Ming Yongle died in June 11, 1405, in Liujiagang, Suzhou Province.
Clear and clear skies, bright sunshine, favorable wind and smooth;
The vast sea, the boats are connected, and the clouds cover the sun.
On the docks, the crowds rejoiced and the flags were unfurled.
The burly Chincha was making the chief eunuch Zheng He bid farewell to the officials and local people who were sending them off, and strode aboard the treasure ship, and gave an order: "Set sail!" ”
A huge fleet of more than 200 giant ships and more than 27,800 people slowly left the harbor and headed for the vast sea!
The largest, longest and longest-lasting navigation operation in human history began; the "Great Age of Navigation" in human history began.
It's an epic saga. From the third year of Ming Yongle (1405) to the eighth year of Xuande (1433), in 28 years, Zheng He led a fantastic fleet of ships to the West seven times, creating a successful crossing of the Indian Ocean. This fleet has "waded through 100,000 miles" and has traveled to more than 30 countries and regions in Asia and Africa. This spectacular voyage reached the pinnacle of ancient maritime history.
One
Humans live on land, but they are always interested in the vast and mysterious sea. The total area of the ocean is about 360 million square kilometers, accounting for about 71% of the Earth's surface area, and the average water depth is about 3795 meters. So far, only 5% of the seafloor has been explored by humans, and 95% of the seafloor is unknown.
As early as childhood, human beings began to try to understand the mysteries of the ocean. The excavations suggest that Chinese began its maritime history very early. In Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, 8,000-year-old canoes were found; at Yuyao Hemudu, wooden oars from 7,000 years ago were found. From 6600 to 4500 years ago, the People of Dawenkou and Longshan successively went to the sea from the Shandong Peninsula and drifted east island by island on rafts.
In the 2nd century BC, in addition to the "Silk Road" on land, Emperor Wudi of China opened up the "Maritime Silk Road" in the Indian Ocean, and since then, silk, porcelain, tea and other objects have closely linked China with the West. Economic and cultural exchanges have lasted for more than a thousand years, which is unprecedented in the world. Between the 6th and 13th centuries, the "Tang Dynasty", known for its huge strength and strongness, traveled from east to west to reach Egypt; the Song Dynasty invented the ship's compass; and the Yuan Dynasty Haigang was famous for its record endurance distance.
Zheng He's seven voyages to the West were developed on the basis of the glorious maritime culture of the motherland.
Two
Zheng He led a huge fleet of ships from Liujiagang at the mouth of the Liuhe River in Taicang (known as Loudong in ancient times) in Jiangsu Province, "the clouds sailed high, the stars galloped day and night", and with a fearless pioneering spirit, he created an unprecedented voyage on the vast sea. "In June of the third year of Yongle, (Chengzu) ordered He and his nephew King Jinghong and other envoys to the West, and more than 27,800 soldiers... Traverse the kingdoms one by one. This is the record of Zheng He's first voyage abroad in the History of Ming.
Zheng He, born in the fourth year of Ming Hongwu (1371), his original surname was Ma, Minghe, a Hui ethnic group, and lived in Jinning County, Kunming, Yunnan. He was the grandson of Sai Dianchi, the King of Xianyang in the Yuan Dynasty, and his grandfather and father were hereditary Marquis of Dianyang. In the fifteenth year of Ming Hongwu (1382), the Ming army conquered Kunming, his father died, and the 12-year-old Ma He was taken into the camp by the Ming army, punished by the palace, and elected to serve in the palace. It is undoubtedly unfortunate to encounter such a change, but for Ma He, such a talented teenager, suffering can only lead to his precociousness, serious thinking about his future and destiny. During his service in the Yan Dynasty, Zheng He studied the one hand, absorbed knowledge extensively, and soon stood out among the internal servants and became a knowledgeable and talented person; on the other hand, he learned military and combat skills in the battle of following Zhu Di, the King of Yan, on his expedition to Saiwai. He was quick-witted, witty, literate and martial, and made many military achievements, and was deeply appreciated by the King of Yan, becoming Zhu Di's close companion. In the "Battle of Jingnan" in which Zhu Di seized the throne, Ma He participated in the military aircraft at the side of the King of Yan, gave advice, and followed the King of Yan to charge into the battlefield, repeatedly building qigong, and was heavily valued by the King of Yan. After Zhu Di seized the throne, he was given the surname "Zheng" and promoted to eunuch of the internal official, and the official was ranked si pin, second only to the si li supervisor.
