Zheng09

media type="custom" key="4652621" Zheng He
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Zheng He was born in 1371, in Kunyang, in the Yunnan province, China. He was born into a Muslim family. He grow up speaking Arabic and Chinese. As a child, he learned much about the world to the west, its geography, and customs. After the Ming army conquered Yunnan, he was taken captive as a young boy in 1381. He was castrated, thus becoming a eunuch, to become a servant at the Imperial court. He served as a close confidant of the Yongle Emperor of China, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Zheng accompanied Duke Yan on a series of successful military campaigns and played a crucial role in the capture of Nanjing, then the capital. Zheng He distinguished himself by helping Zhu Yuanzhang defeat the Yuan Dynasty, and was rewarded with an official post in the government. Then he helped Zhu Di gain the throne and was given command of the Chinese navy. Because of this grat position, he wielded great influence in the courts. In 1402, Emperor Cheng Zu of the Ming Dynasty gained the throne. He dispatched Zheng He and Wang Jinghong, in 1405, to lead a giant fleet of naval ships to the Western Sea, carrying members of soldiers and large quantity of goods. His first fleet included 27,870 men on 317 ships. The fleet reached the countries of Southeast Asia, east Africa and Arabia, initiating a feat in the history of navigation. Zheng and Wang returned to China in 1407. This voyage was the largest one up until this time. It is also regarded to as the start of a great historical period in Chinese history of trade and cultural exchanges.

Zheng He led a total of seven voyages. The number of ships of his fleet was from 40 to 63 each time, taking many soldiers and sailors on the voyage, with a total party over 27,000 people. The number of ships of his fleet averaged from 40 to 63 each voyage. On each expedition, there was a total party of over 27,000 people. Their ships navigated the wide sea area from Ryukyu Islands, the Philippine Islands, and Maluku Sea to the Mozambican Channel and the costal areas of South Africa. All along developing mutual trade, exchanging culture and technologies, communicating traffic on the sea and promoting social and economic development in such countries and areas. Zheng had developed a system for his voyages. The fleet used Malacca as its forward base. From their it divided into squadrons and sailed independently to separate destinations.

The mighty fleets voyaged on the Indian Ocean, not only astonishing the Arabian navigators, but also amazing the Venice businessmen coming and going between Hormuz and Aden, thus enlightening European navigation. Thanks to Zheng He an Arabian glass artisan came to China with his fleet and imparted the new technology to sinter new kinds of glass that was resistant to sudden changes of temperatur e. Since then, this kind of glass was produced in large quantities in China and became a common utensil. Zheng He also brought back building materials, fuels and exotic articles. After coming back, Zheng He's subordinates wrote the books as //Travel Notes of Foreign Countries, Chorography of Western Countries//, and many other books. These books introduced the geographic and natural conditions, local customs, as well as production and living of those foreign countries and regions. Thus widening Chinese people's vision and enlarging their knowledge on foreign countries.

Zheng He's accomplishments and discoveries were simply astonishing. Zheng's acomplishments set the standard for explorers such as Diaz, Columbus, and Magellan. For instance, Zheng He's flag ship towered Columbus'. Zheng's flag ship was 400 feet and Columbus' was only 75. Through all of Zheng He's voyages, he traveled over 50,000 km and to thirty seven countries. It was also said that Zheng was over eight feet tall. Zheng he was probably the most famous Chinese navigator. He died in April of the year 1433.

