In the most severe 1404, the Ming Dynasty emperor ordered local government departments to prohibit the people from going to sea. "The military, civilian and other people are not allowed to have an affair with foreign countries and go to sea to sell foreign goods privately." If yo

In the history of our country, most dynasties like to implement sea bans. In the most severe 1404, the Ming Dynasty emperor ordered local government departments to prohibit the people from going to sea. If you don’t have a single piece of wooden board, it’s illegal to build a ship.

"The military, civilians and others are not allowed to abduct foreign countries and go to sea to sell foreign goods privately." If you catch fish and bring goods ashore, you must "behead the head and show the whole family to the front guards as a military force."

is very kind, afraid that everyone will have a bad memory and lose their lives in vain. The edict on the sea ban will be reiterated every few years.

Why are you so afraid of the people going to sea? The most fundamental reason is that you are afraid that everyone will go to sea more, see more and be ambitions, and it will be difficult to lead the team. It is inevitable that you will have some ties with overseas forces, forming a rebellious force, affecting the throne under the emperor's butt.

is understandable. After all, the emperor has only two tasks, one is to grab a seat, and when he gets it, the other is to protect the seat. It is also possible to negotiate to make the people feel more comfortable when it does not hinder this central task.

But it doesn’t mean you can’t go to sea by boat. For example, Zheng He, who had the emperor’s son personally entrust the letter, would be different.

371 On September 23, Zheng He was born in Lao Ma's home in Zhidai Village, Baoshan Township, Kunyang, Yunnan Province (now Kunyang Street, Jinning District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province). When Mr. Ma saw that he was a handler, he was still very happy, and named it "Wenbin" and the name was "He". Most people regard their son as treasures. The degree of treasures of the old Ma family is multiplied by three, and give the son a nickname "Three Treasures".

Later, Ma and Ma Sanbao became older. I don’t know if it was him or others who were worried about it. I thought the Three Treasures were ugly, not in line with their identity, or whether they were more loud in defending the emperor, so I changed it to Sanbao . But the common people still like to call him "Three Treasures Eunuch", and this is something I won't mention later.

The first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty Kublai When the fifth son of the fifth son was a prince in Yunnan, Sanbao's grandfather had an official position equivalent to that of the governor of Yunnan Province. His father was a hereditary marquis, so Sanbao was a complete second-generation official and second-generation rich.

381, Sanbao was 10 years old. What's the matter with you, you always refuse to surrender to the emperor in Yunnan? The Ming Dynasty has made a free move and is about to build great unity.

The Ming army attacked Yunnan, and Sanbao's father died. Sanbao was a child of an official family. Of course, he was captured in Nanjing, the capital at that time, and waited for the emperor to surrender.

How to treat prisoners from the previous dynasty? Women don’t talk about them here, men are slaves. Three treasures were clicked and became eunuchs (for this inhumane practice, we have a special elegant saying called "casting". Hey, why did the old man suddenly think of the idiom "There are many people and the power is over"?), and assigned it to Zhu Di . Thinking of , Magellan , 100 years later, also entered the palace at the age of 10, but Magellan was lucky. He just did odd jobs and was not castrated.

390, Zheng He followed King Yan Zhu Di to the Yanwang Mansion in Yanjing (now Beijing). In 1402, King Yan Zhu Di snatched his nephew, Emperor Jianwen, and sat up on him. That year, Sanbao was 31 years old.

Zhu Di saw that Sanbao followed him from the age of 10 to the age of 31, especially in the game of competing for chairs with his nephew, he had a firm stand and made military achievements. He waved his pen and gave Sanbao a word "Zheng" to him, and promoted him to become a fourth-rank eunuch. From then on, Ma He changed his name to Zheng He.

Zhu Di snatched his nephew's chair, and the domestic approval rating was 100%. What do those vassal states, such as North Korea, Japan and Vietnam, think about showing the power of a great country, and they must send people to win over the favor and do their best.

