Monday, August 27, 2007
INTRODUCTION:
Other than Columbus and Magellan, do you know of other great navigators, especially those who are from China? We do, and that great navigator who have sailed four major destination: Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa in seven voyages was none other than Zheng He.
We remember, reading about Zheng He the great ambassador, in our beautifully illustrated history textbooks. But his story hardly stretched over a few columns, and he appeared decidedly in a lesser league to Columbus and Magellan.
But today, we all knew better. Zheng He lead a huge treasure fleet of almost 28,000 troops, sailed to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Persian Gulf, Africa and many great places he sailed by in seven voyages. ‘Baochuan’, an old Chinese treasure ship that Zheng He used, was several times larger than either Columbus’s or Magellan’s ship and the armed troops that Zheng He had with him were definitely a large number, if compared to Columbus’s or Magellan’s.
Leading 317 ships and almost 28,000 troops on his voyage, he lead seven more voyages, each one a successful and fruitful one.
Zheng He’s voyages around the world took place even earlier than Christopher Columbus’s journey to discover the Americans from Europe. He had influenced many a people along his journey, and the legacy of his voyages continues to play a role in the region.
Here, this is a blog featuring Zheng He and his adventurous voyages to the Western Ocean, with evidence that he was indeed a great navigator.
as told by us;
12:33 AM
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Zheng He was born in 1371. He served as a close confidant of the Yongle Emperor of China, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
According to his biography in the History of Ming, he was originally named Ma Sanbao (R), and came from Kunyang (), present day Jinning (). Zheng belonged to the Semu or Semur caste which practiced Islam. He was a sixth generation descendant of Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din Omar, a famous Khwarezmian Yuan governor of Yunnan Province.
His family name "Ma" came from Shams al-Din's fifth son Masuh (Mansour). Both his father Mir Tekin and grandfather Charameddin had traveled on the hajj to Mecca. Their travels contributed much to the young boy's education.
In 1381, following the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, a Ming army was dispatched to Yunnan to put down the Mongol rebel Basalawarmi. Zheng He, then only a young boy of eleven years, was taken captive by that army and castrated, thus becoming a eunuch. He soon became a servant at the Imperial court. The name Zheng He was given by the Yongle emperor for the war merit in the Yongle rebellion against the Jianwen Emperor. He studied at Nanjing Taixue (The Imperial Central College).
Zheng He travelled to Mecca, though he did not perform the pilgrimage itself. At the beginning of the 1980s, his tomb was renovated in a more Islamic style, although he himself was buried at sea. The government of the People's Republic of China uses him as a model to integrate the Muslim minority into the Chinese nation. He himself was a living example of religious tolerance.
In around 1431, he set up a commemorative pillar at the temple of the Taoist goddess Tian Fei, the Celestial Spouse, in Fujian province, to whom he and his sailors prayed for safety at sea. This pillar records his veneration for the goddess and his belief in her divine protection, as well as a few details about his voyages. Visitors to the Jinghaisi ( in Nanjing are reminded of the donations Zheng He made to this non-Muslim area.
as told by us;
12:32 AM
(A map showing the routes taken by Zheng He during his voyages)
PLACES VISITED BY ZHENG HE:
The followings are the recorded places visited by Admiral Zheng He during his seven voyages
During his (1st) first voyage from 1405AD to 1407AD
he visited these places:
(01) Champa (in present day south of Vietnam
(02) Java (in present day Indonesia)
(03) Sumatra (in present day Indonesia)
(04) Ceylon (present day Sri Laka)
(05) Cochin (in the west coast of India)
(06) Palembang (in present day Indonesia)
(2nd) Second voyage from 1408AD to 1411AD
(07) Champa = same as (01)
(08) Java = same as (02)
(09) Malacca (in present day Malaysia)
(10) Sumatra = same as (03)
(11) Quilon (near the present day Sumatra)
(12) Bengal (present day Blangladash)
(13) Ceylon = same as (04)
(14) Cochin = same as (05)
(15) Calicut (somewhere in the present day west coast of India )
(16) Cail (in present day ?)
(17) Jurfattan ? (in present day ? )
(18) Jurfattan ? (in present day ? )
(3rd) Third voyage from 1412AD to 1415AD
(19) Champa = same as (01)
(20) Kelantan (in present day Malaysia)
(21) Dupo ? (in present day : unknown)
(22) Aru (in present day Indonesia)
(23) Polembang = same as (06)
(24) Sumatra = same as (03)
(25) Sunda (in present day Indonesia ?)
