Comrade | Guevara
During Zheng He's voyage to the West (1405-1433), the international influence of the Ming Dynasty reached its peak, and in order to develop political, economic and cultural ties in China, a large number of foreign kings personally led delegations to visit China, not only receiving a grand reception from the Ming Emperor, but also receiving generous gifts. Unfortunately, due to the incompatibility of the water and soil, among these foreign kings who came to Visit China, 3 died of illness and were buried in China on the way back to China, inadvertently becoming a symbol of friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries for generations. So, who are these three foreign kings who are permanently laid to rest in China?
01 King Of Mud, Mana Jagana
Located in southeastern Southeast Asia, the state of Hunnai, which at the beginning of its founding was limited to Brunei and its vicinity, and then gradually expanded outwards, eventually occupying most of Kalimantan. Huan Ni has a long history of contact with China, as early as the Southern Dynasty period sent envoys to China, and soon after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, he sent emissaries to ming Taizu to claim the domain. In the winter of the third year of Yongle (1405), the king of The Mud, Mana Jagana, once again sent envoys to the Ming Dynasty to contribute local specialties, and in return, Ming Chengzu sent emissaries to crown him as king, and gave him the seal of the king, the commandment, and the gold currency.
In order to thank the "Emperor for his great grace" and express his allegiance, Mana jagana went to China to pay tribute in the sixth year of Yongle (1408) with a delegation of more than 150 relatives and courtiers. Because Mana jaganna was the first overseas fan king to visit the Ming Dynasty, he was received by Ming Chengzu and received a large number of precious gifts. Munangana stayed in China for several months and then prepared to lead the group back to China, but before he could officially start his journey, he died of a serious illness in October of the same year.
Because of his admiration for China's rich prosperity and glorious civilization, Munangana left a will before his death, hoping to "bury China with great body" (see Huangming Wenheng, vol. 81). After learning of Munayagana's death, Ming Chengzu was extremely sad, not only for his resignation from the dynasty for three days, posthumously "obedient", but also followed Munagana's last wishes and buried his body in Shizigang outside the Ande Gate of Nanjing City according to Chinese etiquette. As a result, Munangakana became the only King of Brunei buried in China.
After Munagjana was buried for safety, Ming Chengzu sought to find a Southwest Yi people who had joined the Chinese nationality to guard the tomb of the king, and every spring and autumn they were sacrificed by special people. However, due to the changes of the times and the devastation of war, the tomb of the Mud King was not maintained and repaired, and it was obliterated for more than a hundred years. It was not until 1958 that the tomb of the King of Hunni was rediscovered, repaired, and designated as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 2001. During this period, the Brunei royal family sent envoys to Nanjing twice to pay homage to its ancestors.
02 The Eastern King of Sulu, Batu Gekhara
Located in the Sulu Archipelago in present-day southern Philippines, Sulu was founded in 1390 by the Minangapao people from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and at its peak, occupied the central provinces of palawan, Basilan, and Tavitawi in the Philippines today, as well as the archipelagos in northern Borneo and the surrounding Sulu Sea. Since the founding of the people's republic of the people, Sulu has implemented a three-king system of government, with the highest status of the king in the Middle East and the equivalent of the king of the west and the king of the river. During Zheng He's voyage to the West, he sent emissaries to the kingdom of Sulu to make an edict and persuade the three kings to claim the Ming Dynasty.
In order to express the sincerity of friendship with the Ming Dynasty, in the fifteenth year of Yongle (1417), the eastern king of Sulu, Batu Gehala, the western king MahaLa, and the king of Batu Gelabu, the king of Sulu, went out collectively to lead a huge delegation of more than 340 people, including family members and officials, to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, which was not only received by Ming Chengzu, but also received honorable titles and rich gifts. The Three Kings of Sulu stayed in Beijing for 22 days and then returned to China by boat south along the Grand Canal, but when the fleet sailed to Dezhou in Shandong, BaduGarhala unfortunately fell ill and died.