Research
 * Zheng He was born 1371, in Kunyang, Yunnan province, China and died April 1433, Calicut, India.
 * Eunuch admiral and diplomat who helped extend Chinese maritime and commercial influence throughout the region that bordered the Indian Ocean.
 * The Yongle emperor named Zheng commander in chief of missions to the “Western Oceans.”
 * He first set sail in 1405 and on this voyage he visited Champa (southern Vietnam), Siam (Thailand), Malacca, and Java.
 * He traveled through the Indian Ocean as far as Sri Lanka, and returned to China in 1407.
 * Other voyages took him to Arabia, the eastern coast of Africa, Southeast Asia, and India.
 * His voyages resulted in tributary trade to China that lasted into the 19th century.
 * . (1994-2008). Zheng He Biography . //Encyclopeadia Britannica Inc.//. Retrieved (9, 14 09) from []
 * He grew up speaking Arabic and Chinese, learning much about the world to the west, its geography, and customs.
 * After the Ming army conquered Yunnan, he was taken captive as a young boy in 1381. He was castrated, thus becoming a eunuch, to become a servant at the Imperial court.
 * He served as a close confidant of the Yongle Emperor of China, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
 * He made the voyages collectively referred to as the travels of "Eunuch Sanbao to the Western Ocean" until 1433.
 * He set up a commemorative pillar at the temple of the Taoist goddess Tian Fei, the Celestial Spouse, in Fuji a province, to whom he and his sailors prayed for safety at sea.
 * (2007). Zheng He. //Biographical Dictionaries//, Retrieved from []
 * Zheng He's main ship was four hundred feet long, much larger than Columbus's.
 * Zheng He is arguably China's most famous navigator.
 * For 28 years, he traveled more than 50,000km and visited over 30 countries, including Singapore.
 * Zheng He constructed many wooden ships, some of which are the largest in the history. Three of his shipyards still exist today.
 * Professor Su, (n.d.). The Great Chinese Mariner Zheng He. Retrieved from []
 * Zheng He was born into a Muslim family.
 * He distinguished himself by helping Zhu Yuanzhang defeat the Yuan Dynasty, and was rewarded with an official post in the government.
 * Zheng He helped Zhu Di gain the throne and was given command of the Chinese navy. Because of this he wielded great influence in court.
 * In 1402, after Emperor Cheng Zu of the Ming Dynasty gained the throne, he dispatched Zheng He and Wang Jinghong to lead a giant fleet of naval ships to the Western Sea (today's Southeast Asia), carrying members of soldiers and large quantity of goods. The fleet reached the countries of Southeast Asia, east Africa and Arabia, initiating a feat in the history of navigation.
 * This is regarded as an unprecedented great historical period in Chinese history of trade and cultural exchanges.
 * On each of his seven voyages, the number of ships of his fleet was from 40 to 63 each time, taking many soldiers and sailors on the voyage, with a total party over 27,000 people.
 * Their ships navigated the wide sea area from Ryukyu Islands, the Philippine Islands, and Maluku Sea to the Mozambican Channel and the costal areas of South Africa, developing mutual trade, exchanging culture and technologies, communicating traffic on the sea and promoting social and economic development in such countries and areas.
 * The mighty fleet voyaged on the Indian Ocean, not only astonishing the Arabian navigators, but also amazing the Venice businessmen coming and going between Hormuz and Aden, thus enlightening European navigation.
 * Thanks to Zheng He the Arabian glass artisan came to China with his fleet and imparted the new technology to sinter new kinds of glass vessel resistant to sudden changes of temperatur e. Since then, this kind of glass was produced in large quantities in China and became a common utensil.
 * Zheng He also brought back building materials, fuels and exotic articles.
 * After coming back, Zheng He's subordinates wrote the books as //Travel Notes of Foreign Countries, Chorography of Western Countries//, etc., introducing the geographic and natural conditions, local customs, as well as production and living of those foreign countries and regions, widening Chinese people's vision and enlarging their knowledge on foreign countries.
 * Chinadaily.com, (2003). Zheng He. Retrieved from []
 * A Muslim and a warrior, Zheng He helped transform China into the region’s, and perhaps the world’s, superpower of his time.
 * In 1405, Zheng He led the largest naval expedition in history up to that time.
 * He grew up speaking Arabic and Chinese.
 * Zheng accompanied Duke Yan on a series of successful military campaigns and played a crucial role in the capture of Nanjing, then the capital. Zheng was then was thus awarded the supreme command of the Imperial Household Agency.
 * Zheng He's first fleet included 27,870 men on 317 ships.
 * In the fall of 1413, Zheng He set out with 30,000 men to Arabia on his fourth and most ambitious voyage.
 * The arrival of the fleet caused a sensation in the region of the mouth of the Red Sea, and 19 countries sent ambassadors to board Zheng He's ships with gifts for Emperor Yong Le.
 * On this voyage, Zheng vis ited many cities along the east coast of Africa.
 * Zheng He's flag ship was four hundred feet long.
 * He traveled over 50,000 kilometers and visited thirty seven countries.
 * He was said to be over eight feet tall.
 * MuslimHeritage.com (n.d.). //Zheng He (1371-1433), the Chinese Muslim Admiral//. Retrieved from http://www.islamfortoday.com/zhenghe.htm
 * Zheng He's achievements led the way for Diaz, Columbus, and Magellan.
 * Zheng He's fleets replinished supplies in the ports of Malacca and Calicut.
 * Zheng He had established a program for each voyage. The fleet used Malacca as its forward base. From their it divided into squadrons and sailed independently to separate destinations.
 * Zheng He was the emperor's right hand man.
 * Menzies, G (2002). //1421: The Year China Discovered America//. New York, NY: HaperCollins Publishing Inc..