Treasury Admiral Zheng He. Travel Zheng He What navigator belonged to the Chinese Golden Fleet
In 1405, almost a century before Christopher Columbus opened America, went on one of the biggest fleets in the entire history of mankind. They were commanded by Admiral-Eunuch Zheng He. It was penetrating into the world of other peoples of high culture, which was so higher than the culture of the aborigines, which caused their real shock. The navigators led detailed and accurate records seen and made up cards.
But over time, China plunged into the marsh of isolation from the rest of the world, and thoughts about the global expansion disappeared, and the most valuable documents were simply destroyed. About unprecedented achievements just forgotten. Any travel of Chinese abroad forbidden ...
China's cultural heritage, which remained from those times when the Chinese Empire was a powerful power (the end of the XIV - the beginning of the XV centuries) is huge, and its traces can be found in many countries. As scientific data is evidenced, geographical maps have been known to Chinese sailors have long been, even before our era. Thus, on the fragments of Chinese silk, the reign of the first emperors of the Ming dynasty can find contours of the outlines of Asian and neighboring countries, starting with Japan and ending with the states of the eastern coast of Africa. The cultural heritage should also include the travel of Chinese nautical seats, which took place at the beginning of the XV century, which, among other things, were carried by the elements of high civilization in the world from the world. Figuratively speaking, at a distance of many thousands of kilometers, China left behind a trace of a giant colossus, whose name is the culture of the Chinese Empire.
The Chinese during the development of their civilization have accumulated extensive experience in many areas of human activity. Hiking of huge ships created by the will of Emperor Zhu di and sent to them to boil the expanses of the world oceans, were the culmination of the 800-year-old period of Chinese wadging and research of new spaces. By the time when Admiral Zheng He went on the road, the tradition of trade with India has already had more than 600 years! And even at the time of Mongolian Khan Khubilan, when the Chinese fleet was small, this trade was not stopped. Chinese science and technology ahead of world analogues. From the end of the XI century. A compass appeared on Chinese ships - the Chinese properties of the magnet have known since the antiquity. "The knocked out of the outlines of the shores, and at night they determine the path of the stars, in the afternoon. If the sun is hidden behind the clouds, they enjoy the yogooting needle, "the chinese seafarers says in one treatise.
The development of navalism
The Chinese had a much more ancient tradition of navigation, the experience of walking around the seas, oceans and the development of navigation techniques, rather than the European people. The huge fleet of Zheng He, consisting of the gigantic "floating treasures" and numerous shipping ships, was the result of the incarnation of an expanded shipbuilding program, which, in turn, could be accepted only for the reason that it was supported by the entire giant economic power of the Chinese Empire. Kroichny Karavlah Kabrol, Distas and Magellan compared with the "floating treasures" Zheng He looks like pleasure boats.
The Imperial China has achieved greatness and turned into a mighty sea power, and its seaside cities became the centers of world trade. So, the city of Canton at the beginning of the XIV century, according to one European traveler who visited him, was equal to three Venice. "In all of Italy, so many products will not be thrown out as in this city alone," he notes. From China to other countries at this time were exported in a large number of silk, porcelain, artistic products, and spices, cotton fabrics, medicinal herbs, glass and other goods were imported. Chinese sailors had thorough knowledge of winds, sea currents, chalk, typhoons, which were mined the centuries-old seafood practice. There was extensive geographical literature in the country, which contained the descriptions of overseas countries with detailed information about goods brought from them to China.
For the development of trade in China, more than 300 species of ships were created - Johnk. Preserved and donny, they are striking with their seaworthiness, capacity and practicality. All of them are very similar: flat bottom, vertical bodyboard, slightly pointed nose, stupid, chopped feed with cabins and rail sails, woven from cane. In principle, the design of Johnk is so rational that almost unchanged reached our time - that is, after a few millennia. Not everyone, even, it would seem promising at one time a technical product, such fate falls.
