Preface
Zheng He, a legendary figure who made the world look up, is known as the first navigator of the Ming Dynasty. After 30 years of wandering and spanning more than half the world, his nautical feat is not only a glorious chapter in the history of Chinese navigation, but also a great miracle in human history.
However, how did this navigator open up his territory on the vast sea and make the world look up to China? What was the reason that caused the late Ming Dynasty to give up sea power and miss the historical opportunity to dominate the world pattern?
Slave 仆立功受青睐
In 1371, Zheng He was born in an ordinary family in Yunnan. At the age of 13, he was captured by the army of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and became a eunuch. At first, he was just a slave and was taken to serve in the Yanwang Mansion in Beiping. However, it was in this year that fate opened new doors for him.
At that time, the Ming Dynasty was in the early stages of its establishment, and Zhu Yuanzhang strictly limited the power of eunuchs, and even had strict requirements on the number. However, Zhu Di did not strictly abide by it, but began to appoint eunuchs, of which Zheng He is a typical representative. The reason why Zhu Di uses Zheng He so much may be because he has taken a fancy to his military talent and wisdom.
In 1398, Zhu Yuanzhang died, and Zhu Di raised troops on the "Qingjun side" in Beiping. When the Battle of Jingyan broke out, Zheng He relied on his outstanding military talent to make great achievements on the battlefield, which was deeply appreciated by Zhu Di. Zhu Di specially gave the name "Zheng He" as a reward. Since then, Zheng He has opened a new chapter in his life.
"At the beginning of the incident, King Yan was in the domain, and he had meritorious service from the beginning of the army. "The History of the Ming Dynasty: The Biography of Zheng He" records so. There are three reasons why Zhu Di used Zheng He so much: First, Zheng He was extremely talented in military affairs and was able to deal with armed conflicts that might be encountered in the course of his mission.
Second, Zheng He was in the prime of life, physically able to adapt to the rigors of sea voyages, and finally, Zheng He was a devout Buddhist who was more easily trusted when traveling to foreign lands.
"He has wisdom and strategy, knows how to fight, and the emperor relies on it very much. The evaluation of "History of the Ming Dynasty: The Biography of Zheng He" shows Zhu Di's high recognition of Zheng He. Perhaps, it was this kind of openness to the eunuchs that allowed Zhu Di to win the battle of Jingyan and finally ascend the throne as emperor. Zheng He's outstanding performance also laid a solid foundation for his future sailing career.
Set sail to the West and the Messenger of Peace exhibition pattern
In July 1405, Zhu Di held a grand ceremony for Zheng He. Zheng He led a huge fleet of 62 ships, 27,000 sailors and soldiers, set sail from Fujian, and started a great expedition to "go to the Western Ocean". This huge fleet is undoubtedly a concentrated display of the strength of the Ming Dynasty.
The first stop was Champa (present-day Vietnam), and at the same time, Zhang Fu had already led his army to pacify Annam, where the two "triumphantly met", declaring the strength of the Ming Dynasty. This strategic layout of advancing by sea and land undoubtedly made the sons and daughters of China at that time extremely proud.
Subsequently, Zheng He went all the way west, successively to Java, India, Arabia and other places. In Java, Zheng He's fleet was accidentally attacked by local armed forces, and 170 people were killed. Although Zheng He had a large army, he chose to convince people with reason, and resolved the conflict through negotiation and compensation, showing a high degree of wisdom and foresight.
"A hundred battles are won, and those who are not good are also good; The soldiers who surrender without a fight, and the good ones are also good. "The Art of War has clouds. Zheng He achieved his goal through the method of "soldiers who surrendered without fighting" and showed the demeanor of a great power in the Ming Dynasty. This concept of peace, which ran through Zheng He's entire seafaring career, contrasted sharply with the aggressive methods of the European colonizers at the time.
In Guli, Zheng He rewarded Zhu Di's edicts and treasures to the local king, and built a stone tablet pavilion to demonstrate the prestige of the Ming Dynasty. In Srivijaya, he even saw through the conspiracy of the pirates and captured the murderous pirate leader Chen Zuyi. These deeds undoubtedly enhanced the influence and discourse power of the Ming Dynasty in the local area.
In October 1407, Zheng He led the fleet to return successfully, and Zhu Di was "happy, and the reward was poor". Through this voyage, Zhu Di not only proved to the world that the Ming Dynasty was strong, but more importantly, he used it to imply that his ascension to the throne and claim the emperor was "providential". This political manipulation also added more historical significance to Zheng He's nautical feat.