The traditional vassal states were of course Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, etc. Thailand was called Siam at that time. So in 1403, Zheng He took a boat on a boat and first went for a walk in Siam. The sea was hit by strong winds and waves near Guangzhou. Zheng He commanded the fleet to pass safely, wrote a navigation diary and drew a terrain map on the way, which was deeply loved by the emperor.

404, the Japanese pirates riots made Fujian and Zhejiang uneasy. Zheng He went to sea from Ningbo again and ran to Japan: What's wrong with you? Your robbers have crossed the boundaries, and they have all reached the territory of our great country. You must strictly discipline them and not commit them again. To be honest, the Ming Dynasty was still very majestic. The Japanese royal family was submissive and even claimed that it was, they spontaneously captured a large group of Japanese pirates to offer it.

Besides, the emperor who won the game of robbing the seat was because he failed to catch his nephew and never saw the dead. He always felt that the chair under his butt was a little unstable. He heard rumors that his nephew had gone overseas and thought about sending someone to inquire, and it would be better if he could catch it by the way. Who should I send? Zheng He, this guy has rich sailing experience and is reliable and loyal in his work. Besides, there is no burden on his family.

Zheng He's purpose of voyage to the West, currently different historians have different opinions.

Looking for the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen: Various documents in the Ming Dynasty believed that Zheng He went to the West to find the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen. "History of Ming Dynasty·Biography of Zheng He" records: "Zhengzu suspected Emperor Hui died overseas and wanted to find traces." "Xishan Magazine·Sanbao Eunuchs Going to the West" "Yongle In the third year of Yongle , Chengzu suspected Emperor Hui fled south, and ordered the officials Zheng He, Wang Jinghong, Zhang Wen and others to build hundreds of large ships and lead more than 27,000 troops." Gu Qiyuan's "Guest House": "In the battle of the treasure ship, it was said that Emperor Jianwen entered the sea countries, so he could see this trace."

sweep Zhang Shicheng Old subordinates: Some historians said that Zheng He's voyage to the West was because Chengzu of Ming Dynasty sent Zheng He to sweep away the remnants of Zhang Shicheng, the heroes of the uprising in the late Yuan Dynasty. After Zhang Shicheng died, his subordinates joined forces with Japanese pirates to threaten the security of the coastal areas. Based on security considerations, Emperor Chengzu of Ming Dynasty sent Zheng He to mobilize him.

formed an alliance with overseas foreign countries to encircle Timur Empire : historian suggested that Zheng He's voyage to the West was aimed at the Timur Empire, and joined forces with India to encircle the rear of the Timur Empire and restrained it from advancing eastward. However, according to the historian Xu Yuhu, "India, the Red Sea and other places invisibly adopted a half-moon-shaped outer attack on the Timur Empire." It reflects that Zheng He's voyage to the West was not intended to encircle the Timur Empire.

Solve the problem of military demobilization: During the Jingnan Rebellion, famine occurred in the Ming Dynasty. Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty stepped up the project of transporting grain from south to north, and expanded the demand for the navy and army. After things were resolved, demand for the Navy fell. In order to prevent these naval rebellions, Ming Chengzu arranged for them to follow Zheng He to the West. Showing troops in foreign lands shows that China is prosperous and powerful. "History of Ming Dynasty: Biography of Zheng He" records: "I want to shine on my troops in a foreign land to show that China is prosperous and strong."

Develop overseas trade and colonize overseas: Zheng He's voyage to the West to develop overseas trade including tribute trade, official trade and private trade. However, during the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, the maritime ban policy was still implemented, and historian Xu Yuhu pointed out that the Ming Dynasty should "block the flow of money and goods", so the colonial theory is unlikely to be valid.

Go to Mecca to make a pilgrimage: Zheng He was born into a Muslim family, but he was a Buddhist himself. The pilgrimage to Mecca is only recorded in the history of his subordinates, Ma Huan and others, so the pilgrimage is unlikely to be valid.

The first time to go to the West

The first time to go to the West

With the preparation of Thailand and Japan, on July 11, 1405, the emperor ordered Zheng He to go to sea for business. The emperor's money for doing things was not a problem. It was a vast 120-meter-long and 50-meter-wide ship built 62 ships, with a total of more than 28,000 sailors and soldiers following each other. They went downstream from Nanjing to Taicang, Jiangsu, where the Yangtze River Estuary is now. Then I went to Fuzhou Port to station to observe astronomical and water conservancy, and find the opportunity to leave the sea.

