The stele of the Ming Dynasty was accidentally fished out of the Indian Ocean, and after the content was translated, the real reason for Zheng He's trip to the West was known. Zheng He went to the West seven times, which was hailed as the most brilliant seafaring feat in ancient China. However, the real reason why this famous navigator and explorer of the Ming Dynasty went to the West has always been shrouded in mystery. It was not until recent years that an accidentally fished out Ming Dynasty stele unveiled the veil of this mystery. This stele is called "Bushi Ceylon Mountain Buddhist Temple Stele", which is a monument to a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka when Zheng He went to the West for the third time in 1409. The inscription reveals the hidden purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West, allowing us to re-examine this period of maritime history that shocked China and the rest of the world. So, what was the real reason for Zheng He's voyage to the West? What does this stele reveal? Let us find out.
1. Zheng He's background
Zheng He, formerly known as Ma He, was born in a Hui family in Kunyang Prefecture, Yunnan. His grandfather, Ma San'a, and his father, Ma Sanbao, were both well-known local Muslims. The "three" in the names Ma San'a and Ma Sanbao is the custom of the local Hui people in Yunnan, which means "third generation".
Ma He received a good education from an early age, learning Arabic and Islamic teachings, as well as knowledge of navigation and shipbuilding. His father, Ma Sambao, made two pilgrimages to Mecca, which shows how devastating the family is to Islam.
In 1381, when Ma He was only 10 years old, an anti-Ming uprising broke out in Yunnan. The Ming Dynasty sent a large army to quell the rebellion, and Ma and his family were affected. After the uprising was put down, Ma He was captured, castrated into eunuchs, and taken to Beiping (present-day Beijing) to become eunuch servants in the Yan Palace.
During his stay in the Yanwang Mansion, Ma He showed extraordinary wisdom and courage and won the appreciation of Zhu Di, the king of Yan. In 1399, Zhu Di launched the Battle of Jingjing, and Ma He also contributed to it and made great contributions. After the victory of the Battle of Jingyan, Zhu Di ascended the throne and became the emperor, and he was the Emperor Yongle of Ming Chengzu.
In the second year of Yongle (1404), Zhu Di gave Ma He the surname "Zheng" and the name "He", which means "harmony" and "peace". From then on, Ma He changed his name to Zheng He and became a royal eunuch. Zhu Di regarded Zheng He as a confidant and entrusted him with important tasks, and Zheng He was also wholeheartedly loyal to the emperor.
Zheng He was not only proficient in Islam, but also had a deep cultivation of Buddhism. He claimed to be a "Buddhist believer" and a "disciple of the Bodhisattva vows". This multi-faith background gave him a deep understanding of both Eastern and Western cultures, and laid the cultural foundation for his future voyage to the West.
2. Zheng He's preparations for going to the West
After the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di ascended the throne, he began to prepare for the feat of sailing to the West. This is a huge project that requires long-term and meticulous preparation.
In 1403, Zhu Di aimed to build a shipyard in Qiantang, Zhejiang (now Hangzhou), specializing in the construction of ocean-going ships. At that time, most of the Chinese ships were small coastal ships, which could not carry the heavy task of long-distance voyages. Zhu Di ordered officials from all over the country to recruit skilled craftsmen and hire navigation experts to study and design a brand-new ocean-going giant ship.
Known as the "treasure ship", this new type of ship was 137 meters long, about 55 meters wide, about 9 meters draft, and had a displacement of 30,000 tons, which was the largest wooden ship in the world at that time. The ship has a double-deck design, with the upper deck for the ship and living quarters, and the lower deck for storage and ballast. The hull is divided into 9 compartments, which can carry large quantities of cargo and fresh water. The stern has a large rudder with 12 small portholes on each side for lighting and ventilation. The ship is also equipped with many advanced nautical instruments, such as a compass, sounding hammer, astronomical clock, etc.
In 1405, Emperor Yongle officially appointed Zheng He as the "Governor of Pingping, Yancaoquan, and Other Places, and the Governor of the People's Republic of China" and the "Imperial History of Zhejiang Patrol Seaway", responsible for leading the fleet to sail to the Western Ocean. Zheng He immediately set about building a huge fleet of ships, recruiting tens of thousands of sailors, craftsmen, and translators from all over the country. They come from different ethnic groups and religions, including Han, Hui, Cantonese, Champs, etc.