According to records, Zheng He was "nine feet long, with a waist of ten circumferences, four steep mountains and a small nose"; "his eyebrows were clear, his ears were white, his teeth were like weaving shells, his lines were like tiger steps, and his voice was loud." He was physically strong, full of vigor and lofty spirits, and had the demeanor of a great general, and historians praised him for his "abundant physique and great appearance, discernment and agility", "wisdom and strategy, knowledge of soldiers and martial arts, and the emperor relied on him". Cheng Zu was determined to entrust him with a heavy responsibility. In the third year of Yongle, Ming Chengzu appointed Zheng He as the chief eunuch of Chincha Zheng and ordered him and Wang Jinghong to lead the fleet to the West.
This is a human feat destined to be solemnly written into history!
In the history of the world, there has never been such a large-scale navigation and diplomatic activity, there is no historical experience to learn from, and the risks are unimaginably high. Zhu Di entrusted such a heavy responsibility to Zheng He, a decision made after careful consideration and repeated weighing, and also a high degree of trust and affirmation of Zheng He's comprehensive quality. Zheng He did not live up to his high expectations and brilliantly completed this great navigation operation that had never been done before and never came after.
Zheng He led a huge fleet of ships to the West seven times, opening up as many as forty-two major routes, reaching the westernmost to the south of the equator, and the western end of the route extending to the ports of two African countries, Bira (present-day Port of Mozambique) and Sun la (present-day Port so far Rah), which may be the furthest African country reached by Zheng He's fleet; as far south as Java, Indonesia; and as far north as Tianfang (present-day Mecca, Saudi Arabia).
Zheng He's seven voyages to the West are unprecedented great feats, writing a brilliant chapter in the history of world navigation, and making great contributions to mankind's further understanding of the ocean and the use of the ocean. In terms of time, long before the Europeans, it was more than half a century before Columbus reached the American continent and da Gama bypassed the Cape of Good Hope, and nearly a century before Magellan's voyage around the world. In terms of scale, its huge fleet and huge treasure ships are unprecedented in the history of world navigation. In terms of the routes opened up, Zheng He opened up and established an extensive and stable international transportation network, creating brilliant achievements in the history of human navigation. History shows that China's Zheng He was the earliest explorer of the "Great Navigation Age" of mankind. Dr. Joseph Needham, who specializes in the history of science and technology in China, called the early Ming Dynasty "the greatest era of seafaring expeditions in Chinese history."
The success of Zheng He's navigation operations has been groundbreaking in many aspects. Before going to the Western Ocean, Zheng He led his subordinates to carry out many large-scale marine surveys and expeditions, grasped relevant sea conditions data, and compiled relevant nautical charts. The mission piloted a sailing mast treasure ship with good performance and had reached the peak of the world, which was comparable to or similar to a modern 10,000-ton steamship, which was unique in the world at that time. The fleet of more than 27,800 people, each time going to sea is about two years. Such a huge contingent, which has been adrift at sea for many years, is plagued by miasma everywhere it goes, and there has been no hunger, disease or accidental death, which cannot but be attributed to strict organization and complete logistical medical support, and cannot but be said to be an incredible miracle.
More importantly, Zheng He's great navigation comprehensively applied a variety of navigation methods such as astronomical navigation, compass navigation, land mark navigation, measuring water depth and substrate, as recorded in the "Western Fanguo Chronicle": "All cut wood for plates, the book is engraved with dry branches, and the floating needle is in the water, pointing to the boat." "This kind of navigation technology was very advanced in the world at that time. And drew the world's largest and most advanced nautical chart at that time - "Zheng He's Nautical Chart". As a result, Zheng He's fleet was able to set out from the vast western Pacific Ocean, cross the Indian Ocean halfway, and then travel south along the east coast of Africa, through the windy Mozambique Strait, bypassing the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of the African continent, and reaching the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and beyond.