A theory believes that historical materials contain errors. This view points out that there has been no similar wooden sailboats of this scale since ancient times. In the Ming Dynasty, when keel iron parts connection technology was not invented, a 120-meter-long ship could not be made. A more representative argument is that at the founding conference of the Chinese Society for the History of Science and Technology, Yang Zongying read the paper "A Brief Discussion on the Scale of Zheng He's Treasure Ship on the West" by Yang Zongying.After analyzing the historical materials, the ship's scale is often inaccurate; the constraints of productivity development and the limitations of material strength , the author proposed: "The treasure ship recorded in the Ming Dynasty is 44 zhang long and 18 zhang wide. If its width is used as the length, the unit of length is changed to a ruler, and it is changed to four zhang and four wide and eighteen zhang long, it is quite close to the standard estimated by the general French. In addition to the views stated in this paper, there are also scholars who believe that "eighteen zhang" is a mistake of "eight zhang wider than eight zhang". Even the conservatively estimated length of 18 zhang, or about sixty meters, was a giant at that time, equivalent to the hull length of the British Navy flagship Victory three and a half centuries later.

Good times and auspicious days are calm. The fleet sailed to Chameng (today's central and southern Vietnam), and then headed towards Indonesia. On June 30 of the following year, logged in Java Island Semarang. Unfortunately, at that time, East and West Java were in a civil war. West Java soldiers accidentally killed more than 100 Zheng He soldiers. Later, the King of West Java offered 60,000 taels of gold to apologize as compensation.

Then went to Sumatra . An overseas Chinese complained that the local pirates were rampant and hoped to help suppress the bandits. Zheng He once showed off his skills in the chair grabbing game that helped Zhu Di, and it was a piece of cake. As we chatted and laughed, the masts and oars were wiped out, and the robber leader was captured alive.

Zheng He's fleet continues sailing, over the sprinter (now Malacca), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and arrive at Guli Kingdom (today's southwest coast of India).

In ancient times, Lao Zheng, on behalf of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, gave the treasures on the ship to the king, and also built a monument. The inscription reads, "Hey, I didn't expect that in a place far away from China, there are places with similar customs to the Shangguo of China. I admire the Shangguo of China wholeheartedly. It is God's will. The Emperor of China will protect you forever.

Then returned to Nanjing on October 2, 1407. Everyone who traveled was rewarded and everyone was rewarded. Only the robber leader who was captured was killed. The emperor ordered it to behead him.

The second time to go to the West

The second time to go to the West

As the saying goes, those who can do it work harder. Zheng He came back to rest not long after, and at the end of 1407, Emperor Yongle ordered him to go to sea again. Fortunately, the old eunuch Zheng was a man who had no wife and children. How could ordinary people bear it?

This time, he led 27,000 people all the way. After replenishing supplies, he didn't stop. First, he went straight to Guli. The ink traces on the monument last time were probably not dry yet. At that time, India was divided into dozens of small countries. By the way, the fleet also used to distribute neighboring countries such as Kayile (the ancient port name in the town of Kayile on the eastern coast of the southern part of India), Kezhi (located in the Anakulam County of Kerala, India, and is known as the "Queen of the Arabian Sea".), Ababadan (Today is the seventh largest city in India, famous for its vegetarian food in India). Little Kelan (located on the coast of the Rakdevo Sea in southwest India. In ancient times, this was an important transit station for transportation between China and the Arab region.), and went to these small countries to declare their prestige. Of course, they also used both kindness and power, and they would inevitably use gold, silver and treasure gifts to knock out these old-fashioned mundanes who had never seen the world.

then turn around and passes through Gambari (now the southernmost city of in the Indian Peninsula, the capital of Ganya Gumali County, Tamil Nadu, and the southernmost city of in the Indian subcontinent.) to Siam, Malacca, Aru (a small country on Sumatra), Nanwuli (also known as Nanwuli , a small country west of Sumatra from the 13th to the 15th century.), Java and other countries, passing through southern Vietnam, they were inevitably Sasasa and came back in the summer of 1409.