The equipment of the fleet is also a luxury that is unparalleled. Zheng He not only stocked up on a large amount of food, fresh water, and weapons, but also carried a large amount of silk, porcelain, tea, and other tributes for gift exchange with foreign countries. In addition, the fleet was equipped with a large amount of gold and silver treasures in case of emergency.
In July 1405, Zheng He's fleet was ready, and under the personal supervision of Emperor Yongle, he set sail from Nanjing, starting a great journey of seven voyages around the world. This huge fleet consists of 62 huge ships and more than 200 small boats, with a crew of 27,800 people. Europe at that time could not be compared with it at all.
3. The hidden purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West
Zheng He went to the West seven times, a long journey, which lasted for decades and consumed countless manpower and material resources. Such a huge project must have a great purpose and reason.
Some people believe that Zheng He went to the West to find the missing Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen. It is said that when Emperor Yongle launched the Battle of Jingjing, Zhu Yunwen once fled overseas and his whereabouts are unknown. Therefore, one of the important purposes of Emperor Yongle sending Zheng He on an expedition was to find Zhu Yunwen's whereabouts.
However, this claim is not credible. Zhu Yunwen has been missing for several years, and even if he fled overseas, with the navigation conditions at that time, looking for a person on the vast sea was tantamount to looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Ocean, although the itinerary was long, mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and East Africa, and did not go deep into the Atlantic Ocean or other possible hiding places.
What's more, it is believed that Zheng He went to the West to find the elixir of life. This statement is even more absurd and has no historical basis at all.
Others believe that Zheng He's purpose in going to the West was to open up trade and increase national wealth. But in fact, although Zheng He's fleet brought a large amount of silk, porcelain and other tribute, it did not bring back bulk commodities from overseas. On the contrary, Zheng He frequently gave gifts abroad, which cost a lot of national wealth.
So, what was the real purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West? Through some historical materials discovered in recent years, we may be able to find some clues.
In 1409, when Zheng He went to the West for the third time, he erected a stone tablet in a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, called "The Tablet of the Buddhist Temple on the Mount of Ceylon". On this stone stele, Zheng He not only engraved his name and deeds, but more importantly, he expressed his devout belief in Buddhism and his desire for all countries to establish friendly diplomatic relations with China.
This undoubtedly revealed an important purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West: to spread Buddhist culture and establish the prestige and influence of the Ming Dynasty overseas. As a devout Buddhist, Zheng He hoped to spread Buddhist civilization to a wider region. At the same time, as an important envoy of the Ming Dynasty, he also hoped to show the strength of Chinese civilization and enhance friendship with other countries in this way.
Fourth, the discovery and content interpretation of the "Bushi Ceylon Mountain Buddhist Temple Tablet".
It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that Zheng He's hidden purpose of going to the West was unveiled by an accidentally discovered stone stele.
In 1911, a British engineer, Tomalin, discovered an ancient stele in the southern port city of Galle, Sri Lanka. After research, this is the "Tablet of the Buddhist Temple on Mount Ceylon" erected by Zheng He in a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka when he went to the West for the third time in 1409.
The stele is about 2.5 meters high and 1 meter wide, and the front is engraved in three languages: Chinese, Persian and Tamil. The inscription records Zheng He's voyage and his devout belief in Buddhism.
The inscription first introduces Zheng He's background background, saying that he is "a Buddhist believer and a disciple of the Bodhisattva". He then recorded in detail the route of Zheng He's third voyage, which set sail from Nanjing, passed through the Strait of Malacca, and reached Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka).
After arriving in Ceylon, Zheng He "followed the decree of the pilgrimage to heaven and propagated the Dharma." He erected this stone monument in a Buddhist temple on Mount Ceylon to "immortalize". The inscription also states that Zheng He hopes that "under the whole world, there will be no Buddha's light".
Finally, the inscription expresses an important wish of Zheng He: "Ji Zhufanbang, Xian is pro-China". In other words, he hoped that through this voyage, he could enhance the friendship between China and overseas countries and establish peaceful and friendly relations.
From this stone stele, we can clearly see that an important purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West was to spread Buddhist culture and establish the influence of the Ming Dynasty overseas. As a devout Buddhist, Zheng He hoped to spread the Buddha's teachings to a wider region, and as an envoy to the Ming Dynasty, he also hoped to demonstrate the strength of Chinese civilization and enhance friendship with other countries.
It is worth mentioning that the inscription of this stele is in three scripts, namely Chinese, Persian and Tamil. This is undoubtedly to enable more countries and nations to read and understand the content of the inscriptions, so as to achieve the purpose of spreading Buddhism and enhancing friendship.