In history, junks are mentioned, who accommodate up to a thousand people. In Chinese ports for distant swimming pools, large sea ships were built, which had several decks, many premises for the team and merchants; The crew of such a vessel usually consisted to a thousand sailors and soldiers, which was necessary in case of meeting with pirates, which were especially much in the waters of the Malay archipelago. These ships were driven by sails from reed mats, fixed on rolling effects, which made it possible to change the position of the sails in accordance with the direction of the wind; When calm, these vessels moved with the help of large wheels.
There is enough reason to block the entire history of the great geographic discoveries and Western civilization. Giant Chinese fleet under the command of Admirals Zheng He, Jan Qina, Zhou Manya, Hon Bao and Zhou Wen, going to the Grand Journey through the World Ocean, discovered and described unknown continents, islands and countries. The Chinese have passed through the archipelagoes who have had a total of up to 17,000 islands, and caused 10 thousand miles of the coast on a map. In this regard, the application of Admiral Zheng HE that he and his admirals visited about "three thousand countries - large and small," looks quite real.
In scientific circles there is a point of view that Chinese fleets passed through the Indian Ocean to East Africa, the cape of good hope came to the islands of the Green Cape. Then, having passed the Caribbean Sea, they got to North America, South America and the Arctic, fell to Cape Gorn, reached Antarctic, Australia, New Zealand and crossed the Pacific Ocean.
Any "floating treasury" was twice as long and three times wider than the Admiral Nelson ship "Victoria". In addition, Chinese ships have better maintained combat damages and had better stability. It is already not to mention that compared to Victoria "Floating Treasury" could be in the open sea for all months without entering the ports.
Chinese ships could be in the sea even with the most adverse and harsh weather conditions. The navigation tools that have taken on them allowed the Chinese not only to determine their position with great accuracy in the World Ocean, but also to draw almost modern on the outlines of the land map. According to the community version, the world map, copied with Chinese, was kept in the Portuguese State Treasury for almost 100 years. Over time, this allowed Portuguese sailors to get lands depicted on it.
But all these achievements got the Chinese big price. So, from the entire fleet of Admiral Hon Bao home only four ships returned, and from the Fleet Zhou Manya - just one. During the sixth travel, loss accounted for at least 50 ships. Losses in human composition were also very high: out of 9 thousand members of the carriage of the Fleet Zhou Manya, only 900 people returned to China.
If you argue about all the "golden fleets", it is not difficult to conclude that during their wanders was lost to 3/4 of the entire crew. Part of people died of diseases, part died in the sea, but most of the crews were probably left in the settlements created by Chinese around the world, which over time had to turn into a constantly and clearly functioning reference system of colonization into a Chinese manner.
Golden fleet empire
On one feature of the empire, Zhu Di must be said separately - the emperor relied on a layer, which did not have a family or children nor the heirs - they were eunuch. At a separate time, their number reached 70 thousand people. Enguhi-castrated for haremov, except for the interests of the state, did not have anything, but at Zhu di the eunuchi occupied key positions in the army, on a fleet and, especially at the court. In addition, China relied on the ideology of Buddhism, which was distinguished by exceptional violetiness and allowed to coexist in the empire and syntoisters, and the Tibetan adherents of Religion Bon, and Muslims, and pagans.
The main support of the emperor was in general the Chinese civilization. Unlike Europe, where, after the era of antiquity, a failure began in the form of "dark centuries" of the Middle Ages, China developed continuously. Astronomy, metallurgy, medicine, agrotechnology - in any of these industries China for hundreds of years ahead of the rest of the world. Powder, paper, typography, paper money, porcelain, silk - all this is the result of Chinese developments, while the unique so-called "golden fleet" was created. This fleet, which was so called because of its sizes and the grand costs for its construction, was supposed to perform the will of the emperor. But it would be possible to call him and "Scarlet Sails" - hundreds of ships of the Chinese fleet were equipped with light and durable sails from scarlet silk.
While the Portuguese only began their promotion to the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean, the Chinese fleet consisting of up to 100 different ships with a common crew of up to 25-30 thousand. Man made seven swimming pools, visiting Indochytai, Java, Ceylon, Malabar coast in India , Aden and Ormuz in Arabia. Chinese ships visited the Somali Coast of Africa. In the seas of the Malay Archipelago, this fleet was defeated by numerous pirate detachments that prevented the development of China's maritime trade with the countries of South Asia.
