Zheng he's voyages

Zheng He was a famous eunuch and navigator of Sambo at the beginning of15th century. During the twenty-eight years from the third year of Yongle (1405) to the eighth year of Xuande (1433), Zheng He made seven voyages to the West. For the first time, from June of the 3rd year of Yongle to September of the 5th year of Yongle, we set out from Liujiagang, Suzhou, and passed through Java, Sumatra, Ceylon, Cochin on the west coast of India, and even Guli (now Coetzee Cote). The second time, from November of the fifth year of Yongle to July of the seventh year of Yongle, I went to Guli along the same road. For the third time, from September, the seventh year of Yongle to June, the ninth year of Yongle, with the East Indian Ocean as the center, from Java and Sumatra to Ceylon, to the east coast of India, to the Bay of Bengal, and then back to the Straits of Malacca, built a fortress in Malacca and returned to China. The fourth time, from October of the 11th year of Yongle to July of the 13th year of Yongle, it turned to the Persian Gulf via the east Indian coast and arrived in Hormuz. Others believe that the voyage reached the coast of East Africa. The fifth time, from the autumn of the fifteenth year of Yongle to July of the seventeenth year of Yongle, it reached the Persian Gulf on the same route as the previous time, and another fleet sailed to Mogadishu, Bravard, Malindi and other places along the east African coast via the southern coast of Arabia. For the sixth time, from the spring of the 19th year of Yongle to August of the 20th year of Yongle, except for sailing into the Persian Gulf, all other teams sailed around the coastal ports of East Africa. For the seventh time, from October 2006 to July 2008, she sailed through the west coast of India for the last time and entered the Persian Gulf. This time, Zheng He's men arrived in Mecca, Arabia. According to Ming History, Zheng He led more than 27,000 people to the Western Ocean, and 62 ships were 44 feet long and 18 feet wide, which was unprecedented in scale. Seven times before and after going abroad, in more than 30 countries. This unprecedented feat was more than 80 years earlier than that of Portuguese da Gama who crossed Arabia from Islam to Coetzee Cote, and also deepened the trade and cultural exchanges between China and other places. Zheng He's voyages to the West made great contributions to the development of Southeast Asia.

Zheng he's voyage record

When Zheng He's fleet arrived at the old port (now Sumatra Megaport), it was suddenly intercepted and attacked by pirates. The leader of these pirates is Chen Zuyi. Chen Zuyi was originally from Guangdong. During the Hongwu period, he went to the present Nanyang, gathered a group of people to occupy the old port, and often robbed merchant ships passing through here, and many businessmen suffered greatly. This time, Chen Zuyi saw that Zheng He's fleet was outnumbered, and he did not dare to rashly start. He pretended to surrender to Zheng He, but secretly prepared to rob the fleet. Zheng He discovered Chen Zuyi's plot in time and immediately deployed countermeasures. When Chen Zuyi led the people to rob, he commanded soldiers to defeat pirates, killed more than 5,000 people, burned ten pirate ships, captured seven, and captured Chen Zuyi alive. On Mount Ceylon, King Alexander Kunel presented many gifts to the Ming Dynasty, indicating that the two countries had been repaired. I didn't know that the greedy Alec Kunai saw Zheng He's fleet loaded with a lot of gold and silver, so he invited Zheng He into the palace on an excuse. After the banquet, he asked Zheng He for gold coins, but secretly sent troops to rob Zheng He's fleet. Zheng He was calm and learned that most of the troops of Mount Ceylon had been sent to attack the fleet, and the capital was empty, so he quickly sent orders to dispatch more than 2,000 soldiers to attack the capital of Mount Ceylon by surprise and captured Alexander and his wife alive. The general who led the troops to rob the fleet heard that the army had returned to the division and quickly ordered the evacuation and rescue. Zheng He's army took advantage of the victory and killed a comeback, beating the enemy soldiers to pieces. They had to surrender to the Ming army. Zheng He released the surrendered officers and soldiers on the spot, detained only Alexander Kuna and several important officials on board, and then continued to patrol other areas. When Zheng He's fleet arrived at Gumu Gushu. Qi Weiwang personally went to meet Huan and gave a banquet. Zheng He presented silk, pottery and tea to the king and princess. The king gave Ming Chengzu a precious animal called "Kirin", which is the African giraffe. After I came back, I not only brought back envoys from seventeen countries, but also visited China with them. Some of them were governors, some were brothers of Wang Shu, and they all established diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty. Zheng He also brought back the lions, leopards and big west horses from Hulu Maugham. Adan's Kirin and the long-horned Maha beast; Flowers of lions in the ancient capital Mu; Camels and ostriches.

