The family had migrated to China from Central Asia and had served in the Mongol administration in this region. Originally named Ma He, Zheng He was born to a Muslim family in Yunnan. Loyalists to the fallen Mongol Yuan dynasty remained in provinces such as Yunnan, located in Southwest China. In 1368, having established the new dynasty in Nanjing, Zhu Yuanzhang, the rebel leader, ordered his army to attack Beijing and ousted the Mongols who fled back to the Mongolian steppe outside the Great Wall. The Ming dynasty (1368–1644) was founded after the Chinese rebellion against the Mongols who ruled China during the previous century. All this happened only decades prior to the advent of the great age of European discovery and exploration. China’s maritime supremacy vanished abruptly in the 1430s because of domestic objections, and the overseas expeditions were eventually ended by the court. It was by and large intended to facilitate peaceful diplomatic and trade relationships with foreign countries. Between the period from 1405 to 1433, China’s Ming dynasty launched seven voyages led by Admiral Zheng He to explore these vast regions, known then to the Chinese as the “West Oceans.” One such voyage typically featured over 300 vessels, including a number of “treasure ships” over 400 feet long, accompanied by a legion of supply ships, water tankers, warships with canons, and multioared patrol boats the total personnel on the fleet numbered over 28,000.1 As has been pointed out, “It was a unique armada in the history of China- and the world-not to be surpassed until the invasion fleets of World War I sailed the seas.”2 Rather different from the Europeans, the Chinese armada never sought to establish colonial rule over these oceans by military force. Series available on .Įighty years before Vasco da Gama’s arrival in West India, a formidable Chinese navy ruled the China Sea and Indian Ocean, from Southeast Asia to the Persian Gulf and East Africa. Re-envisioning Asia: Contestations and Struggles in the Visual Artsĭownload PDF Screen capture from the docudrama Emperor of the Seas depicting Zheng He’s fleet of ships in Nanjing harbor the day they set sail for their first voyage.Distinguished Service to the Association for Asian Studies Award.Distinguished Contributions to Asian Studies Award.Striving for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Asian Studies: Humanities Grants for Asian Studies Scholars.Gosling-Lim Postdoctoral Fellowship in Southeast Asian Studies.Cultivating the Humanities & Social Sciences Initiative Grants.Key Issues in Asian Studies Book Series.AAS Takes Action to Build Diversity & Equity in Asian Studies.
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