These expeditions headed the great Chinese navigator Zheng He, who came from a little bit and nominated at the courtyard of the emperor for his military merit. Expeditions Zheng He did not only strengthen China's influence in South Asia and contributed to the growth of its economic and cultural ties, but also expanded the geographical knowledge of the Chinese: they studied them, described and mapped them visited by them land and the sea. "Countries outside the horizon and the edge of the Earth have become now subject to China and to the most western and northernmost edges, and maybe behind their turns, and all the ways are passed and the distances are measured," so estimated the results of his swimming pools Zheng HE.
At the head of the Golden Fleet was put in the great eunuch Zheng He. Muslim in faith, he was an outstanding figure of the empire. The Golden Fleet was the embodiment of the magnifies and ambitious intentions of the Middle Kingdom. It included "floating treasury", warships, grain trucks, water carriers, repair bases, etc. These were: "Binchuan" - "ships for warriors", "Machuan" - "ships for horses", "Lianguan" - "ships for grain" (and in general, for food) and even peculiar "tankers" for fresh water.
"Floating Treasury" was in size almost a stadium - about 150 meters long and 40 meters wide (other sources are given other values). It was 10 masts. It was built of three layers of the stall trees. It was divided into 16 waterproof compartments, and the flooding of even several of them has not yet led to the death of the ship. The height wheel was about 10 meters. There were replaceable keel. The fleet had everything for long swimming. Even trained marine outers so that they drive the fish on the network. Have dogs for fresh meat. Soy grew in barrels - to avoid zing. Crews knew how to crush water. Astronomers, geologists, agronomas were driving. The fleet could only swim away from the shores and overcome up to 10 thousand kilometers. The number of personnel of the fleet was up to 30 thousand people.
Even before the start of the sixth, the most grand, the journey of the Chinese Golden Fleet Emperor Zhu Di subordinate to China actually all Southeast Asia, including Manchuria, Korea and Japan. His efforts gained a new life of a great silk path all over China to Persia (current Iran). Under the strong influence of China, in addition, there was Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean turned into a kind of "Chinese lake". Hiking of the Chinese Golden Fleet in 1421-1423. Even more expanded the ownership and influence of the Chinese Empire in the region.
Historical background
The Chinese have long known that the Earth is a ball, knew about its sizes. Spellled to determine the latitude and, with errors, longitude. They had experience in swimming in warm and ice seas. At the same time, from the point of view of engineering knowledge, the size of the sizes for a wooden sailing vessel seem too large. However, the foliates found in 2000 - "the tale of the Heavenly Virgin, which keeps the high spirit on the command of the Great Lord" - irrefutably proves that Zheng Hoe's gigantic "floating treasury" is not fiction, but a historical fact. The Buddhist monk Sheng Hui participating in the fifth swimming of Zheng Hue in front of his death, he dictated his contents to his student. The illustration shows the Fleet Zheng Hoe in a hiking system, as well as guarding his heavenly maiden - a messenger of the sea deity. In the picture of the court, Zheng He go build out of five lines of five pennants in each. All vessels are similar to each other in circulation and sizes, their "nose and feed are raging the bold, the side falls on the walls, and the womb in the depths." The data given in Foliance make a significant contribution to the recreation of a reliable appearance of the "Floating Treasury" Zheng HE.
The underwater remains found to date confirm that the ancient Chinese vessels really had very complete circuits. In recent years, several finds of the remains of sunken ships of the Sun Dynasties, Yuan and Min (960-1644) were made off the coast of China. Some of the found ships were measured by the researcher of the National Museum of China Wang Guangzhio. According to him, among the ships there are ratios of length to width at 2.4: 1, but they cannot be compared with the "floating treasury". In general, findings indicate that at this time in China received the spread of "full" courts.
