Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe was an important event in human history, and since then, the world has undergone earth-shaking changes. However, we in China have also had such large-scale voyages, although the scope of the voyage is not as far as that of Westerners, but in terms of scale, it is more than enough. Moreover, it is nearly a century earlier in time, which is the very famous "Zheng He Seven Voyages to the West" in history.
According to the current general view, Zheng He passed through all parts of Southeast Asia during his seven voyages to the West, reaching as far as the east coast of Africa, and some scholars believe that Zheng He's fleet went to the Americas. But when we see our humiliating recent history, most people have a doubt, why did our exploration of the world predate the West for so many years, and in the end, it was far behind them in terms of science and technology, and what was the end of a generation of heroes Zheng He?
This has to start at the beginning.
At the beginning, Ming Taizu swept through the Central Plains with a three-foot cloth body, drove away the Mongol iron horse, and reunified the chaotic China. After his death, he passed the throne to his beloved Sun Jianwen, thinking that the world could be safe and sound, and the people could rest. Without thinking of the resumption of war in the middle of the way, Zhu Di, the King of Yan, went south to seize power under the banner of Jingnan and seized the throne of his nephew into his own hands.
During this process, the life and death of Emperor Jianwen are unknown, and there are rumors that he fled overseas by boat under the protection of some old courtiers. And Because Zhu Di was not right in the country, emperor Jianwen's life was always a hidden danger for him. Therefore, he ordered Zheng He to organize a fleet of ships to go overseas to find the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen——— which is commonly believed to be zheng he's purpose in the Western Ocean.
Zheng He made seven voyages to the West, six of which occurred during the reign of Ming Chengzu Zhu Di, and the last occurred during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Ming.
From this, it is not difficult to see that the statement that Zheng He went to the West to find Emperor Jianwen also has a certain degree of rationality. Because, from a personal point of view, Zhu Di was the most taboo against Emperor Jianwen, so most of Zheng He's actions in the West occurred during the Yongli calendar.
When Zhu Di's descendants came to power, they did not have much good feelings for Emperor Jianwen, so their enthusiasm for finding him was certainly not as high as Zhu Di's. And with the passage of time, the possibility that Emperor Jianwen was still alive was very small, and the imperial court did not need to go to great lengths for a person who might have died a long time ago. Of course, the termination of this large-scale navigation operation is also related to the inability of the national strength of the Ming Dynasty to support.
During the Zhu Di period, the Ming Dynasty still had a certain amount of surplus funds in the national treasury a few years after its establishment, which could be used by Zheng He in the Western Ocean. However, ocean voyages are not small projects, and it costs money to repair ships and build ships, and even the abundant national treasury cannot withstand such consumption. Although Zheng He's voyage to the West seemed to be a very imposing and long-faced thing today, at that time, it did not bring any actual income to the Ming Dynasty.
And the tributes of those so-called small countries are only symbolic, and they are not at all comparable to what our Great Heavenly Dynasty has given them.
This kind of in-and-out thing must be terminated in the long run, otherwise the Ming Dynasty will be dragged down.
As a descendant, I think that if you want to continue this exploration, the best thing to do is to establish a trading system in the process of ocean voyages, as later Westerners did. While promoting the prestige of the country, don't forget to do some business with the small countries and tribes on the way, and ensure that your project can bring practical benefits to the country. Only in this way will the emperor be able to continue to support you.
Of course, if Zheng He's going to the West is really just looking for Emperor Jianwen, then the next seven times is indeed enough. Back to the fate of Zheng He, the matter of Zheng He going to the West occurred during the ming chengzu and Ming Xuanzong periods, and in the middle of the two Akihito period, the matter of going to the west was briefly shelved. Among them, Ming Chengzu and Ming Xuanzong were definitely strong supporters of Zheng He, while Akihito was not.
During the reign of Emperor Renzong, Zheng He's navigational operations were stopped, but in the eyes of ordinary people, the matter of going to the West was as great a feat as the Han Dynasty's access to the Western Regions and the conquest of the Xiongnu. Moreover, this was an action explicitly supported by his predecessor Emperor Zhu Di, and as a ruler, it was not a wise thing to prevaricate the previous policy. Therefore, taking a step back ten thousand steps, even if Akihito had reservations about going to the West, he could not blame Zheng He.
And history is indeed like this, zheng he in the renzong period, although no longer sail, but still with the merits of the previous six voyages to the West, won a very high official position.
After that, he was in charge of garrison tasks in the Nanjing area, the old capital of the Ming Dynasty, without being marginalized at all. In the time of Emperor Xuanzong of Ming, the policy of the imperial court had changed again, and the emperor decided to let Zheng He go out of the mountains again and repeat the great cause of the past. At this time, Zheng He was no longer young, and his energy was not as good as before, plus, after such a long time, no one wanted to return to the bumpy ocean.
However, this ocean voyage was not only the emperor's edict, but also a dream and pursuit of his own. Although he knew that his current physical condition could not withstand such activities, he still took the fleet out to sea without hesitation. In the end, Zheng He died during the voyage. According to the "Chronicle of the Two Counties of Shangjiang": "There is the tomb of the eunuch Zheng He (Niushou Mountain), Yongle Zhong ordered to go to the West, Xuande Chu resumed his life, and died in Guli. ”
According to this, Zheng He died in Guli during the seventh voyage to the West and was buried in Niushou Mountain. However, whether he died on the way to go or returned, there is no clear record that he could die on the last voyage, which is also the best destination arranged by God for Zheng He, the great navigator. Since then, Daming has not had a navigation operation of this scale, and China has missed an opportunity to compete with Westerners during the great voyage.
However, as for the specific location of Zheng He's tomb on Niushou Mountain, due to the unclear historical record, it has not been known for a long time, and in the 1930s, some scholars specifically searched for it. Luo Xianglin said in "The Trip to Niushou Mountain" that "Zheng He's tomb is in Wushi Village, Lion Mountain, Three Miles Southwest of Niushou Mountain". After liberation, after years of cultural relics census, cultural relics workers in Nanjing officially reported the exact location of Zheng He Cemetery in Niushou Mountain for the first time in 1964. Repairs have been carried out, trees have been planted, listed as cultural relics protection units, and it has been decided to re-erect the tombstones as a permanent memorial.
In general, Zheng He's voyage to the West was an unprecedented feat in the history of world navigation in the early 15th century, which played a positive role in Economic and Cultural Exchanges between China and foreign countries. Zheng He himself also showed his outstanding diplomatic ability, military strategy and spiritual qualities in this historical event, and won the respect and commemoration of the world.
Resources:
[Ming Shi? Biography of Zheng He", "Records of Emperor Taizongwen", "Records of Emperor Akihito"]