Lao Zheng went to sea these two times, and he went home to the southern end of the Indian Peninsula. The places we pass by are mainly:

southern Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesian Sumatra, Indonesian Kalimantan, Indonesian Java Island, Malacca, Sri Lanka, Maldives , Bangladesh, India Kalikat, etc.

The third time to go to the Western Conference

The third time to go to the Western Conference

It is not good to say that it is too tiring to do things. This emperor saw that Zheng He was too capable and felt that he could not waste his talents. In 1408, Zheng He was still drifting in the sea. In the first month of the year, the emperor ordered another 48 large ships to be built, waiting for Zheng He to return. Zheng He came back in the summer of 1409, and in October he had to lead more than 27,000 officers and soldiers and set out from Taicang . What a hard life.

This way goes to Chameng, Bintonglong ( is now in Vietnam in Ningshun province and Pingshun province ), Sulu (southwest island of the Philippines), Zhenla ( its center is located in Cambodia), Tamyang (northwest Cambodia today), Siam, Pahang (today Malaysia today), Siam, Pahang (today Malaysia East Coast), East and West Zhu (Today's Johor, Malaysia), Java Island, Sumatra, Malacca, Ambergris ( is located in the sea area near the present Sumatra, Indonesia, , the northern part of the sea area near the Aceh ), Cuilan Island ( is located north of the Sumatra Island, , the Bay of Bengal ), Banggela (now the area around the Bay of Bengal), Ceylon, Aru, Xiao Gelan, Kezhi, Guli, until the bamboo bu and the bone tutu (near Somalia).

Needless to say, the wind and frost of the road are abundant in Kyushu, Malacca, and Zheng He soldiers arrived here, unable to enter Baoshan without leaving any hand, picking 6 trees that were more than ten meters high and more than two meters in diameter.

When he arrived in Ceylon, King Yalie planned to set up a trap to attack. Zheng He discovered it in time and did not log in. When he returned, he passed by again. Zheng He set up a formation, but sent elite soldiers to capture the royal city by catching King Yalie and his wife and children alive.

1 triumphant return to China in July 1411. Everyone said that they would kill that king. Emperor Yongle rarely showed kindness, released King Yalie and his wife and children, and sent them back, but they had to choose another king who was friendly to China as the one.

From then on, "the overseas fans will be able to save the emperor's power and virtue."

Everyone who travels is rewarded and everyone is happy.

The fourth time to go to the West

The fourth time to go to the West

1413, Zheng He took 40 big ships to sea, all of which were old acquaintances and familiar with the road. Zheng He first went to Chameng and rewarded Chameng kings in various ways, and then Kelantan (Malaysia is in a northern state, connected to Thailand in the north), Pahang, Java, Sunra (Today's near Jakarta ), Nanwuli, Manraga.

In Sumatra, Zheng He's army also captured the rebels who had robbed the throne of the king alive and sent them back to Nanjing City and beheaded for public display. Hey, Zheng He’s boss also seems to have snatched a chair. It’s really a victory, a king, a defeat, a bandit.

sailed all the way to Kezhi, Jiayile, and arrived at Guli, revisited the old place, and welcomed everywhere. Zheng He was in a good mood and ordered to continue moving forward. So he went to Liushan ( Maldives Islands ), Berumus (also known as Huli Mo, located in the ancient country of Holmz Strait of Persian Gulf ), Bistuyn (now Yemen area).

sailed along the east coast of Africa to Feimalindi (near today's Kenya), and was about to go out, and finally returned to the Ming Empire on August 12, 1415.