According to Foliant, Zheng He went to the Western (quiet) ocean on the "ship of 2 thousand materials". This characteristic coincides with the other source. In the inscription on a stone stele from the Jijahs Monastery in Nanjing, it is said: "On the third year of Junle (1406), the commander climbed the ship from 2 thousand materials. The army took 8 ships. "
Expansion
To achieve its goals, Admiral Zheng He sometimes resorted to armed force. For example, in 1405, during the first expedition, Zheng He demanded the transfer of the Sacred Buddhist Relics of Lanka to the Chinese Emperor: tooth, hair and bowls for the Buddha, who were the most important relics and attributes of the Sinhaleian kings.
Having received a refusal, Zheng He again returned to the island, accompanied by a detachment of 3,000 people, broke into the capital, captured the king of Vira Alakeshwaru, members of his family and approximate, delivered them to the ship and took it to China.
During the fourth travel, in the usual visit to the state of Pasay in the north, Sumatra, the admiral fleet had to take part in the struggle between the recognized China by the monarch of Al-Abidin and the applicant named Sender. The Chinese fleet brought gifts from the emperor for a surcharge al-Abidida, but not for the secret, which caused the wrath of the latter, and he attacked the Chinese. Zheng He was able to wrap his troops that had received himself, split his troops, capture the secretary himself and send him to China.
After the death of Emperor Zhu di, the sea expeditions were suspended for a while, and Zheng He himself served as the head of the garrison in Nanjing. During the last, seventh, the journey of Zheng He was in 60 years. He had not personally attended many countries where Chinese ships came in, and returned to China in 1433, while individual units of the fleet under the command of his assistants visited Mecca in 1434, as well as Sumatra and Java.
Expeditions Zheng HE contributed to the cultural exchange of African and Asian countries with China and the establishment of trade relations between them. Detailed descriptions of countries and cities that visited Chinese navigators were compiled.
Based on materials and information collected by the participants of the Marine Expeditions of Zheng He, in Minsk China in 1597, Lo Mao Dan was written by the Roman "Swimming of Zheng He in the West Ocean" ("San Bao Tai Jian Si Yang Ji"). As Kitanist A.V. Velgus, there is a lot of fiction in it, but in some descriptions the author definitely used the data of historical and geographical sources. Under the leadership of Zheng He, flotilla visited more than 56 countries and major cities of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean Basin.
The first swimming of Zheng He took place in 1405-1407 on the route of Suzhou-shore Tyumpy Island Java-North-West Satrara Malacca Strait-Lanka Island. Then, having encouraged the southern tip of Industan, the flotilla moved to the merchant cities of the Malabar coast of India, coming to the largest Indian port - Calicut. Approximately the same were the routes of the second (1407-1409) and the third (1409-1411) trips. Fourth (1413-1415), the fifth (1417-1419), the sixth (1421-1422) and the seventh (1431-1433) expeditions reached Ormuza and the African coast in the area of \u200b\u200bmodern Somalia, came to the Red Sea. The navigators led detailed and accurate records seen, made up cards. The time of sailting, the locations of the parking lots was recorded in them, the location of reefs and chalks was fed. Descriptions of overseas states and cities, political orders, climate, local customs, legends were compiled. Zheng He delivered the Emperor's message to foreign countries, encouraged the arrival of foreign embassies, led trade.
Chinese stagnation
Losses of the Golden Fleet Zheng Hoe for the Empire were huge - both in ships and in personnel. They were sensitive even for such a powerful power as the Chinese Empire. Nevertheless, the task given by the emperor Zhu di his admirals was fulfilled. It was the greatest success that no power in the world had not yet sought. Achievements of Chinese at the beginning of the XV century. You can call the largest achievements of all mankind. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe emperor Zhu di to describe the entire submittening world and make it a Danitor of the Criminal Empire could come true ...
So, in any case, the Chinese admirals thought, returning to their homeland. However, they found in their homeland such radical changes in the internal and foreign policy, which thoughts about the global expansion disappeared from them by themselves. China, where they returned, completely changed. The dying emperor Zhu Di could no longer affect anything, and the Cabinet of Mandarins came to power purposefully destroyed the state system created by the former emperor, the purpose of which was mastered the world. From the remote lands, the tribute was no longer collected, the major scientific experiments were not carried out, the grand enterprises were rushed into the fly. China gradually immersed in the swamp isolation from the rest of the world. Eunuch admirals were dismissed from the service, their ships are put on the layer or put on the joke near the wall of the harbor - to do. Maps, locations, ship magazines, diaries, descriptions of travel and other valuable documents were on the order of new owners of the maritime ministry were destroyed. The great achievements of Zheng HE were not marked, and over time they just forgot about them.