Three
Zheng He's great achievements in navigation have been praised for generations, and he is recognized as a great navigator in later generations. But in my opinion, his more important identity is that of a brilliant diplomat. The superb diplomatic level and peaceful diplomatic thinking he has displayed in his contacts with Asian and African countries are even more a valuable spiritual wealth.
Unlike the voyages of Western navigators who conquered, occupied, plundered, and "desired new lands to colonize themselves" (Liang Qichao), Zheng He's seven voyages to the West were always aimed at peace, goodwill, friendship, and mutual benefit.
Zheng He is a great messenger of peace. Zheng He was an envoy appointed by the emperor, and in the course of his seven voyages to the West, he "entered the country to ask for prohibitions and entered the country to ask customs", and always carried out peaceful diplomatic activities. Although Zheng He was the chief eunuch, equivalent to the current commander of the fleet, leading tens of thousands of soldiers, he surrendered without a fight. As long as the Ming Dynasty is not endangered in state-to-state exchanges, force will never be used and peaceful coexistence will be possible. Several times the use of troops was forced, mainly to suppress pirates, counterattack sneak attacks, help quell civil unrest and mediate disputes, and achieve the purpose of maintaining peace in Southeast Asia, ensuring the smooth passage of maritime trade routes, and good-neighborliness and friendship among countries, without the slightest intention and action of aggression, conquest, expansion, plunder, or threat.
China has been a peace-loving country since ancient times. "He" is one of the cores of Confucius thought, "harmonious society", "peaceful and prosperous world" and "datong world" are the ideals of Confucians of all generations. For more than 270 years during the Ming Dynasty, it pursued a policy of good-neighborliness and friendship toward its neighbors. At the beginning of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict to Annam, clearly declaring: "In the past, when emperors ruled the world, all the places where the sun and moon shone were located, regardless of distance or near, were treated equally, so as long as China could maintain a stable situation, the four sides could get their own places, and it was not intentional to let all parties come to submit." Proceeding from this principle, Zhu Yuanzhang's general foreign policy for the Ming Empire was to "be at peace with the distant and share the blessings of taiping." In the "Ancestral Precepts of the Emperor Ming", he admonished: "All the four sides are limited to mountains and seas, and they are secluded in a corner, and their land is not enough to supply, and their people are not enough to make orders." ...... I am afraid that future generations will rely on China's wealth and strength, covet temporary achievements, raise troops for no reason, and cause injuries to people's lives. Ming Chengzu also said to the ministers of the Ministry of Rites: "When Emperor Taizugao was emperor, all the envoys sent by the various countries to the dynasty were treated with sincerity. He who changes things with the soil listens to them. Or if there is a mistake in the constitution without knowing how to avoid it, they are all lenient, so as to cherish the distant people. Now the four seas and one family, just to spread the word. This kind of "one family from all over the world" certainly has a great power mentality of "kingly coming to the world", but it is also the embodiment of the idea of unity under the heavens.
Zheng He navigation, faithfully following the instructions of the former emperor and the will of Chengzu, brilliantly fulfilled the peaceful diplomatic task of "Xuande and Rouyuan people" proposed by the Ming Court, and created a grand event of the Chinese national civilization spreading overseas. Seven voyages to the West, with many countries and regions in Asia and Africa, established friendly diplomatic relations, promoted the social and economic development of overseas localities, and improved the international status of the Ming Empire.
Whenever Zheng He's delegation went to a country, it read the Ming Chengzu Edict to the king and his ministers, publicizing the foreign policy of the Ming Dynasty and expressing their desire for good exchanges with various countries. At the same time, the princes and ministers were rewarded to show the emperor's grace.