(26) Ceylon = same as (04)
(27) Koyampadi (in present day ? )
(28) Cochin =same as (05)
(29) Calicut = same as (15)
(30) Ormus (in present day Iran )
(31) Malinde (in present day Kenya in Adrica ? )
(32) Pahang (in present day Malaysia)
(4th) Fourth voyage from 1416AD to 1419AD:
(33) Champa = same as (01)
(34) Java = same as (02)
(35) Malacca = same as (09)
(36) Sumatra = same as (03)
(37) Bormeo (present day Brunei in Borneo Island or Kalimanta Island)
(38) Pahang = same as (32)
(39) Maldives (the present day Maldives)
(40) Aden (present day Aden)
(41) Ormus = same as (30)
(42) Cochin = same as (05)
(43) Juba ( in present day Somali in Africa)
(44) Sana? (in present day ? )
(5th) Fifth voyage 1421AD to 1422AD
(45) Champa = same as (01)
(46) Sumatra = same as (03)
(47) Zufar (somewhere in the Middle East)
(48) Macca (present day Mecca in Saudi Arabia)
(49) Magadoxn (Mogadishu in Somali)
(50) Juba = same as (43)
(51) Juba = same as (43)
(6th) Sixth voyage 1424AD to 1425AD
(52) Champa = same as (01)
(53) Polembang = same as (06)
(7th) Seventh voyage 1430AD to 1433AD
(54) Champa = same as (01)
(55) Java = same as (02)
(56) Polembang = same as (06)
(57) Sumatra = same as (03)
(58) Lambri (in present day Indonesia)
(59) Lidi (in present day Indonesia)
(60) Battak (in present day Indonesia)
(61) Quilon = same as (11)
(62) Ceylon = same as (04)
(63) Culicut = same as (15)
(64) Ormus = same as (30)
(65) Zufar = same as (47)
(66) Aden = same as (40)
(67) Macca = same as (48)
(68) Magadoxn = same as (49)
(69) Juba = same as (43)
(70) Siam (present day Thailand)
etween 1405 and 1433, over a period of 28 years, Zhenghe had been
ordered for eight times to act as an envoy to countries lying to the west
of China. He had under his command a big fleet and a staff of more than
20,000 men each time. The South China Sea and the Indian Ocean was
where his fleets had sailed. Sailing then in a northwest direction, they
had visited Yemen, Iran and the Holy City of Islam Mecca and further west
to today's Somalia in East Africa. He had made calls at more than 30
countries and territories in all.
ZhengHe was acting as the envoy and commercial representative of the
Ming court on each voyage. No matter what country he visited, he would
call on the ruler of the land, present to him valuable gifts in token of
China's sincere desire to develop friendly relations and invite the
host sovereign to send emissaries to China. Wherever he was, he would
made a careful study of the customs and habits of local residents. Showing
them due respect, he bartered or dealt with them through consultation
and negotiation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. He
obtained large quantities of pearls and precious stones, coral, ivory and
dyestuffs for the Chinese emperor in this way. He also brought back several
kinds of rare and precious animals such as giraffe, lion, ostrich and
leopard. Wherever he went, he was warmly received. Even today, people
in Somalia and Tanzania look upon Ming China unearthed today as a symbol
of the traditional friendship between their own country and China. In
Thailand today, there are places named after ZhengHe's childhood name
Sanbao (three treasures) such as Sanbao Harbour and Sanbao Pagoda.
Malacca of Malaysia is known also as the City of Sanbao. At Java in
Indonesia, there is the Sanbao Temple. In Calicut (Kozhikode today) of India,
there is an inscribed tablet set up in ZhengHe's memory
The countries ZhengHe had visited later sent their emissaries and trade
representatives to China from time to time. The voyages by ZhengHe
strengthened the friendly relations between China and other countries in
Asia and Africa and gave an impetus to cultural and economic exchange
between them.
