Zheng He Extended Biography
Zheng HeExtended BiographyYou may wish to share this biography with students, or just to read it for your own information.Zheng He (pronounced jung ha) is one of the most famous and accomplished admirals in world history. He’s also a great example—both personally and as a world figure—of change over time.• A great seafarer, he was born thousands of miles from the sea, at the base of some of the tallest mountains of the world, in Yunnan Province. • He was born in 1371 to a Muslim family but came to embrace many gods, including Mazu, the Chinese goddess who protects sailors.• His father served the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, but Zheng He became an important official for their opponents, the Ming emperors of China.• He was given the name Ma He at birth but became Zheng He later in life. Because his nickname was Sanbao, he is sometimes known as Sinbad, the model for the heroic figure we know as Sinbad the Sailor.At the age of 10, the young Zheng He, then called Ma He, was captured by a Chinese army of the Ming Emperor (the Hongwu Emperor, 1328–1398). Like many other captives, he was castrated and put in the service of a Ming official. Many captives were turned into eunuchs, as it was generally believed that they could be better trusted because they lacked the ability to produce heirs and so their self-interest lay in the fortunes of the captors they served.As a young captive, Zheng He was placed in the service of the Prince of Yan. This placement was fortunate, for this young prince would later take power as the Yongle Emperor, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In fact, Zheng He assisted his patron in a struggle for power with his predecessor, the Jianwen Emperor, which resulted in the prince becoming emperor in 1402. A grateful emperor gave Ma He the surname Zheng because he successfully defended the Zhenglunba reservoir during this fight.Having served the new emperor well, Zheng He received more than just a new name. He was made the Grand Director of palace servants and was then appointed as the chief diplomat of the kingdom. But diplomacy in this case didn’t mean simply sending letters or visiting other countries. The Yongle Emperor had begun building a vast, armed fleet that included massive four-decked command ships that were 127 meters long. Although some scholars doubt this size, it’s likely they were nevertheless among the largest wooden ships ever built. These flagships were accompanied by smaller warships, supply ships, and troop transports.Beginning in 1405, Zheng He took this fleet on seven expeditions. He visited Indonesia, Malaya, Thailand, and ports in Indochina. He rounded India and the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and may well have reached the coast of East Africa, although that has been disputed. Reputable scholars reject the suggestion that he also reached Australia or the Americas.What were these voyages about? Most historians have treated them as trade voyages, meant to facilitate and increase the exchange of goods between China and its neighbors to the south and west. The government of the People’s Republic of China has made this the official interpretation. Contrasting this trade to European colonialism in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans soon after, Chinese officials have stressed the peaceful nature of the voyages. For example:
Zheng He - Extended Biography2“These were thus friendly diplomatic activities. During the overall course of the seven voyages to the Western Ocean, Zheng He did not occupy a single piece of land, establish any fortress, or seize any wealth from other countries. In the commercial and trade activities, he adopted the practice of giving more than he received, and thus he was welcomed and lauded by the people of the various countries along his routes.” —Xu Zu-yuan, Vice Minister of Communications, People’s Republic of China, July 2004However, scholars have recently begun to see Zheng He’s voyages quite differently. They point out that the Yongle Emperor was involved in a push to expand Ming authority west into Yunnan (where Zheng He was born), south into Vietnam, and also along the Indian Ocean into Island Southeast Asia. According to historians such as Geoff Wade, Zheng He’s fleets were part of an attempt to carry out these goals. Well-armed and carrying large numbers of troops, the fleets had the ability to enforce military aims, and in particular to control or dominate ports. The idea was to create a vast network of ports that were subject to Ming Dynasty rule. The “trade” the fleet was engaged in, might really have been a demand for tribute, and Zheng He’s forces fought battles in Java (1407), Sri Lanka (1411), and Sumatra (1415), and threatened to invade Burma (1409). In fact, these scholars argue, the Ming effort was almost precisely like the Portuguese maritime empire-building that was taking place at the same time.Not everyone agrees, of course. While accepting the aggressive stance of the Yongle Emperor, historians such as Robert Finlay argue that they were primarily trading missions. Finlay argues that yes, the emperor was trying to expand trade, but he meant to keep it in the hands of the government rather than private traders, pirates, and smugglers. After all, China needed imported goods and the profits that trade generated, but smugglers and pirates didn’t pay taxes. By sending an official fleet, the emperor could stimulate trade, but also make sure money got into his own hands.Regardless of the intentions of the expeditions, the Yongle Emperor’s successor withdrew support for these fleets, which meant that China didn’t have a force present in the Indian Ocean when the Portuguese arrived. Historians speculate how history might have been different if they had.As for Zheng He himself? There are tombs that supposedly mark his resting place in Nanjing and in Yunnan province, but they are probably empty. It is likely he died while on his seventh voyage, and that his remains were given up to the seas that made him famous.
Zheng He - Extended Biography3Sources:Finlay, Robert. “The Voyages of Zheng He: Ideology, State Power, and Maritime Trade in Ming China.” The Journal of The Historical Society 8, no. 3 (September 2008): 327–347. Dreyer, Edward L. Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty, 1405–1433. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007.Wade, Geoff. “The Zheng He Voyages: A Reassessment.” Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 288 (2005): 37–58.