The reason was pretty prose. Two months after the departure of the Fleet Zheng He over the Forbidden City in Beijing, a storm broke out and a fire began. The fire destroyed almost the entire city and even the throne of the emperor. Hundreds of people died. Emperor Zhu di regarded everything as anger of the sky and handed the power to his son. But tangerines demanded more decisive measures: to remove ENUOV, abandon external expansion, as the Great Wall, the Great Channel and the Golden Fleet required the grand costs. Only forests for ships were cut down so much that Vietnam risked and separated from China.
In September 1424, the emperor Zhu di died, and his son banned the "floating treasury" - even the drawings were destroyed. Burned all reports, cards and in general, any Chinese trips abroad were forbidden.
On the lands of China, the harmony of stagnation in the spirit of Confucius reigned. Communication with the outside world was minimized, and incomes from foreign trade fell. With the death of Zhu di in the world, a certain vacuum arose, which was immediately filled with Portuguese and Spaniards. And after 1644 and the change of the Ming dynasty on the Qing dynasty isolation intensified. China fell into lethargy ...
Vladimir Golovko,
Evgeny Petropavlovsky
Kiev City
Throughout its centuries-old history, the Chinese empire did not show much interest in distant countries and sea travel. But in the XV century, her ships were sent seven times in swimming in the Indian Ocean, and headed by a giant junok squadron every time the same person - a diplomat and admiral Zheng He, who was not inferior to Columbus in the wise of his expeditions.
After the liberation of China from the Mongols and the proclamation in 1368. The Minister of Minister of Emperor, the main task of the new government, was the "restoration of the international prestige of China as a sovereign state and termination of the invasion of China. The new Emperor Zhu Di (Yun-Le, rules from 1403 to 1424), striving to strengthen the international situation of the Middle Kingdom, decided to organize a huge fleet, the purpose of the waters of which would be a demonstration of the power of the new empire and the requirement of humility from the states of the South Seas.
However, this version, although the most common, is not the only one. In the same "history of the Ming dynasty", it is indicated that the Emperor sent an expedition to Zheng HE for the sea. For searching for the search disappeared in 1403 of Emperor Hoy Di. This version is least convincing, as the emperor knew that Rasach burned down in the palace at the Nanjing storm, but did not resolve publicly confirm this, preferring not to refute the rumors about his secret salvation.
The sources are not as official as "mini mini", the economic goals of expeditions were reflected. Ma Huan, Chronista Expeditions, Zheng He, for example, it is said that these travels were equipped with the goal of crossing the distant seas to trade with ingenians. The fact that Zheng He was to not only bring gifts to foreign rulers, but also to trade, they say also to Shu Yu Zhou Zi Lu. However, thanks to the philosophical and ethical concepts of trade assessment, as low and unworthy occupations, adopted in medieval China, did not find the proper display in most sources.
Perhaps the rally lies in a certain complex of inferiority of the Yun-Le, ascended by the TRON of the palace coup. The illegal "son of the sky" seems to be simply not wanted to wait for the hands until the dannikon themselves appear to him on the bow.
Zheng HE
Zheng He was born in 1371 in the city of Kunyan (now Jinin), in the center of the south-western Chinese province Yunnan, not far from her capital Kunmina. Nothing as a future fleet, who called Ma He, did not foretell the coming novel with the ocean: in the XV century from Kunyana to the coast there were several weeks drive. Mohammed Transcription Surname - and today is often found in the Chinese Muslim community, and our hero was the origin of the famous Said Advili Shams of Al-Dina (1211-1279), who was also overlooking Umaro, - a native of Bukhara, nominated during the Mongolian Great Hanov (Grandson of Genghis Khan) and Hubila. It was the conqueror of China Khabilai in 1274 appointed this Umar governor Yunnani. It is known that the father and grandfather of the future Admiral strictly adhered to Islam's locks and made a hajj in Mecca. Moreover, in the Muslim world there is an opinion that the future admiral itself visited the sacred city, however, with informal pilgrimages.