On his first voyage overseas, the largest ship in the fleet had a
length of 440 Chinese feet and a width of 180. Manned by more then 200
sailors and able to accommodate 1, 000 passengers, it was equipped with nine
masts which flew 12 big sails. Many of the navigational problems
encountered were solved in a rational, scientific way. For instance, the way
fresh water was collected and stored, the stability of the hull and
its buoyancy, the making of sea charts and the use of navigational
apparatuses like the compass. This accounted for the fact that in spite of
terrible storms, this fleet of friendship had ploughed the waves day and
night in full sail. ZhengHe kept a detailed logbook on each of his 8
voyages and made many nautical charts which were later collected in what
was called Zheng He's Nautical Charts, which was the first of its kind
in the world.
as told by us;
12:32 AM
The Kangnido Map
Mission Part One
Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming government sponsored a series of seven naval expeditions. Emperor Yongle designed them to establish a Chinese presence, impose imperial control over trade, and impress foreign peoples in the Indian Ocean basin. He also might have wanted to extend the tributary system, by which Chinese dynasties traditionally recognized foreign peoples.
Zheng He was placed as the admiral in control of the huge fleet and armed forces that undertook these expeditions. Zheng He's first voyage consisted of a fleet of 317 ships holding almost twenty-eight thousand armed troops. Many of these ships were mammoth nine-masted "treasure ships" which were by far the largest marine craft the world had ever seen.
One of a set of maps of Zheng He's missions (), also known as the Mao Kun maps, 1628.
(A set of The Maokun Map)
On the first three voyages, Zheng He visited southeast Asia, India, and Ceylon. The fourth expedition went to the Persian Gulf and Arabia, and later expeditions ventured down the east African coast, as far as Malindi in what is now Kenya.
Throughout his travels, Zheng He liberally dispensed Chinese gifts of silk, porcelain, and other goods. In return, he received rich and unusual presents from his hosts, including African zebras and giraffes that ended their days in the Ming imperial zoo. Zheng He and his company paid respects to local deities and customs, and in Ceylon they erected a monument honouring Buddha, Allah, and Vishnu.
Zheng He generally sought to attain his goals through diplomacy, and his large army awed most would-be enemies into submission. But a contemporary reported that Zheng He "walked like a tiger", and did not shrink from violence when he considered it necessary to impress foreign peoples with China's military might.
He ruthlessly suppressed pirates who had long plagued Chinese and southeast Asian waters. He also intervened in a civil disturbance in order to establish his authority in Ceylon, and he made displays of military force when local officials threatened his fleet in Arabia and east Africa. From his fourth voyage, he brought envoys from thirty states who traveled to China and paid their respects at the Ming court.
In 1424, the Yongle Emperor died. His successor, the Hongxi Emperor, decided to curb the influence at court. Zheng He made one more voyage under the Xuande Emperor, but after that Chinese treasure ship fleets ended. Zheng He died during the treasure fleet's last voyage.
Although he has a tomb in China, it is empty: he was, like many great admirals, buried at sea. Zheng He, on his seven voyages, successfully relocated large numbers of Chinese Muslims to Malacca, Palembang, Surabaya and other places and Malacca became the center of Islamic learning and also a large international Islamic trade center of the southern seas.
His missions showed impressive demonstrations of organizational capability and technological might, but did not lead to significant trade, since Zheng He was an admiral and an official, not a merchant. Chinese merchants continued to trade in Japan and southeast Asia, but Imperial officials gave up any plans to maintain a Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean and even destroyed most of the nautical charts that Zheng He had carefully prepared. The decommissioned treasure ships sat in harbors until they rotted away, and Chinese craftsmen forgot the technology of building such large vessels.
Nautical charts: A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent coastal regions. One example of nautical charts that Zheng He had carefully prepared himself is the Kangnido Map.
The Kangnido Map (above)
as told by us;
12:32 AM
Zheng He led seven expeditions to what the Chinese called "the Western Ocean" (Indian Ocean). He brought back to China many trophies and envoys from more than thirty kingdoms — including King Alagonakkara of Ceylon, who came to China to apologize to the Emperor.
The records of Zheng He’s last two voyages, which is believed to be his farthest, were unfortunately destroyed by the Ming emperor. Therefore it is never certain where Zheng has sailed in these two expeditions. The traditional view is that he went as far as to Persia. It is now the widely accepted view that his expeditions went as far as the Mozambique Channel in East Africa, from the Chinese ancient artifact discovered there. The latest view, advanced by Gavin Menzies (see below) suggested Zheng's fleet has travelled every part of the world. However, virtually every authority in the field denounces Menzies' claims as speculation.
(Detail of the Fra Mauro map relating the travels of a junk into the Atlantic Ocean in 1420. The ship also is illustrated above the text.)