After resting in China for more than a year, on the 11th of the 10th year of Yongle, Cheng Zu asked him to sail to western countries for the third time. This time, just in time for the northeast monsoon season. Zheng He's fleet, sail before the wind, soon reached the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Sumena has just experienced a great event, which has put Zheng He's visit in a dilemma. It turns out that there is an orphan country in the west of Suman Anxi. 1408 (the sixth year of Ming Leyong), the lonely country fought with Sumen Ansai, and Sumen Ansai shot the king with an arrow. The prince is too young to avenge his father. The queen was eager for revenge. She told the whole country: whoever can lead the army to defeat the lonely country and avenge the former king, I will marry him and ask him to be king. A skilled fisherman bravely led the troops to defeat the army of the orphan country and killed their king. The fisherman married the queen and became the king of Sumatra. The son of the old king was very unwilling when he grew up. He trained a group of confidant warriors, took the opportunity to kill the fisherman and ascended the throne himself. Zheng He presented many gifts to the new king after he arrived in Sumen to get stabbed. The fisherman had a son named Sue. He wanted to avenge his father. He sent troops to attack Sumanda in an attempt to seize the throne. Unexpectedly, he was defeated by the new king. He had to flee to a place called Linshan and set up a village by himself. He heard that Zheng He gave many gifts to the new king of Sumen, but he didn't give them to himself. He was jealous and hated, so he led tens of thousands of soldiers to attack Zheng He's fleet. With the cooperation of Su people, Zheng He commanded his soldiers to fight back bravely, defeated Su Gan's soldiers, pursued them to a place called Nanbo Li, and captured Su Gan's wife and son alive. After Yongle returned to China in the 13th year, Ming Chengzu ordered the assassination of Su Gan. 1430 (June 5th year of Xuande), Zhu Zhanji, Ming Taizu once again dispatched Zheng He and Wang Jinghong to lead the fleet and visited 20 countries including Khrushchev. Because there are many countries, a wide area, a long journey and a long time, I didn't leave for home until 1433. Unexpectedly, when the fleet returned to Guri (now Coetzee Cote on the west coast of southern India), 63-year-old Zheng died of overwork. Wang Jinghong ordered Zheng He's body to be properly wrapped for burial in China. It was summer and the tropical climate was very hot. When the fleet sailed into Java (now Java, Indonesia), they saw that Zheng He's body was difficult to preserve and could not be transported back to China for burial. Wang Jinghong had to decide to bury it on the spot.

What do you want when you go to the west?

When Judy ascended the throne, the Ming Dynasty had been established for more than 20 years, and agriculture and people's lives were not affected by this coup. At this time, coastal metropolises such as China and Guangzhou developed very prosperously. After good economic development, it is very urgent to develop overseas transportation and overseas trade. On the other hand, Judy also wants to use external activities to show his power and build his reputation. Therefore, sailing is imperative.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, due to the efforts of Zhu Yuanzhang for thirty-one years, the agricultural economy recovered. Handicraft industry has also developed greatly: mining, textiles, ceramics, paper making and printing have all been improved to varying degrees than before. China's silk, porcelain and even some European countries have won a high reputation. In particular, the development of shipbuilding industry, the progress of navigation technology (including the use of compass, the accumulation of navigation experience and the improvement of navigation knowledge), the training of a large number of sailors, the recovery and development of industry and commerce in the early Ming Dynasty, the development of China's overseas trade since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and the increase of foreign immigrants all prepared a solid economic foundation for Zheng He's voyage to the West and provided relatively strong material conditions. The strong national conditions and developed trade in the early Ming Dynasty itself required strengthening ties with overseas countries and expanding overseas trade and exchanges. Therefore, the Ming emperor Judy decided to organize a powerful fleet to go to "western" countries.