At the time of the birth of the boy, the median empire was still under the rule of the Mongols who favored to his family. But the beginning of the life of Ma He was quite dramatically. In 1381, when conquering Yunnan, the troops of the Chinese dynasty mines, which took off the foreign yuan, at the age of 39, the father of the future navigator died. The boy the rebels were captivated, wept and handed over to the service of the fourth son of their leader Hun-y, the future emperor Yun-Le, who soon went by the governor to Baipin (Beijing).
It is important to note one detail: Eunuchs in China, as well as, for example, in Ottoman Turkey, always remained one of the most influential political forces. Many young men themselves went on terrible not only in essence, but also on the technique of execution the operation, hoping to get into the retinue of any influential person - Prince or, if lucky, emperor himself. So, "color-eyed" (so-called representatives of nonetitoile, nonhangny nation in China) Zheng Hay for then the concepts were just lucky. Young Ma He has proven himself in service. By the end of the 1380s, he was already vividly stood out surrounded by Prince, whose younger was eleven. In 1399, when Beijing was askedid by the troops of the then Emperor Jianwene (Rules from 1398 to 1402), the young dignitarily defended one of the urban reservoirs. It is his actions and allowed the princess to stand up, so that the opponent's counterattack and to achieve the throne. In a few years, Yun-Lee gathered a powerful militia, raised the uprising and in 1402, taking the standby Metropolitan Nanjing, proclaimed himself with the emperor. Then he accepted the new Board's motto: Yun-Le - "Eternal Happiness." On the Chinese New Year on February 11, 1404, Ma He in gratitude for loyalty and feats was solemnly renamed Zheng He - this surname corresponds to the name of one of the ancient kingdoms that existed in China in the V-III centuries BC. e.
As for the appearance of the future Admiral, then he, "becoming an adult, they say, rose to seven chi (almost two meters), and his girth of his belt was equal to five chi (more than 140 centimeters). His cheekbones and forehead were wide, and the nose is small. He had a sparkling look and voice loud, as if the sound of a big gong. "
Treasury Admiral Zheng He
The ruler Topeil - Armada was built in a big hurry. The first order for the creation of ships was sounded in 1403th, and swimming began in two years. Special highest orders were devoted commercial parties for wood - to the province of Fujian and in the Ripos of Yangtze. The beauty and pride of the squadron, Baochuani (literally "precious ships" or "Treasury"), were constructed on the so-called "shipyard of precious ships" (Baochuanian) on the Qinhuai River in Nanjing. It is this last fact that, in particular, determines the fact that the precipitate of Johnk with their gigantic amount was not very deep - otherwise they would simply not have passed into the sea through this influx of Yangtz.
It is not possible to reliably determine all the characteristics of the ships of Armada Zheng HE historians and shipbuilders yet. The mass of speculation and discussions in the scientific world is caused by the fact that scientists are known how similar Junks are built to Zheng He and after him. However, the southern seas and the Indian Ocean korozdili specially rebuilt vessels, which are certainly (taking into account the calculations made on the basis of Ruderppost's excavations in Nanjing shipyard) only the following are known.
The length of large boaoic ships was 134 meters, and the width is 55. The sediment to the Waterlinia was 6 more than 6 meters. The mast was 9, and they carried 12 sails from wicker bamboo mats. Baochians in the Zheng HE squadron was from 40 to 60. For comparison: the first transatlantic steamer of Izambara Brunette "Great Western", which appeared in four centuries (1837), was almost twice as smaller (about 72 meters).
Measurements of medium ships were equal, respectively, 117 and 48 meters. There were about 200 such junks, and they are comparable to ordinary Chinese courts. The team of such a ship, in 1292, Marko Polo, which took place to India, consisted of 300 people, and Niccolo Di Conti, the Venetian merchant of the XIV-XV centuries, who traveled to India and Ormuz, mentions five-volume junks with displacement of about 2000 tons. The Admiral Fleet consisted of 27-28 thousand people of personnel, among whom they included soldiers, merchants, civilians, officials and master: in terms of quantity it is the population of the large Chinese city of those times.