There are speculations that some of Zheng's ships may have traveled beyond the Cape of Good Hope. In particular, the Venetian monk and cartographer Fra Mauro describes in his 1457 Fra Mauro map the travels of a huge "junk from India" 2,000 miles into the Atlantic Ocean in 1420 .
Zheng himself wrote of his travels:
We have traversed more than 100,000 li (50,000 kilometers) of immense water spaces and have beheld in the ocean huge waves like mountains rising in the sky, and we have set eyes on barbarian regions far away hidden in a blue transparency of light vapors, while our sails, loftily unfurled like clouds day and night, continued their course [as rapidly] as a star, traversing those savage waves as if we were treading a public thoroughfare…
— (Tablet erected by Zheng He, Changle, Fujian, 1432. Louise Levathes
His voyages, records, and maps are suggested to be the sources of some of the other Ancient world maps, which are claimed by Menzies to have depicted the Americas, Antarctica, and the tip of Africa before the (European) official discovery and drawings of the Fra Mauro map or the De Virga world map.
The top: according to modern North-South orientation
The Bottom: The Fra Mauro map at its normal orientation-south at the top.
Links: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/FraMauroDetailedMapInverted.jpg
for the left view (N-S orientation)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/FraMauroDetailedMap.jpg
for the right view (normal orientation)
The De Virga world map (1411-1415).
Links: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/DeVirgaDetail.jpg
The full De Virga world map; with calendar plates.
Link: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/DeVirgaWorldMap.jpg
Former submarine commander Gavin Menzies in his book 1421: The Year China Discovered the World claims that several parts of Zheng's fleet explored virtually the entire globe, discovering West Africa, North and South America, Greenland, Iceland, Antarctica and Australia (except visiting Europe). Menzies also claimed that Zheng's wooden fleet passed the Arctic Ocean. However none of the citations in 1421 are from Chinese sources and scholars in China do not share Menzies's assertions.
A related book, The Island of Seven Cities: Where the Chinese Settled When They Discovered America by Paul Chiasson maintains that a nation of native peoples known as the Mi'kmaq on the east coast of Canada are descendants of Chinese explorers, offering evidence in the form of archaeological remains, customs, costume, artwork, etc. It is worth noting that several advocates of these theories believe that Zheng He also discovered modern day New Zealand on either his sixth or seventh expedition.
Trades Along the Silk Road
(Rolls of Chinese silk; Chinese silk has been a popular community for at least since ancient Roman times, when it was favored by the rich and fashionable and traded by merchants of many different religions along the well-known Silk Road.)
(Pictures of famous Chinese silk embroidery; when peach blossoms, dragons and phoenixes designs were very popular in China.)
(An example of an item made of silk; a silk pouch)
(Examples of ancient Chinese porcelain traded by merchants; bowls, pots and ‘containers’ pottery made of porcelain)
as told by us;
12:32 AM
(A map of the old Silk Road)
(An updated map showing the Silk Road with the Sea Route)
A BRIEF GEOGRAPHY OF THE SILK ROAD:
The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an interconnected series of ancient trade routes through various regions of the Asian continent mainly connecting Chang'an (today's Xi'an) in China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. It extends over 8,000 km (5,000 miles) on land and sea. Trade on the Silk Route was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Indian subcontinent, and Rome, and helped to lay the foundations for the modern world.
as told by us;
12:31 AM
Early 17th century Chinese woodblock print, thought to represent Zheng He's ships.
Zheng He's treasure ship (four hundred feet, bigger) in comparison to Columbus's St. Maria (eighty-five feet,smaller) (Illustration by Jan Adkins, 1993.)
(Ships of the world in 1460, according to the Fra Mauro map. Chinese junks are described as very large, three or four-masted ships.)
Treasure ships
Treasure ship is the name of a type of vessel that Admiral Zheng He sailed in. His fleet included 62 treasure ships, with some said to have reached 600 feet (146 meters) long. The fleet was manned by over 27,000 crew members, including navigators, explorers, sailors, doctors, workers, and soldiers. As the size estimates are those given in later works of fiction, it's likely that actual ships may have been smaller, since in later historical periods ships approaching this size(such as HMS Orlando) were unwieldy and visibly undulated with the waves, even with steel braces. The problem of "hogging", the tendency of the largest wooden ships to sag (like a pig's body) because of buoyancy in the middle, would have been impossible to solve.