Zheng He's main task in the early period of his voyage to the West was to establish a peaceful and tranquil situation in Southeast Asia and South Asia, and to establish the prestige of the Ming Dynasty. Before Zheng He went to the West, the international environment around China was turbulent, and countries in Southeast Asia were suspicious and competed with each other. At that time, The two largest countries in Southeast Asia, Java and Siam, expanded abroad, oppressed some neighboring countries, threatened Manchuria, Sumatra, Champa and Chenla, and even killed Ming envoys and intercepted missions paying tribute to China. In addition, piracy is rampant, running rampant in southeast Asia and South Asia, which is very arrogant, and the sea lines of communication cannot be guaranteed. On the one hand, these unstable factors directly affected the security of southern China, and on the other hand, greatly affected the international image of the Ming Dynasty, which was not conducive to the stability and development of the Ming Dynasty. In this situation, Zheng He led the delegation to implement the foreign policy of peace of "internal peace and tranquility, external care, equal treatment, and sharing peace", and through various means, tried his best to mediate and ease the contradictions between neighboring countries and calm disputes between countries. Help the weak and stop the war between countries. Maintain the safety of maritime traffic, link China's stability and development with its neighbors, and try to establish a long-term stable international environment. He adopted the strategy of issuing edicts and rewards and reconciling with each other, successfully mediated the contradictions and conflicts between Siam and Manchuria, repeatedly resolved the confrontation between Annam and Champa City, resolved the disputes between Siam and its neighbors, consolidated the relations between Manjah, Sumatra and other countries with China, and promoted tranquility in southeast Asia.
By the time of Zheng He's fourth voyage to the West, the Ming government had already established its prestige in Southeast Asia and South Asian countries. In terms of sea and land routes, after Zheng He's three missions, the area from the South Sea Islands to South India has been fully penetrated without hindrance. With the support of Ming Chengzu, Zheng He further visited distant countries west of South Asia. He led a large fleet of ships across the Indian Ocean, sailed to the Persian Gulf, crossed the Red Sea, and traveled south along the coast of East Africa, reaching the coastal countries of East Africa south of the equator.
As a result of Zheng He's successful diplomatic efforts, a new situation of unprecedented good-neighborliness and friendship has emerged in China's relations with Western countries, especially Southeast Asian countries, and relations between Asian and African countries and China have advanced by leaps and bounds. Zheng He not only enabled countries that originally had diplomatic relations with China to continue to get along with each other, but also established diplomatic relations with more countries. Many Southeast Asian countries or kings personally visited or sent envoys to visit China, and these diplomatic gains reached the peak in the history of Western diplomacy in the Ming Dynasty.
One of Zheng He's missions to the West was to eliminate pirates and open up sea routes. On the eve of Zheng He's voyage to the West, piracy activities in Southeast Asia were rampant, and the most powerful of them was the Chen Zuyi clique, which had a large number of people, commanded one side, robbed the merchants, and even dared to "subtly invite and rob" Zheng He's fleet, and was very arrogant. In the fifth year of Yongle (1407), Zheng He's fleet ended its visit to Guri and other countries, and when it returned to the old port, it annihilated this stubborn enemy in one fell swoop. Since then, the pirate forces in the area around the Old Port have been completely eliminated, and the sea routes in Southeast Asia have been cleared by Yes and Ning.
Four
Zheng He went to the West and brought the advanced achievements of the Chinese nation's civilization to the countries of Asia and Africa.
Carrying out and expanding overseas trade was one of the main purposes of Zheng He's voyage to the West, and it was the main content of his peaceful diplomatic activities overseas as a messenger of peace. On the long Maritime Silk Road, in the past three decades, Zheng He's fleet carried out extensive economic exchanges with Asian and African countries in various forms of trade activities, and promoted the economic development of overseas countries, which played an important role in promoting the peaceful development pattern of overseas at that time.
Fleets trade in African countries with unprecedented pomp and circumstance. Carrying a large amount of gold and silver, silk, brocade, porcelain, lacquerware, etc., the fleet carried out extensive trade activities with african coastal countries, in exchange for a large number of local specialties such as ambergris, myrrh, frankincense, ivory, as well as rare animals such as "unicorns" (giraffes), zebras, lions, rhinos, golden leopards, hump-hoofed chickens, and established friendly ties with the local people. In the nineteenth year of Yongle (1421), Zheng He went to the West for the sixth time, and the main task of this trip was to carry out foreign trade. In the zufar kingdom, the king instructed the people of the country to sell their goods, and the whole country joined the super bazaar in full swing. They exchanged frankincense, blood exhaustion, aloe vera, myrrh, suhe oil, benzoin, mubezi, etc., for Chinese silk and porcelain.
