Introduction to China Essay

IntroduMing emperor moth Yung-lo and commander in chief of the Chinese expeditionary overhaul to the South Seas in the primeval years of the 15th century. born(p) into a family named Ma, presumably of Mongol- Arab origin, In central Yunnan Province, Cheng Ho was selected to be emasculate by the general In charge of recruiting eunuchs for the court In 1381, when he was about 10. Assigned to the retinue of Chu Tl, who later became emperor, Cheng accompanied him on war machine campaigns, culminating in the usurpation of the throne by Chu Ti in 402.Ma Ho proved himself to be an exceptional servant to Prince Zhu Di. He became apt in the arts of war and diplomacy and served as an officer of the prince. Zhu Di renamed Ma Ho as Cheng Ho because the eunuchs horse was killed in battle outside of a tramp called Zhenglunba. (Cheng Ho is also Zheng He in the newer Pinyin transliteration of Chinese moreover hes still around commonly called Cheng Ho). Cheng Ho was also known as San Bao whi ch means tierce Jewels. Cheng Ho, who was said to have been seven feet tall, was given greater power when Zhu Di became emperor in 402. star year later, Zhu Di appointed Cheng Ho admiral and say him to oversee the construction of a Treasure overtake to explore the seas skirt mainland chinaware. Admiral Cheng Ho was the starting time eunuch appointed to such a high military position In China. Because of a report that the creator emperor Hul-tl had fled abroad, barely probably with other good reasons, such as promoting Chinese influence or trade opportunities, Yunglo sent out expealtlons overseas unaer cnengs command.In a perloa 0T 2 years, from 1405 to 1433, Cheng directed seven expeditions and visited no fewer than 7 countries, stretching from Champa in the easternmost to the African gliding in the west. In preparation for these expeditions, some 1,180 ships of various types and measurements were constructed. The size of the fleet varied from tour to voyage. The first e xpedition consisted of a 27,800-man crew and 62 large vessels and 255 smaller ones carrying cargoes of silk, embroideries, and other valuable products.Cheng took personal command of for each one voyage, but he often entrusted his lieutenants to undertake side trips away from the main itinerary. The countries visited ranged rom the neighboringby states, such as Champa, Sumatra, and Java, to the faraway lands to the East, including Arabia and places on the east African coast, such as Mogadishu and Brawa. The purpose of these trips was to assure foreigners of Chinas friendliness, extend imperial gifts and greetings to the chiefs of the foreign kingdoms, and report the conditions of these distant lands to the court. but at the same time, Chengs fleet also managed to annihilate a powerful Chinese bandit, interfere in a Javanese war, and touch on a legitimate ruler in Ceylon. Yielding loads f exotic native products, the expeditions were often followed by tribute-bearing envoys from crossways the sea. Nonetheless, these voyages were criticized by Chinese officials as useless and wasteful of resources. After Yunglos death in 1424, the expeditions were suspended, and Cheng was made a garrison commander of Nanking.The last voyage (1432-1433) took place under the auspices of Emperor Hs?an-te. Cheng is customarily said to have died in 1435/1436, at the age of 65, but one source holds that he died early in 1433. Chengs expeditions, undertaken almost century before those of Christopher Columbus and Vasco de Gama, non only strengthened Chinas influence over its neighbors but also marked a unique achievement in the news report of maritime enterprise. A navigational chart attributable to the expeditions has been preserved and translated into English.beginning voyage (1405-1407) The first Treasure Fleet consisted of 62 ships four were broad wood boats, some of the largest ever built in history. They were approximately four hundred feet (122 meters) long and 160 feet (5 0 meters) wide. The four were the flagships of the fleet of 62 ships assembled at Nanjing on the Yangtze (Chang) River. Included in the fleet were 339-foot (103-meter) long horse ships that carried nonhing but horses, water ships that carried fresh water for the crew, troop transports, supply ships, and war ships for offending and defensive needs.The ships were filled with thousands of tons of Chinese goods to trade with others during the voyage. In the bead of 1405 the fleet was ready to embark with 27,800 men. The fleet utilized the compass, invented in China in the 1 lth century, for navigation. Graduated sticks of incense were burned to measure time. One day was equal to 10 watches of 2. 4 hours each. Chinese navigators determine line of latitude through monitoring the North Star (Polaris) in the Northern cerebral hemisphere or the Southern Cross in the Southern Hemisphere.The ships of the Treasure Fleet communicated with one another through the use of flags, lanterns, bell s, carrier pigeons, gongs, and banners. The destination of the first voyage of the Treasure Fleet was Calicut, known as a study trading center on the southwestern coast of India. India was initially discover by Chinese overland explorer Hsuan- sang In tne seventn century. I ne meet stopped In Vietnam, Java, ana Malacca, ana hen headed west across the Indian Ocean to Sri Lanka and Calicut and Cochin (cities on the southwest coast of India).They remained in India to barter and trade from late 1406 to the spring of 1407 when they utilized the monsoon shift to canvas tent toward home. On the return voyage, the Treasure Fleet was forced to battle pirates near Sumatra for several months. Eventually Cheng Hos men managed to capture the pirate leader and take him to the Chinese capital Nanjing, arriving in 1407. second voyage (1407-1409) A second voyage of the Treasure Fleet departed on a return trip to India in 1407 but Cheng Ho did not command this voyage. He remained in China to overs ee the repair of a temple at the birthplace of a favorite goddess.