Admiral Zheng He

http://answer.net.in/notfound.php?url=lostislamichistory.com/zheng-he/

The Muslim Who Was China’s Greatest Explorer – Zheng He Sep. 28 Islam in East Asia, Islam in the Americas 4 comments

When people think of great explorers, they think of the usual names: Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, Evliya Çelebi, Christopher Columbus, etc. But not many know of one of the most interesting and influential of all time. In China, he is well known, although not always recognized or glorified. He is Zheng He, the Muslim who became China’s greatest admiral, explorer, and diplomat.

Origins

Zheng He was born in 1371 in the southern China region of Yunnan to a Hui (a Muslim Chinese ethnic group) family. His birth name was Ma He. In China, the family name is said first, followed by the given name. “Ma” is known in China as short for “Muhammad”, indicating Zheng He’s Muslim heritage. Both his father and his grandfather were able to travel to Makkah and complete the Hajj, so Zheng He came from a practicing Muslim family.

At a young age, his town was raided by the Ming Dynasty’s army. He was captured and transported to the capital, Nanjing, where he served in the imperial household. Despite the oppressive and difficult circumstances he was in, Zheng He actually befriended one of the princes, Zhu Di, and when he became the emperor, Zheng He rose to the highest positions in government. At this time, he was given the honorific title “Zheng” and was known as Zheng He. Expeditions

In 1405, when emperor Zhu Di decided to send out a giant fleet of ships to explore and trade with the rest of the world, he chose Zheng He to lead the expedition. This expedition was massive. In all, almost 30,000 sailors were in each voyage, with Zheng He commanding all of them. Between 1405 and 1433, Zheng He led 7 expeditions that sailed to present day Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Kenya, and many other countries. It is probable that during one of his journeys, Zheng He was even able to go to Makkah to complete the Hajj.

A map showing the routes taken by Zheng He on his 7 expeditions in the 1400s

Zheng He was not the only Muslim on these expeditions. Many of his advisors and were also Chinese Muslims, such as Ma Huan, a translator who spoke Arabic and was able to converse with the Muslim peoples they encountered on their journeys. He wrote an account of his journeys, titled the Ying-yai Sheng-lan, which is an important source today for understanding 15th century societies around the Indian Ocean.

Seeing these expeditions must have been an event that people did not easily forget. The ships Zheng He commanded were up to 400 feet long, many times the size of Columbus’s ships that sailed across the Atlantic. For hundreds of years, people thought that the giant proportions of these ships were exaggerations. However, archaeological evidence from the shipyards where they were built in the Yangtze River prove that these ships were in fact even larger than modern football pitches.

Everywhere they sailed, they commanded the respect (and sometimes fear) of the local people, who offered tributes to the Chinese emperor. Because of this tribute and trade with all the peoples they encountered, Zheng He would sail back to China with exotic goods such as ivory, camels, gold, and even a giraffe from Africa. The expeditions sent one message to the world: China is an economic and political superpower. Spreading Islam

Economics and politics were not the only effects of this great fleet that was commanded by Zheng He. He and his Muslim advisors regularly promoted Islam wherever they traveled. In the Indonesian islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo and others, Zheng He found small communities of Muslims already there. Islam had started to spread in Southeast Asia a few hundred years before through trade from Arabia and India. Zheng He actively supported the continued growth of Islam in these areas.

A replica in Dubai that compares the size of Zheng He’s ships with those of Columbus

Zheng He established Chinese Muslim communities in Palembang, and along Java, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines. These communities preached Islam to the local people and were very important to the spread of Islam in the area. The fleet built masjids and provided other social services the local Muslim community would need.

Even after the death of Zheng He in 1433, other Chinese Muslims continued his work in Southeast Asia, spreading Islam. Chinese Muslim traders in Southeast Asia were encouraged to intermarry and assimilate with the local people on the islands and Malay Peninsula. This brought more people to Islam in Southeast Asia, as well as strengthened and diversified the growing Muslim community. Legacy

As an admiral, diplomat, soldier, and trader, Zheng He is a giant of Chinese and Muslim history. He is seen as one of the greatest figured in the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, after his death, the Chinese government changed its philosophy to a more Confucian one which did not support such expeditions like Zheng He’s. As a result, his accomplishments and contributions were mostly forgotten or overlooked for hundreds of years in China.

His legacy in Southeast Asia, however is quite different. Numerous masjids in the region are named after him to commemorate his contributions. Islam spread in Southeast Asia through many forms, including trade, travelling preachers, and immigration. Admiral Zheng He was also a major part of its spread in that region. Today, Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of any nation in the world, and much of that could be attributed to the activities of Zheng He in the region.

Sources

Aqsha, D. (2010, July 13). Zheng he and islam in southeast asia. The Brunei Times. Retrieved from http://www.bt.com.bn/art-culture/2010/07/13/zheng-he-and-islam-sout...

Ignatius, A. (2001, August 20). The asian voyage: In the wake of the admiral read more. Time Magazine, Retrieved from

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Zheng_He

Timeline about Zheng He @ http://pages.uoregon.edu/inaasim/Hist%20487/Spring%2006/Biography%2...

1371: Born in Kunyang, Yunnan (now Jinming County) 1382: Left hometown and recruited into the official office of the emperor 1399: Fought brave battles and won meritorious acclaim in the name of the emperor. Gained the emperor’s trust and favor. 1405: First voyage to the western seas. 1407: Second voyage 1409: Third voyage 1413: Fourth voyage 1417: Fifth voyage 1421: Sixth voyage 1431: Seventh voyage 1433: Died while on the seventh and last voyage of the legendary Treasure Fleet.

