Zheng He's treasure voyages
Viajes de Zheng He por el océano Índico
- Date
- 1405-1433 · confidence high
- Place
- Malindi, Kenya (furthest point reached)
- Credited to
- Zheng He, Emperor Yongle
- People
- 👤 Zheng He1371–1433
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What was discovered
Seven expeditions of the Ming treasure fleet, with hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of men, reached Southeast Asia, India, Arabia and East Africa. It was the largest naval operation in the world until the 20th century.
Coordinates of Malindi, the furthest African point reached. The routes were known to Arab, Indian and Swahili traders; the novelty was the scale. Claims of a voyage reaching America (Menzies) lack any basis.
What it led to
- Tribute and diplomatic relations between China and 30 states
- Chinese cartography of the Indian Ocean (Mao Kun map)
- China's abandonment of oceanic exploration and Europe's rise as a maritime power
Built on
- Watertight bulkhead compartmentsc. 700
- Indian Ocean trade
- Song and Yuan shipbuilding
Made possible
- Treasure ships (baochuan)
- Perfected Chinese maritime compass