In foreign trade, Zheng He implemented Ming Chengzu's policy of "thick to thin". The Records of the Ming Dynasty records: "The Shangshu Provincial Minister said: 'The Western Zori, the world is called Far Fan, wading into the sea, it is difficult to count the years. Its tribute, no matter how sparse, is thick and thin. Ming Chengzu completely inherited this policy, and qing was better than blue. In Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Ocean, the principle of "thick to thin" was implemented, and no trade norms of mutual benefit were implemented, but only partial equality and mutual benefit were implemented. In trade activities, hundreds of thousands of people are often produced, and less than one or two are obtained. This kind of behavior, which seriously violates the principle of equal exchange in the commodity economy and sacrifices its own interests in exchange for the trust of other countries, certainly does not conform to the concept of modern state, but it did play a good-neighborly and friendly role at that time.
Zheng He's "Maritime Silk Road" was the development of the "Overland Silk Road" and "Maritime Silk Road" of the Han Dynasty, especially the rapid development of economic trade, far exceeding the former. Some scholars believe that Zheng He's "Maritime Silk Road" promoted the development of the official silk industry centered on Suzhou, improved the clothing problem of overseas people, and also promoted the development of the silk fabric industry in Southeast Asian countries. Zheng He's voyage to the West enabled the smooth passage of the "Maritime Silk Road" between China and Asian and African countries, and pushed international trade between China and Asian and African countries to a new stage of development. In 2016, I visited Suzhou Shengze Town, which is famous for its "sunrise of 10,000 horses, clothes under the world". Shengze is currently the largest silk capital in China, and the fluctuation of silk prices affects the fluctuation of silk prices around the world. Locals tell us that the prosperity of Shengze's silk industry also benefited from Zheng He's "Maritime Silk Road". Zheng He's seven voyages to the West were anchored from Taicang, Suzhou, and the main commodity brought overseas was Shengze's silk. Since the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the silk trade in Shengze has become increasingly prosperous, forming a grand situation of "water towns into one city, Luo Qi walking in the Central Plains". Feng Menglong, a famous literary scholar at the end of the Ming Dynasty, described Shengze at that time in "Awakening to the World": "There are about thousands of silk and tooth shops on both sides of the city, and villages near and far are woven into silk, all of which are listed here." The four merchants bought, the bees gathered the ants, and they could not be squeezed open, and there was no gap in the road. It is the land of splendid embroidery and the land where Ayara is gathered. It can be said that there is no Zheng He's "Maritime Silk Road" and no prosperity of Shengze's silk industry.
When Zheng He went to the West, he also paid special attention to the people's livelihood and the well-being of the people in various countries. Every time Zheng He went to a country, he had to dig many wells and draw well water for the local people to drink. They also distributed farming tools to the local people and taught them to irrigate and cultivate. In Champa (Vietnam), Zheng He taught farmers to plant three crops of rice, and since then Champa has become a rich country known for producing rice. In addition, Zheng He will bring Chinese medicine seeds and teach them to engage in planting. Champa is a coastal country, and once the water rises, the houses are often flooded. Zheng He taught them how to build a house, and the bottom of the house was made of hardwood with four feet, about a foot from the ground, even if the water rose, it would not be submerged. This method was later emulated by the coastal countries of Southeast Asia, and there was no flooding or dampness. He also taught the Champa people how to mint money and make tofu, taught Siam (Thailand) to cut wood, make pottery, dry salt in seawater, open wells, open terraces, weave silk...
Zheng He's fleet also included a number of healers and two stable wives (midwives), in addition to ensuring the medical care of the fleet personnel, everywhere he went, he had to set up accounts to administer medicines and treat the local natives and deliver babies. Zheng He's fleet stored a lot of Chinese medicines and proprietary medicines, and he set up shacks everywhere to treat local people' diseases, not only did not receive medical fees, but instead gave symptomatic drugs. The Nanyang Chinese have accumulated habits, and there are still many shi clinics and hospitals for pure Chinese medicine.