Background

• Zheng He was born the second son of a poor Muslim family in Kunyang (central Yunnan in Southern China)
• His father and grandfather both Haji: meaning they were both Muslims who had visited Mecca for their Muslim pilgrimage.
• His birth name was Ma He—“Ma” meaning ‘horse’ in Chinese, and being the Chinese abbreviation for the Muslim “Mohamed”.
• He was raised a Muslim, and studied the teachings of Islam.
• Was very influenced by his father’s, Ma Haji’s, strong character, great military mind, and altruistic nature.
• In 1381, when Zheng He was 10, his father was killed in the Ming Dynasty’s cleansing of the remnants of the Yuan Dynesty (1279-1368)
• Led by General Fu Youde, the Ming army swarmed Yunnan and tried to subdue the Mongols.
• The Ming army butchered an estimated 60,000 people, and castrated the young sons of prisoners, as per custom since the first millennium.
• Ma He was taken prisoner by Fu Youde. In 1385, at the age of 14, he was castrated and placed in the household of Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, the emperor’s 4th son. At the time, Zhu Di was Youde’s aide-de-camp. (25 years old)
• Over the next few years, Ma He and Zhu Di would form a close friendship. He would thereafter accompany Zhu Di on all his military missions, learning the art of war from his master. He would play an integral part in the campaign against the Mongols in the north in the 1390s.

Eunuch Life

• Living in Zhu Di’s household, Ma He had his needs provided for and was well-educated—had read works of Confucius and Mencius.
• There, he got the nickname “San Bao” which means “Three Jewels”
• At this time, the eunuchs were a group mistrusted by the emperor, who believed that they should not be given any responsibility and should not be entrusted with government matters.
• But Ma He was not your typical eunuch. Unlike the stereotype of the emotionally volatile, effeminate eunuch, he was tall, and heavily built (almost seven feet tall, according to some sources). In the military, he quickly gained a reputation for being a brilliant, brave soldier, and had a large, commanding presence.
• When Prince of Yan seized the throne, Ma He fought loyally for him, gaining Zhu Di’s trust and respect.
• In 1402, Ma He served as one of Zhu Di’s commanders when the young Prince tried to conquer Nanjing, and distinguished himself in the battle.
• In 1404, the second year of Zhu Di’s reign as Emperor Yong Le, Zhu Di bestowed Ma He the name of “Zheng”. Thus Ma He became Zheng He.
• Zheng He was also appointed to the position of “Head Eunuch” which was equivalent to an official with the fourth ranking.

The Beginnings of the Treasure Fleet

• All throughout his reign, Zhu Di was obsessed with hunting down his predecessor, Zhu Yunwen. Rumor said that Yunwen had fled overseas.
• So in 1403, Zhu Di issued orders to begin construction of a huge fleet of ships that could be sent abroad and used as trade ships, warships, and support vessels.
• The emperor appointed Zheng He the commander of his fleet of ships, and promoted Zheng to rank 3, giving him the authority to act as an official envoy of the imperial court to foreign countries.
• Thus, Zheng began the greatest voyage in world history.
• Over the next 30 years, Zheng would prove to be an astute military man, an outstanding commander and leader, and a competent diplomat and statesman who represented the emperor in making contact with territories all over the world.
• Zheng He’s first fleet included 27,870 men on 317 ships, including sailors, clerks, interpreters, soldiers, artisans, medical men and meteorologists.
• The first fleet sailed along the coastline of China to modern-day Vietnam and Indonesia (Java, Sumatra). It also passed through the Strait of Malacca, and his India on the way back. It returned to China in 1407.
• The emperor was so pleased that he would order six subsequent voyages, all to different places over the next thirty years.

The End

• In 1421, emperor Yongle died shortly after Zheng’s return from his sixth voyage to the African coast.
• Now 60 years old, Zheng would visit the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and Africa on his seventh and final voyage. He died on the way back from sea in 1433, and was buried in the Indian Ocean as per Muslim custom.
• However, he was also honored with a tomb in Nanjing.
• Zheng He’s death capped the period of unprecedented maritime growth seen by China in the 14th and 15th centuries.

http://www.bt.com.bn/news-asia/2011/12/10/descendants-admiral-cheng... ~ Descendants of Admiral Cheng Ho visit Kuching to strengthen ties

KUCHING

Saturday, December 10, 2011

IT HAS been over six centuries since Admiral Cheng Ho and his fleet arrived at the port of Melaka, fostering what would become a strong relationship with China.

In present day Malaysia, delegates from Kunming, China, just north of Jinning County where Cheng Howas born paid a courtesy visit to Kuching in what Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg likened to "Admiral Cheng Ho's second voyage."

"I have never visited Kunming, so intend to in the near future. I have heard many great things about the city and its strong points, especially in the fields of education, tourism and bio-technology. I'm very grateful to the Mayor of Kunming, Zhang Zulin for visiting Kuching. It would be great if we could strengthen the relationship between our cities, especially in the field of tourism," he said.

Mayor Zhang Zulin then replied: "Though our countries have their differences, we share many similarities. The purpose of our visit is to strengthen our ties and work on collaborating more with Kuching."

"It is my personal wish that both our cities will have a 'sister city' relationship in the future. We are working very hard to make that happen," he added.

An air route from Kunming to Kuala Lumpur then finally to Kuching is currently being planned.

The Star/ANN

Born into a family of Arab-Chinese descent in He Dai Village, Jinning, in 1371, the admiral’s name at birth was Ma Sanbao. Zheng He spent his childhood days listening to his turban-clad grandfather’s wonderful stories of Mecca. He had also learned from his grandfather and father about their remarkable ancestor, the honourable Sayyid Ajall of Bukhara (now Uzbekistan). As revealed in Haji Ma’s family book, recently published in The Zheng He Epic.