The fifth voyage to the West

The fifth voyage to the West

The Ming Dynasty went on a long voyage several times, and its reputation spread all over the world. Small countries came to congratulate him one after another. Emperor Yongle was very happy. On May 30, 1417, Zheng He was worshiping the Holy Tomb of Islamic Lingshan, Quanzhou, Fujian. The emperor was so nervous that he wanted Zheng He to set off in June 1417 and set off in such a hurry? Escorts from Chameng, Pahang, Java, Nanwuli, Sumatra, Manraga, Ceylon Mountain , Kezhi, Guli, Liushan, Berumus, Shariwan Mi (now northeastern coast of Yemen), Bravah (southeast coast of Somalia), Lassa (near the south bank of the Arabian Peninsula, , Muji (now Mogadishu ) and other envoys from various countries who came to the court returned.

It was really the emperor who opened his mouth and Zheng He ran and broke his legs.These envoys were all happy with generous rewards, thinking that they were really the right thing to come to the Eastern Kingdom. Most of Zheng He’s treasure ships carried their things.

419 On August 8, 2019, Zheng He's fleet returned to China. When I went there, I carried gifts from envoys from various countries, and I was not free when I came back. I was full of local specialties from those small countries, including the lions that paid tribute to Hurumus , the lions that paid tribute to Hurumus , the Arab kirins (probably Sika deer ), and brought back the long wilt horses (a kind of antelope) from near Oman , the flower deer (zebra) and lions that paid tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to tribute to Java and Guli (what is this a divine beast, the old man can't find it).

History Book did not explain whether these rare beasts entered the Royal Zoo or the Royal Dining Room.

The sixth time to go to the West

421, something happened again. This time, I went to Banggela (Bangladesh) with the order. I met the ocean and almost capsized. All the crew members hurriedly knelt down and cried, asking Tathagata Guanyin, Jesus Christ, the Supreme Laojun, Muhammad to bless them together. This was not made up by the old man. Among the crew members, there were those who believed in Buddhism, those who believed in Islam, and those who believed in Christ. Regarding Zheng He’s main religious beliefs, there are three schools of thoughts: Islam theory, Buddhism theory, and Taoism theory, and there is no conclusion in the academic community.

It should be said that this circle brings together the top magical powers from ancient times to the present at home and abroad, and all the actions are successful. Sure enough, "... I was overturned and wanted to drown, and I cried in the boat, and I hurriedly asked for blessings. Before I finished speaking,... the wind and waves were quiet."

Fortunately, this time, I escaped safely, so I didn’t think about where to go. I returned to the middle road and returned to China on September 2, 1422. The old man really didn't know where he sailed and encountered the storm and returned halfway. If any reader knows, tell me so that the old man will regret it.

Historical records: "In the Eastern Ocean, the official boat was overwhelmed by a strong wind, and was about to drown. He cried in the boat, and he hurriedly asked for blessings. Before he finished speaking,... the wind and waves were quiet." The middle way returned to

The seventh voyage to the West

The seventh voyage to the West

424, Emperor Yongle passed away, and the Ming Dynasty empire changed to emperor, and it was Emperor Xuande. In 1430, Emperor Xuande was a little puzzled. When my father was in power, those small countries were flowing endlessly and came to congratulate him every now and then. Why haven’t I seen anyone come for a long time? No nations come to court. When did I give less rewards? Haven't had it. Well, that old minister Zheng He specializes in running that route. He can't say that he can go there again to see what's going on.

So he ordered Zheng He to go on business trips to Bermus (the area around Holmz, readers still remember it) and do things cheaply. What does it mean to act cheaply? All actions are based on your own comfort.

430, Zheng He brought more than 27,000 officers, soldiers, sailors, boatmen, chefs, fire head troops, translators, customs clearance officers, clerks, doctors, blacksmiths, painters, repairmen, handymen, etc., and took 61 large ships to sea again. The routes of

are almost the same. Starting from Nanjing, the Yangtze River flows downstream and arrives in Taicang. Last time, I encountered high winds and waves, I almost went to see Muhammad. This time, I stopped in Taicang for a month and built a Tianfei Palace HTML , and erected a monument. I recalled the hardships of my six voyages: How difficult it is, I hope to bless my peace.

