Contents
Zheng He
Leading Ming China’s great maritime expeditions across the Indian Ocean.
Indian Ocean routes · Envoys and exchange
- Born
- 1371
- Birthplace
- Yunnan, China
- Died
- Unknown
More people
Zheng He
Zheng He was a Chinese admiral and court official whose fleets travelled to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Arabia and East Africa.
Early life
Ma He
Was born into a Muslim family in Yunnan.
Court service
Was captured as a boy and entered imperial service as a eunuch.
Career
- Late 14th century
Princely service
Served the future Yongle emperor.
- 1405–1420s
Ocean expeditions
Commanded a series of large diplomatic and commercial voyages.
- 1430s
Final voyage
Led a further expedition under the Xuande emperor.
Voyages & impact
Indian Ocean routes
Connected Ming China with distant ports and courts.
Envoys and exchange
Carried gifts, representatives and goods.
Armed intervention
Also used force in pursuit of imperial objectives.
Beyond work
Religious world
His background and commemorations reflect several religious traditions.
Evidence
Inscriptions and accounts from voyage participants help reconstruct the expeditions.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Marcin Konsek. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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