According to ancient Chinese sources, Zheng He commanded seven expeditions. The 1405 expedition consisted of 27,800 men and a fleet of 62 treasure ships supported by approximately 190 smaller ships. The fleet included:
• "Treasure ships", used by Zheng He and his deputies (nine-masted, about 127 metres (416 feet) long and 52 metres (170 feet) wide, according to later writers. But no proof of the supposed great size of these ships exists, and as stated above, they are improbably large. The treasure ships purportedly weighed as much as 1,500 tons;127m by 52 m (416 feet by 170 feet)
By way of comparison, a modern ship of about 1,200 tons is 60 meter (200 feet) long, and the ships Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World in 1492 were about 70 to 100 tons and 17 meter (55 feet) long.
• "Horse ships", carry tribute goods and repair material for the fleet (eight-masted, about 103 m (339 feet) long and 42 m (138 feet) wide.
• "Supply ships", contains staple for the crew (seven-masted, about 78 m (257 feet) long and 35 m (115 feet) wide.
• "Troop transports"; six-masted, about 67 m (220 feet) long and 25 m (83 feet) wide.
• "Fuchuan warships"; five-masted, about 50 m (165 feet) long.
• "Patrol boats"; eight-oared, about 37 m (120 feet) long.
• "Water tankers", contains 1 month supply of fresh water. (127m long by 52m wide – 416 feet by 170 feet )
These are the dimensions of the Zheng He's ships according to ancient Chinese chronicles and disputed by modern scholars.
Six more expeditions took place, from 1407 to 1433, with fleets of comparable size.
MODELS OF ZHENG HE'S "TREASURE SHIP":
Built by Wei Wenxi, 71, a great navigator, a resident in Changshu, east China's Jiangsu Province and an expert on ancient ship, spent his savings on constructing a model of "Zheng He's treasure ship" in the proportion of 1:40.
Wei Wenxi (Left 1) made final decorations and adjustments to the model of Zheng He's treasure ship.
Workers adjusted the model.
Wei Wenxi made adjustments to porthole on the ship.
Wei Wenxi (Right) and a worker placed sampan model on the treasure ship.
Photos from: english.people.com.cn/200506/21/eng20050621_1...
VARIOUS KINDS OF ZHENG HE'S "TREASURE FLEET":
(The 400 feet long ‘treasure ship’)
Shuichuan (Water Tanker)
Machuan (Horse Ship)
Zhanchuan (Warship)
Zuochuan (Troop Transport)
Luchuan (Patrol Boat)
Baochuan (Treasure Ship)
Liangchuan (Supply Ship)
These reliable photos/pictures of Zheng He’s treasure fleet(models) are taken from: www.china.org.cn/.../features/zhenhe/131948.htm
as told by us;
12:31 AM
Zheng He was well-known to have traveled through the Maritime Asia much earlier than Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama, but who would have known that there was still a great navigator starting off this journey earlier than him? This is none other than Ibn Battuta, born in Tunisia on the north coast of Africa into a respected family of scholars. Due to his early great achievement way before other great navigators, he was called “the world’s first tourist.” At the age of 21, after finishing his education, Ibn Battuta set out to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, as all good Muslims were expected to do once in their lives.
Zheng He was also personally motivated for the journey by his devotion to Islam. He, like Ibn Batutta, was able to fulfill his Muslim duty to complete the pilgrimage to Mecca. At the same time, he explored the Muslim world and established relationships between the countries on the Indian rim and the Ming emperors, bringing the region, for a brief time, into regular trade and exchange. The traffic of the Silk Road moved onto the sea lanes, bringing the vitality of exchange of culture and technology to the coastal countries and leaving the interior to wither in isolation.
Chinese blue and white porcelain was often traded by Zheng He’s fleet and by other Chinese merchants all around the rim of the Indian Ocean
as told by us;
12:30 AM
China Silk Road.
Major Cities & Attractions Along China Silk Road
Travellers' tips
1. Please bring along warm clothing even in hot summer for temperature differs greatly between daytime and nights in some places on the route.
2. The period from May to October is the best time to take this route S the average temperature I around 15C.
3. The scenery is the best when fruit become ripe, the flowers in full bloom and grass in grassland turns to green. The summer can be searingly hot. The winter is freezing. The scenery is most beautiful during May. The accumulated winter snow on the tableland is melting. Visitors can enjoy this temperatures. enchanting scenery without suffering extreme
Tips on visiting Temples along the way:
1. When traveling along the Silk Road, a temple is often an important spot visited by travelers. There are some important things to remember, though, in order to ensure a pleasant visit to the temples.