Zheng He's seven voyages to the West are actually peace tours, goodwill tours, trade tours, scientific and technological tours, and cultural tours. He had friendly contacts with Asian and African countries and left a deep impression on the people of the countries where he lived. People at home and abroad admired his feat of seven voyages to the West, remembered his outstanding contributions to Sino-foreign exchanges, and built statues, temples, and monuments for him. In many parts of The country and in Southeast Asian countries, there are buildings and place names named after Zheng He or Sanbao (Sanbao).
Five
Seven voyages to the West are the concentrated embodiment and important practice of Zheng He's maritime thought.
In ancient China, there were few people like Zhu Di and Zheng He, who had a sober sense of the sea and advanced sea power. Zhu Di and Zheng He were the first time in Chinese history that maritime strategic thinkers linked the oceans with national sovereignty, security, and prosperity. Zhu Di repeatedly stressed that the estuary of the Heilongjiang River was the "land of locking keys" and sent Zheng He seven times to the West. Zheng He openly advocated defending the country's maritime sovereignty.
After The Death of Emperor Mingchengzu, when the ministers of the DPRK and China advised Emperor Akihito to abolish the fleet and eliminate the sea, Zheng He passionately stated to Emperor Renzong: "If you want the country to be rich and strong, you must not ignore the sea." Wealth comes from the sea, and danger comes from the sea. ...... Once the king of another country seized Nanyang, China was in danger. Our fleet is invincible, and it can be used to expand business and subdue exotic lands, so that it does not dare to covet Nanyang. Zheng He's words embody the advanced idea of sea power, which is not outdated even today. He saw the potential threat that the oceans posed to national security, stressed the importance of controlling the oceans for the nation, and called for the retention of the fleet.
Six
Since the death of Ming Chengzu, large-scale activities in the West have stopped. It was not until the fifth year of Xuande (1430) that Zheng He and Wang Jinghong once again led a mission to the Seventeen Kingdoms of the West at the age of 60. This was Zheng He's last voyage to the West. His life also ended on the vast sea.
Intriguingly, before this voyage to the West, Zheng He not only renovated the Tianfei Temple along the way, but also specially made two stone tablets, which were placed in Liujiagang in Taicang and Changle Nanshan Port in Fujian. On these two stone tablets, Zheng He completely recorded the first six voyages and the main deeds. This unusual move seems to imply something.
Zheng He's mission to the Seventeen Western Countries was to announce to all countries the news of Emperor Xuanzong's succession to the throne, and to announce that Emperor Xuanzong would continue to implement the foreign policy of the Yongle years, and at the same time to coordinate the settlement of disputes between Siam and Manchuria. On March 11, 1433, the fleet reached Guri. On the way back, Zheng He became ill and died on the stormy sea at the age of 62.
As the English poet Keats put it, he "wrote his name on the water." The old navigator, who eventually became one with his beloved sea, lay forever on the path of peace he had opened up.
Seven
After Zheng He's death, for a long time, people did not have an objective, impartial, and scientific understanding of the significance of Zheng He's voyage to the West. Especially in the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court ministers saw more of the huge burden caused by the seven Western expeditions to the imperial finances, as well as other negative effects. Therefore, the data of such a large-scale seafaring operation is rarely found in various texts. Even the "Biography of Zheng He" in the "History of Ming" is only a few hundred words.
However, with the passage of time, Zheng He's maritime feats increasingly showed their dazzling brilliance. In 1904, Liang Qichao, a famous thinker in modern times, published the "Biography of Zheng He, the Great Navigator of the Motherland", which was solemnly used for the first time to solemnly establish a biography of Zheng He and justify Zheng He's name. "In the realm of punishment, there is Sima Qian in the front and Zheng He in the back, and the light of the history of the country is also!" And issued an exclamation that "after Zheng He, there is no second Zheng He". I believe that it is entirely appropriate to conduct a concrete analysis and scientific evaluation of the merits and demerits of such a long, large-scale, and high-density navigation operation. However, the fearless spirit of scientific exploration embodied in Zheng He, the sober and advanced thinking on sea power, especially the peaceful diplomacy ideas of "one family in the four seas" and "sharing peace" are always worthy of our study and inheritance.
(Source: Xi'an Evening News, June 9, 2018)