The Ming Dynasty sailed to the West and the peace messenger exhibition pattern
It was the first voyage to the West that was a great success, and two months after Zheng He returned to the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di sent him again to embark on a second voyage. This time, Zheng He carried more porcelain, tea, silk, because the experience of the last time showed that other countries preferred these goods.
It can be said that with the help of Zheng He's voyage to the West, the Ming Dynasty has gradually established extensive trade activities with the world. This not only increased the country's wealth, but also provided a channel for the cultural export of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Chinese culture had a profound impact on these countries.
In 1412, Zheng He was ordered to make his fourth voyage to the West, and they bypassed the Arabian Peninsula and became the first Ming people to reach East Africa. As was customary, Zheng He landed at the port and read Zhu Di's canonization edict to the local king, rewarding him with valuable items and laying the foundation for formal exchanges.
It is worth mentioning that Zheng He's fleet pursued the principle of fair trade of "bartering" and never exploited the local people. In addition, they also taught the advanced farming techniques of the Ming Dynasty to the locals, helping to increase food production. This mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation model undoubtedly enhanced the influence of the Ming Dynasty in the local area.
Also on his fourth voyage, Zheng He received a plea for help from the king of Sumatra, hoping that he could help put down the rebellion. In response, Zheng He led the "Ming Dynasty Navy" to land, united local forces, and finally defeated the usurper Su Ganra, restoring the rightful king. This act of upholding justice undoubtedly earned the Ming Dynasty a good reputation in the local area.
In August 1415, Zheng He returned triumphantly, and with him tributary envoys and "treasures". Among them, Zhu Di was most impressed by the "unicorn" paid tribute by the Malin Kingdom, although in fact it may have been just a giraffe. But at the time, it was still regarded as a symbol of auspiciousness, highlighting the pride of the Ming Dynasty as the "Heavenly Empire". This kind of cultural self-confidence is undoubtedly an important support for the expansion of sea power in the Ming Dynasty.
The sea power of the Ming Dynasty has been downhill since then
In 1424, Zhu Di died of illness during the Northern Expedition, and his son Zhu Gaochi succeeded to the throne, known as "Mingrenzong" in history. Due to the huge cost of the "Voyage to the West" project, Renzong ordered the voyage to be stopped, all the materials prepared for the voyage were recovered, and the rewards for the envoys who came to pay tribute were also reduced.
This decision dealt a blow to the influence of the Ming Dynasty overseas. After all, through Zheng He's seafaring feats, the Ming Dynasty had established an unprecedented tributary system that maintained close ties with the nations of the world. However, Renzong chose to close the door and give up this precious resource.
"All the ships of the national treasures of the Western domains have stopped. "The Records of Akihito Sect" is truthfully recorded. Zhu Gaochi was still very good to Zheng He, and sent him to lead the army that had sailed away to defend Nanjing, which was the first time in history that a Nanjing garrison was set up. This may have been to prevent invasion by foreign forces, but it also marked the decline of the Ming Dynasty's sea power.
Zhu Gaochi reigned for only 10 months, and his son Zhu Zhanji succeeded to the throne, known as "Ming Xuanzong" in history. Xuanzong not only continued to order Zheng He to guard Nanjing, but also put him in charge of repairing the palace city. During this period, Zheng He collected navigation charts from all over the world and compiled the famous "Zheng He's Navigation Charts". These precious materials provide a valuable basis for later generations to study the maritime history of the Ming Dynasty.
In 1431, Zhu Zhanji restarted the cause of "going to the West", and Zheng He was ordered to prepare to go to sea in Changle, Fujian. Although he is close to the age of sixties, Zheng He's heart has not diminished at all. In 1433, he died on his way back, ending his 30-year seafaring career.
Soon after, Ming Xuanzong ordered that ships were strictly forbidden to sail at sea, and all construction of ocean-going ships was stopped, and violators were to be executed. In this way, the Ming Dynasty voluntarily gave up sea power, turned from active to passive defense, and gradually declined. This decision also made the Ming Dynasty miss the historical opportunity to dominate the world pattern.
epilogue
To sum up, Zheng He's legendary life fully demonstrates the power of personal struggle. A slave from humble origin, with his extraordinary military talent and wisdom, won Zhu Di's appreciation, became the first navigator of the Ming Dynasty, opened up half the world's territory, established an unprecedented tributary system, and demonstrated the maritime power of China.
This open and inclusive attitude also allowed the Ming Dynasty to occupy an advantageous position in the world pattern at that time. Through Zheng He's seafaring feats, the Ming Dynasty not only demonstrated its own national strength, but also brought unprecedented opportunities to countries around the world.
I hope that Zheng He's story can inspire us to have the courage to pursue our dreams, have the courage to pioneer and innovate, and sail the ship of the motherland to the vast sea again!