2. Proper Manners: put your palms together and lower your head when meeting with the monks. Attempting to handshake, embrace or touch the head of the monk is considered sacrilegious.
3. Visiting Behaviour: Be respectful. Do not touch or deface any religious artifacts, be silent and nonjudgemental during religious ceremonies.
as told by us;
12:30 AM
(A giraffe brought from Africa as a tribute to China in the twelfth year of Yongle -AD 1414.)
One of the most famous tribute gifts to China were giraffes from East Africa. The first giraffe arrived in the Chinese court in 1414, a gift from the newly crowned king of Bengal, Saifu’d-Din, who had been given the giraffe by the king of Malindi (now a town in Kenya).
The Chinese had never quite seen anything like them: tall creatures with endless legs and necks, short horns, a long tongue and gentle eyes framed by long lashes. To the astonished court, these animals were qilin, beasts of the literary imagination appearing only when the world was at harmony and the emperor virtuous. Many no doubt thought the gift indicated not only the wisdom of their emperor, but also that the world was united under China’s benevolent civilizing power. With due fanfare, a painting of the animal was commissioned and a hymn of praise of Yongle and his family composed:
In a corner of the western seas, in the stagnant
waters of a great morass,
Truly was produced a qilin, whose shape was
as high as fifteen feet,
With the body of a deer and the tail of an ox,
and a fleshy, boneless horn,
With luminous spots like a red cloud or purple mist.
Its hoofs do not tread on [living] beings and its wandering it
carefully selects its ground,
It walks in stately fashion and in its every
motion it observes a rhythm,
Its harmonious voice sounds like a bell or a
musical tube.
Gentle is this animal that in all antiquity has
been seen but once,
The manifestation of its divine spirit rises up to heaven's abode.
Two years later, Yongle journeyed to the palace gates in Nanjing to receive yet more amazing animals from Malindi, including what were described as "celestial horses" and "celestial stags" (probably species of antelope and zebra) – and another "qilin". He is quoted as saying "This event is due to the abundant virtue of the late emperor, my father, and also to the assistance rendered me by my ministers. That is why distant people arrive in uninterrupted succession."
The giraffe continued to play a small but symbolic role in the voyages of the treasure fleet, with several arriving at court during the time of Zheng He's voyages. Almost 600 years later, it again took centre stage when the Chinese prime minister visited Kenya in 1983 and China's People's Daily wrote about the role of the animal in Sino-African relations. In 1988, two giraffes were presented to China on the occasion of the Kenyan president's visit to China.
as told by us;
12:30 AM
Ming Dynasty map - (AD 1368 to 1644 – 277 years)
THE EMPERORS:
1) The Hongwu Emperor (September 21, 1328 - June 24, 1398), personal name Zhu Yuanzhang, was the founder and first emperor (1368 - 98) of the Ming Dynasty of China.
Due to the anti-Mongol sentiments that developed in the early 14th century, many Chinese perceived the Yuan Dynasty as being foreign and illegitimate. It was during this era that Zhu Yuanzhang led a peasant revolution that was instrumental in expelling the Yuan Dynasty and forcing the Mongols to retreat to the Mongolian steppes. Consequently, he claimed the title Son of Heaven for himself and established the Ming Dynasty in 1368.
Portrait of Hongwu Emperor
2) The Jianwen Emperor (December 5, 1377-July 13, 1402), with the personal name Zhu Yunwen, reigned as the second Emperor of the Ming dynasty.
His father, Crown Prince Zhu Biao , was the son and designated heir of the Hongwu Emperor. When Zhu Biao died in 1392 before ascending to the throne, the Hongwu emperor made Zhu Biao's son Zhu Yunwen his successor, rather than Zhu Biao's younger brother Zhu Di.
The Jianwen reign was short (1398-1402). In 1402 the throne was usurped by Zhu Yunwen's uncle Zhu Di, mainly because of his suppression on the feudal lords. The emperor is said to have died in a fire of the palace during the coup. The Jianwen emperor was advised by a group of scholars, later known as the Four Martyrs, who were killed by Yongle. The record of Jianwen's rule was systematically erased by Yongle and no temple name was given to Jianwen.
