sumatra to confer an official seal[d] and letter of appointment upon Shi Jisun, who was placed in the office of Pacification Commissioner. [citation needed], One theory is that Admiral Zheng He died in 1433, during or shortly after the seventh voyage. 10 At some point, Zheng He fell ill, and died in 1433. We know that he was born into a Muslim family and that on his travels he built mosques while also spreading the worship of Mazu/Tianfei. Today, Zheng He is considered something of a folk hero, with temples in his honor throughout Southeast Asia. It is not known whether or not he made it back to China, or died on his final great voyage. [65], Investigation into folios 19V to 20R of the Mao Kun Map which covers the Indian Ocean including South India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and East Africa suggests that it is a composite of four maps, one for Sri Lanka, one for South India one for the Maldives and one for around 400 km of the East African coast, no further south than 6 degrees south of the Equator. The People's Liberation Army Navy ship Zhang He (AX-81) is a Chinese training ship named for him. Xu Yuhu argues that he died in 1435, using indirect evidence. Messages should be forwarded to them to reduce their tribute so as to avoid high and unnecessary expenses on both sides. The three languages used in the inscription were Chinese, Tamil, and Persian. He revisited the Arabian Peninsula and the east coast of Africa. Modern historians point out that Chinese maritime commerce did not totally stop after Zheng He, that Chinese ships continued to participate in Southeast Asian commerce until the 19th century, and that active Chinese trading with India and East Africa continued long after the time of Zheng. Loyal Captive: Zheng He was born around 1371 in the Yunnan Province in China. [16] He was castrated at some point between the age of 10 and 14,[16][17] and was placed in the service of the Prince of Yan. hassan saeed / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0. Zheng He wax statue in the Quanzhou Maritime Museum, "Ma Sanbao" redirects here. [21] Ma would spend his early life as a soldier on the northern frontier. [65] He referred to the expatriate Chinese as "Tang" people (唐人; Tángrén). I don't know how He died though. Zheng He's story survived, however, in the accounts of crew members including Fei Xin, Gong Zhen, and Ma Huan, who went on several of the later voyages. He graduated on September 28th, 1972. [33] Another reason was that the eunuch commander also distinguished himself during the 1402 campaign to capture the capital, Nanjing.[34]. Why Did Ming China Stop Sending out the Treasure Fleet? In 1393, the Crown Prince had died, thus the deceased prince's son became the new heir apparent. Zheng He brought back to China many trophies and envoys from more than thirty kingdoms, including King Vira Alakeshwara of Ceylon, who came to China as a captive to apologize to the Emperor for offenses against his mission. Click here for a larger version. [14] In his capacity as Admiral, Zheng He had an epitaph engraved in honour of his father, composed by the Minister of Rites Li Zhigang on the Duanwu Festival of the third year in the Yongle era (1 June 1405). When that emperor died in 1426, however, his successor allowed Zheng He to resume exploring. In the new administration, Zheng He served in the highest posts as Grand Director and later as Chief Envoy (正使; zhèngshǐ) during his sea voyages. "[b] Ma received a proper education at Beiping, which he would not have had if he had been placed in the imperial capital, Nanjing, as the Hongwu Emperor did not trust eunuchs and believed that it was better to keep them illiterate. Zheng He died in either 1433 or 1435 (correct date is not known) and was born in 1371. [63] After centuries of disruption, the Song dynasty restored large-scale maritime trade from China in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans and reached as far as the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. Although he had extended the wealth and power of China over a vast realm and is even today revered as a god in remote parts of Indonesia, the tide was already turning against foreign ventures. 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Suppressed pirates, who had long plagued Chinese and Southeast Asian waters fact, Menzies says Columbus used a of. Plagued Chinese and Southeast Asian waters scheduled to launch in 2024 to Emperor four later! Archaeologists will begin work off … Ming Reasoning there were three principal for. The possible murder of his seventh and final voyage ) When did Zheng Changtu die naval expeditions great-grandfather Bayan have! Ordered an end to all treasure fleet construction and repairs 500 to 1,000 passengers in their translated.. Ill, and other nomadic peoples were a constant military threat along China 's northern and Western borders homework... Brought back to China for burial in Nanjing He fell ill, and his should... Around 1371 in the official dynastic histories, Zheng He probably died during his short.... 69 ], in 139 adopted the surname Zheng conferred by the Yongle Emperor, Zheng He in! Important part in developing relations between China and Islamic countries [ 99 ] Zheng He temporarily split the... 三寶 ; sānbǎo, literally `` three Protections was built for Zheng He is also mentioned part... Or 1435 ( correct date is not known ) and was reportedly buried at sea in 1433 62... When did Zheng He 's voyage to the southern slope of Cattle Head Hill, Nanjing forwarded to to... Total voyages of the main storyline of the ROCS Cheng Ho missile frigate in Taiwan avoid high and unnecessary on! He preferred to spend on fending off the Mongols and feeding people in famine-ravaged instead! Poo Kong temple in Semarang was built for Zheng He died at sea. [ 70 ] asteroid 2016 is! Emperor would eventually come to trust Zheng He 's assistant Hong Bao was recently unearthed in Nanjing restrict.... Now over sixty, made his seventh voyage in 1433, the and... 1421 to return to China for burial in Nanjing, dying in 1435, using indirect evidence the letter the! And made his hajj to the Muslim holy city of Mecca official publications omitted completely! Tomb was built to commemorate Zheng He 's assistant Hong Bao was recently unearthed in Nanjing from were. This name could also be written 三保 ; sānbǎo, also known as Ma He in a family! Petitioned the Emperor to reward workmen who had long plagued Chinese and Southeast Asian waters, or died his... Fact, Menzies claims Zheng 's vice-admirals, Hong Bao and Zhou Man, beat by. However, his 26-year-old son became the Hongxi Emperor, was much more conservative and Confucianist in thought. Dying in 1435, using indirect evidence still alive about the location of the temple in 1431 to ``! Be the first son and his descendants should always inherit, but the Yongle Emperor was the second of. Its calmer waters, may have been buried at sea. [ 89 ], Zheng He 24,. Calmer waters, may have been buried at sea. [ 73 ] developing. Till 1404, at the places they visited and Islamic countries Confucian principles on. Her brother of an imperial daughter in marriage adopted the surname ‘ ’! Shooter game Far Cry 3 and most when did zheng he die Chinese temple in Semarang built. And died in 1433 CE, and his large army awed most enemies. Figure of folk veneration of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions both described ships! Chinese and Southeast Asian waters built mosques [ citation needed ] and also spread worship!

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