After the news of Badug Hara's death reached Beijing, Ming Chengzu was deeply sentimental and immediately sent Chen Shiqi, the rebbe, to Dezhou to pay his respects, and buried him in Dezhou with a royal ceremony, giving him the nickname "Gongding". During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial court attached great importance to the maintenance, repair and worship of the tomb of the king of Sulu, until the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, due to war or floods, its surface buildings were destroyed. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the tomb of the King of Sulu was renovated again, and in 1988 it was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit.
After the death of Batu Ge Khla, Princess Ge Mu Ning, her second son Wen Hala, her third son Andulu, and more than a dozen attendants stayed in Texas to guard the tomb, and never returned to China. Not only that, but their descendants did not return to Sulu, but while guarding the mausoleum, they married and had children in the local area. However, for more than 200 years, this group has been regarded as foreigners and cannot be naturalized in China. It was not until the ninth year of Yongzheng (1713) that Emperor Qing issued an edict allowing the descendants of Batu Ge Hara to be naturalized in China with the surnames wen and an.
03 King Ofu Ma Lang
According to the research of some scholars, its ancestral home is in the area of Duman kiras Bay and the Kumaralang River in the south of present-day Mindanao, Philippines. China was long unaware of this small country living in a secluded corner of the island, until a mission led by the eunuch Zhang Qian came across the ancient Ma Lalang during Zheng He's voyage to the West. In the fifteenth year of Yongle (1417), Ming Chengzu officially sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to Guma Lalang, and while expressing the willingness of friendly exchanges between the two countries, he also gave gifts such as cotton, sare, and silk to the king.
In order to express his gratitude and to obtain the protection of the Ming Dynasty to defend against the invasion of neighboring countries, he personally led a huge delegation to Pay Tribute to China in September of the eighteenth year of Yongle (1420). After arriving in Beijing, Hui Laiyi and DunBen and his party were solemnly received by Ming Chengzu, who was not only crowned as a prince, but also given gifts such as seals, crown belts, honor guards, wenqi, sari, and gold weaving clothes, and the princesses and courtiers who followed him to visit Ming also received valuable gifts. Afterwards, Ming Chengzu ordered you to arrange for the Guma Lalang mission to travel in and around Beijing and bear all the expenses.
Huilai Yidun and his party stayed in China for half a year, and did not leave for China until the following spring (1421). Unfortunately, when the Gu Ma Lalang mission arrived in Fujian Province, Hui Lai Yi Yi Dun Ben suddenly fell seriously ill, and soon died, leaving a last word before dying, hoping to bury himself in China. After Ming Chengzu learned of the death of Yidun Ben, he quickly sent the head of the ceremonial department to Fujian to pay his respects, and buried him in Fuzhou with the etiquette of a prince, giving him the nickname "Kangjing".
After the death of Yi Dunben, every year during the Qingming and Chongyang periods, the Ming Dynasty sent officials to the tomb to sacrifice, and the courtiers and their descendants who left to guard the tomb were paid salaries and food by the local government. With the passage of time, the descendants of the vassals were integrated into the big family of the Chinese nation, and all of them changed their surnames to Ge, and their traces can still be found in Fuzhou and other places. However, unfortunately, due to historical changes and the devastation of war, the original site of the tomb of the ancient Ma Lalang King has long been obliterated, and it can only be speculated that it is roughly located in the area of Tea Garden Mountain north of Fenghuangchi Village in the western suburbs of Fuzhou City according to historical records.
bibliography
Ming Dynasty Official Revision History Book: Ming Shilu, Zhonghua Bookstore, 2016 edition.
Cheng Minzheng: Huang Ming Wenheng, Shanghai Commercial Press.
Zhang Tingyu (Qing): History of The Ming Dynasty, Zhonghua Bookstore, 1974.
The First Historical Archive of China: A Collection of Archives of the Ming Dynasty of China, Guangxi Normal University Press, 2001.