Portrait of Jianwen Emperor
3)The Yongle Emperor (May 2, 1360 - August 12, 1424), born Zhu Di (Chu Ti) , was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. His era name means "Perpetually Jubilant". His usurpation of the throne is now sometimes called the "Second Founding" of the Ming. He is generally considered one of the greatest emperors of the Ming Dynasty, and to be among the greatest Chinese emperors.
He was the Prince of Yan, possessing a heavy military base in Beijing. He became known as Chengzu of Ming Dynasty after becoming emperor following a civil war.
He commissioned most of the exploratory sea voyages of Zheng He. During his reign the monumental Yongle Encyclopedia was completed.
He moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. According to a popular legend, the capital was moved when the emperor's advisors brought the emperor to the hills surrounding Nanjing and pointed out the emperor's palace showing the vulnerablity of the palace to artillery attack.
The Yongle Emperor is buried in the Changling tomb, the central and largest mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty Tombs.
(Map of Ming Dynasty under Yongle Emperor's reign.)
THE OTHER EMPERORS OF MING DYNASTY:
After the Xuande emperor died in 1435, his successors were no longer keen on voyages of the treasure fleet.
GEOGRAPHY OF MING DYNASTY:
as told by us;
12:29 AM
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Spreading Islam in Southeast Asia
Indonesian religious leader and Islamic scholar Hamka (1908–1981) wrote in 1961: "The development of Islam in Indonesia and Malaya is intimately related to a Chinese Muslim, Admiral Zheng He.” In Malacca, Zheng He built granaries, warehouses and a stockade, and most probably he left behind many of his Muslim crews. Much of the information on Zheng He's voyages was compiled by Ma Huan, also Muslim, who accompanied Zheng He on several of his inspection tours and served as his chronicler / interpreter. In his book ‘The Overall Survey of the Ocean Shores’, written in 1416, Ma Huan gave very detailed accounts of his observations of the peoples' customs and lives in ports they visited.
Zheng He had many Muslim Eunuchs as his companions. At the time when his fleet first arrived in Malacca, there were already Chinese of the 'Muslim' faith living there. Ma Huan talks about them as tangren (Chinese: 唐人) who were Muslim. At places they went, they frequented mosques, actively propagated the Islamic faith, established Chinese Muslim communities and built mosques.
Indonesian scholar Slamet Muljana writes: "Zheng He built Chinese Muslim communities first in Palembang, then in San Fa (West Kalimantan), subsequently he founded similar communities along the shores of Java, the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. They propagated the Islamic faith according to the Hanafi school of thought and in Chinese language."
Li Tong Cai, in his book 'Indonesia – Legends and Facts', writes: "in 1430, Zheng He had already successfully established the foundations of the Hui religion Islam.
After Zheng He's death in 1433, Chinese naval expeditions were suspended.
When Malacca was successively colonized by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and later the British, Chinese were discouraged from converting to Islam. Many of the Chinese Muslim mosques became San Bao Chinese temples commemorating Zheng He. After a lapse of 600 years, the influence of Chinese Muslims in Malacca declined to almost nil. In many ways, Zheng He can be considered a major founder of the present community of Chinese Indonesians.
When Parameswara spotted Malacca (Melaka)
During the 15th century voyages of the treasure fleet, it is also the rise of Melaka, the Malay name for Malacca. This period is often considered the start of Malaysia’s recorded history, for Malacca is one of the earliest city-states in the Malay Peninsula.
As the city sits at the mouth of the Malacca River and thus possesses a natural harbour, this made Parameswara decide that Malacca would be the seat of his new capital.
Over time, Malacca soon grew into an emporium, a marketplace where commodities such as spices and textiles from all over Southeast Asia could be exchanged for goods from China, India, Persia and the Mediterranean.(Indirect trade) The people became rich from trading.
Soon, the city came to be known throughout the Ocean and beyond for its amazing commercial wealth. It raised the interest of many big kingdoms, all of which coveted Malacca’s rising influence.
Link: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/80LangMap002.jpg
GEOGRAPHY OF MALACCA:
The state of Malacca covers an area of 1,650-sq. km. or 1.3 percent of the whole area of Malaysia. The state is divided into 3 districts, that is Central Melaka (314 km [square]), Alor Gajah (660 km [square]), and Jasin (676 km [suqare]).