Zheng He's motivation and purpose of going to the West is also the motivation and purpose of Judy, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The early years of the Ming Dynasty were a period of upward development of the national situation. At this time, in the north, Mongolian forces have been expelled from the Great Wall, and the feudal rule of the Ming Dynasty has been very consolidated. Moreover, with the recovery and development of social economy, the country is becoming stronger and stronger, and it is possible to develop overseas. Judy thinks she is the "benefactor" of "Heaven governs the world" and wants to pay tribute from overseas countries. Like the utilitarian feudal emperors of past dynasties, Judy is also a utilitarian, and he also wants to publicize the national prestige and show off his wealth.

During the Yongle period, Judy's thought of building a great country in China became stronger because of her strong national strength. Ming Chengzu is cheerful and often shows China's prosperity to foreign countries. He was deeply dissatisfied with the negative overseas policy in the early Ming Dynasty. Therefore, the foreign policy of the imperial court changed. After he acceded to the throne, he sent eunuchs abroad and called all countries to the DPRK, which undoubtedly improved the prestige of Ming Chengzu. Zheng He's voyage to the West enabled him to show off his troops overseas, brag about the prosperity of China, and publicize Wade of the Ming Dynasty to overseas countries. At the same time, he also wants to use Yang Wei overseas to alleviate the dissatisfaction of some people who seized the throne by force at home and abroad.

He also wants to use Yang Wei overseas to alleviate some people's dissatisfaction with his seizure of status by force. Some books say that Judy sent Zheng He to the Western Seas in order to find the whereabouts of Wen Jian Emperor Zhu Yunwen. It is said that after the war in Jingnan, Zhu Yunwen escaped, and I don't know where he went. After the Jingnan Rebellion, Zu's throne was won from his nephew Wen Jian. In Judy's view, this is naturally the most worrying thing. Ming Chengzu suspected that he had fled overseas to take refuge, fearing that he would pose a threat to himself in the future, so he sent Zheng He to the Western Seas to spy on Wen Jian in order to prevent future troubles.

The huge fleet led by Zheng He is neither an ordinary merchant fleet nor an ordinary diplomatic mission, but a fleet organized by feudal rulers with dual tasks of diplomacy and trade.

One of his missions is to attract tributes from all countries and establish relations with them. In order to accomplish this task, the first thing Zheng He did after his voyage was to publicize Judy's imperial edict. Declare to all countries: the Ming emperor was the king of a great country according to the destiny of heaven, and he ruled the world according to the will of the "king of heaven". Governors from all walks of life and foreigners from all walks of life should do as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty said. Countries should not bully the weak and enjoy peace in the world. If I ask you to join me, you will get a generous return.

The second thing is to give gifts. Give imperial edicts and silver seals to kings of various countries, give crowns to kings and officials at all levels, and express their willingness to establish and develop friendly relations with those countries.

The third thing is to conduct trade activities. China's handicrafts are exchanged for local products of various countries, which makes countries attracted by China's exquisite and intact handicrafts and willing to come to China to pay tribute and conduct trade activities. The silk products and porcelain exported from China have long enjoyed a good reputation in Asian and African countries. Many countries in Asia and Africa have long wanted to develop trade relations with China. It is only because of Zhu Yuanzhang's "maritime policy" that the development of this trade is limited. Judy canceled the policy of "marching into the sea" and sent Zheng He to the Western Ocean, which marked the resumption of normal trade between China and overseas countries. Overseas countries also believe that it is profitable to pay tribute, trade and establish friendly relations with China.