431 arrived in Changle Port, Fujian on February 26, 2014. Anyway, the emperor asked the cheap to act, so Zheng He stopped in Changle for about half a year, ran to Meizhou Island, and renovated the Tianfei Palace in Meizhou. He returned to Changle again, built the Changle Tianfei Palace, cast a bronze bell, and erected the "Tianfei Lingying Record" monument, prayed and thanked Mazu for his blessing, and prayed repeatedly for blessing peace. "...Pray that we should ensure peace and good luck in the West..." The shadow of the ocean was in danger last time was too big.

html officially set off on November 9th, and all the way, arrived in Chameng on the 24th. It set sail from Jon Chameng in the first month of the following year and arrived in Java on February 6. Departure on June 16th and arrived at , the old port of (near southern Sumatra) on the 27th.The voyage set off on July 1, arrived in Malacca on the 8th, and arrived in Ceylon on November 6th. The sail set sail on the 10th and arrived in Guli Country on the 18th. The sail sets on the 22nd and arrives at Hurumus on December 26th.

432 returned on February 18, 2014, and arrived in Guli Country on March 11.

Zheng He, who is over 60 years old, has been wandering on the sea for many years, and is no better than being pampered on land. His body finally couldn't hold on anymore, so he stayed in Guli to recuperate.

433 died in Guli.

Later, the fleet returned to Nanjing on July 6. The court set up a tomb of Zheng He on Niushou Mountain in Nanjing. Zheng He's tomb is located on the southern foot of Niushou Mountain in Jiangning District, Nanjing.

The so-called Zheng He voyage to the West was actually from East China Sea , South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand, bypassing the Strait of Malacca and entering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Bengal, then bypassing the entire South India to the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf, entering the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden, and reaching the east coast of Africa as far as the east coast. Mainly passed: Kurumos (Iranian Holmz), Zufar (eastern Arab Peninsula), Adan (Yemen Aden), Mugudu (Mogadishu, Somalia), Bulawa (Somali Balave), Malin (Malindi, Kenya), etc. As for those who have mentioned Australia and New Zealand, and those who say Zheng He's fleet uses steam power, it is a novel legend.

Zheng He's seven voyages were the most important result of consolidating the sphere of influence in the Malacca area and turning a small fishing village into a powerful cargo transfer station.

Zheng He's navigation was the largest ocean-going navigation project in the world at that time. It will take seventy or eighty years before the Portuguese discovers the Cape of Good Hope, Columbus discovers the Americas, and the Magellan fleet sails around the world.

However, although the route Zheng He took was the first for the Ming Dynasty, it was actually a common route for Southeast Asia and the Middle East countries over the past few hundred years. Compared with Columbus Magellan, Zheng He did not change the world pattern for the world and had nothing to do with the great geographical discovery of .

Oceanwide trade increases, and the hull becomes larger and larger. Striving to become bigger is just an indicator in the pursuit of comprehensive technology and does not necessarily represent the most advanced shipbuilding technology, just like the largest stadium and the largest Arc de Triomphe do not represent the most advanced construction technology. Zheng He's treasure ship is designed to load overseas treasures, hence the name. It is indeed very large, but it is not a warship and has limited technical content. Today's super tankers can be several times larger than aircraft carriers, but their function is only to transport crude oil.

Zheng He's voyage to the West was just a matter of tens of thousands of people riding on new ships and taking the old path. Apart from on missions, political propaganda, and shopping for public funds, he could not compare with the European voyage full of unknowns, challenges, adventures and sacrifices.

Chinese people in Southeast Asia believe that Zheng He is the pride of all Chinese. When the old man lived in Malaysia, he chatted with local Chinese. They also joked that the durian was something Zheng He was rushing in Malaysia.

As we all know, Zheng He could not have descendants, so his brother adopted his eldest son and lived in a large mansion on Sanshan Street, Nanjing. In order to commemorate his ancestors, it was called "Ma Mansion"; the original Ma Mansion had 72 houses, but it was razed to the ground during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom War. In 1983, archaeologists unearthed the relics of Zheng He Prefecture in Taiping Park, Nanjing (formerly known as Majia Garden), including Longquan Kiln porcelain, Yixing purple clay, Jingdezhen Blue and White , etc.