Malacca is located on the southwestern coast of Malay Peninsula opposite Sumatra, with the state of Negeri Sembilan to the north and Johor to the east. Malacca is also situated roughly two-thirds of the way down the West coast, 148 km south of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and 245 km north of Singapore and commanding a central position on the Straits of Malacca. The state capital Malacca Town is strategically located between the two national capitals (of Malaysia and Singapore respectively) and is linked with excellent roads and highways. Malacca itself is yet to have its own train station, though the terminal at Tampin, Negeri Sembilan is easily accessible. It has a domestic airport terminal located in Batu Berendam.
The offshore Pulau Besar (Malacca) is also part of Malacca.
(An example of an agate; a type of quartz, characterized by its fineness of grain and brightness of colour.)
Zheng He's Tomb http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/Zheng_He%27s_tomb%2C_Nanjing.jpg
Zheng He is arguably China's most famous navigator. Starting from the beginning of the 15th Century, he traveled to the West seven times. For 28 years, he traveled more than 50,000km and visited over 30 countries, including Singapore. Zheng He's tomb in Nanjing has been repaired and a small museum has been built next to it. But, Zheng He's body is not here as he was buried at sea off the Malabar coast near Calicut in Western India. However, his sword and other personal possessions were interred in the typical Muslim tomb inscribed with Arabic characters.
At the entrance to the tomb is a Ming-style structure, which houses the memorial hall. Inside are paintings of Zheng He himself and his navigation maps. To get to the tomb, there are newly laid stone platforms and steps. The stairway consists of 28 stone steps divided into four sections with each section having seven steps. This represents Zheng He's seven journeys to the West. The Arabic words inscribed on top of the tomb means "Allah (God) is great”.
Zheng He constructed many wooden ships, some of which are the largest in the history, in Nanjing. Three of the shipyards still exist today.
2/3 oz silver commemorative coin of Zheng He
Zheng He’s Museum
Direct descendant of Wenming, Zheng He's elder brother, next to Zheng He's statue
From: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/Statue_of_Zheng_He_with_great_great_grandnephew.jpg
The museum built in honour of Zheng He. This small museum is built next to Zheng He’s tomb in Nanjing.
Zheng He and Singapore
Singapore’s place in the voyages of Zheng He’s fleet is slightly enigmatic. It is the only country in Southeast Asia with a Chinese majority. It lies at the very tip of the Malay Peninsula, and the treasure fleet certainly would have had to pass by from the South Malacca it stop at on one seven voyages?
While there is no documentation to suggest that Zheng He’s fleet actually landed in Singapore, there is a wealth of archaeological evidence from the island republic to confirm that it has been inhabited from at least the early 14th century. Excavations at Fort Canning hill have turned up ancient brick ruins and Chinese porcelain from the first half of the 14th century. The finds corroborate Malay legends that speak of an old palace atop the hill.
Excavations at Empress Place, close to the Asian Civilizations Museum, revealed yet more evidence of Singapore’s history. Chinese porcelain that dates back from the late 13th to the mid-15th centuries was found.
Places of Interest in Singapore – a mere red dot in the World Map
Boat Quay and Clarke Quay
Along Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, restored shophouses and godowns stand testimony to the hustle and bustle of early traders who flocked to the free port of Singapore to sell their goods.
the hustle and bustle still continues today, but in the form of tourists who flocked around and throng the restaurants and dining places nearby in order to catch a glimpse of the wonderful sights of Clarke Quay and Boat Quay at night.
Chinatown
Singapore's Chinatown evolved around 1821 when the first Chinese junk arrived from Xiamen, Fujian province in China. The passengers, all men, set up home around the south of the Singapore River which is known today as Telok Ayer. Chinatown’s local name – “Niu Che Shui” (Bullock Cart Water) arose from the fact each household at that time had to collect fresh water from the wells in Ann Siang Hill and Spring Street, using bullock-drawn carts.
But today, the best way to appreciate Chinatown is to spend three or four hours simply wandering about or sitting in the many coffee shops and hawker centers available to watch the busy street life and admire the traditional shop house architecture.
Other places of interest in Singapore
-Arab street and Kampong Glam (a mini “village” indicating Singapore’s past villagers’ lifestyle) you can go:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampong_Glam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Street
- Little India (another small “village” like the Kampong Glam, but its focus is on the Indians in Singapore; how they live, communicate with people of different religion in Singapore) You can go:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_India,_Singapore
as told by us;
12:29 AM