Chinese ships built quite differently than European. First, they had no keel, although sometimes in the bottom and built a long bar, called Lunga ("Dragon's Bone"), - to mitigate the strike of the soil during mooring. The strength of the design of the ship was achieved by adding wooden strengthening-wavers at the level of Waterlinnia or above on board along the entire length. It was very important that the presence of bulkheads, stretching from the side to board through uniform gaps, were provided to protect the vessel from flooding in the event of damage to some one or more premises.
If in Europe, the mast was located in the center of the vessel, embedded in the foundation in Kiel, then in Chinese Junks, the base of each mast was connected only with a nearby bulkhead, which allowed "scattering" masts on the deck regardless of the central axis of symmetry. At the same time, the sails of different masts did not overlap each other, revealed like a fan, the sailiness increased, and the ship received a greater acceleration accordingly.
The Chinese courts, created to work in shallow waters, differ from European: their precipitate and the length proportionally inferior width. That's all we know reliably. Notes translator Ma Huan, Satellite Zheng He, John Mills complements these data to the assumption that 50 cabins were on the taochia.
First expedition
The first decree of Cheng-TzU about the expedition equipment was given in March 1405. This decree was prescribed by Zheng He, and his assistant Enun Wang Jihong. The preparation of the expedition, apparently, was already started earlier, because by the autumn of the same year, preparations were completed.
The ships were built at the mouth of the Yangtze, as well as on the shores of Zhejiang, Fujiani and Guangdong and then tightened to the anchor parking at Luzseye, where the collection of flotilla was appointed.
The flotilla includes sixty-two ships, on which there were twenty-seven thousand eight hundred people. The biggest ships in the length reached forty-four Jahan (one hundred forty meters) and in the width of eighteen Zhangan. The vehicles of the average value respectively had thirty-seven and fifteen Zhangans (one hundred eight and forty eight meters). The numbers are even more amazing, if we consider that the largest caravel length of the first expedition of Columbus "Santa Maria" did not exceed eighteen and a half meters, with a maximum width of 7.8 m.
As indicated in "Min Shi", in the first swimming Zheng He brought 62 large ship. However, in the Middle Ages in China, each large ship was accompanied by another two-three small, auxiliary. Gong Zhen, for example, speaks of the auxiliary vessels that have brought fresh water and food. There is information that their number reached a hundred ninety units.
Coming out of Lujiajiang, the fleet passed along the shores of China to Taipin Bay in Changle Changézian Province. Here the ships stood until winter 1405/1406, completing the preparation and waiting for the beginning of the northeastern monsoons. This season lasts from mid-November to February, but usually later began on February, flotilla did not go to swimming. In December 1405, or at the beginning of 1406, filling the tricks with edible supplies, fuel and fresh water, the flotilla came out to the open sea and took the course south.
From the shores of Fujiani Fleet Zhang He went to Trimpe. Having passed through the South China Sea and offering about. Kalimantan from the West, he approached the east coast of the carimat. Java. Hence the expedition headed along the northern shore of Java to Palembang. Next, the path of Chinese ships lay through the Malack shed to the north-west coast of Sumatra to SAMUDR. Going to the Indian Ocean, the Chinese fleet recruit the Bengal Bay and reached the Ceylon. Then, having encouraged by the southern tip of Industan, Zheng He visited several rich shopping centers in the Malabar coast, including the largest from the bottom - the city of Calicut. Pretty colorful illustration of the Calicutian market leads the city of Hart in his book "Sea Route to India": "Chinese silk, thin cotton fabric of local production, famous worldwide and Europe, cloth knee, cloves, nutmegs, their dried husk, camphor from India and Africa, Cinnamon from Ceylon, Pepper from the Malabar coast, from the Sunda Islands and Borneo, Medicinal Plants, Ivory from the Interior Areas of India and Africa, Cassia Bags, Cardamom Bags, Heaps of Copra, Coconut Bags, Sandal, Sandal, Yellow mahogany." The wealth of this city gives to understand why Zhu Di sent the first expedition to exactly there.
In addition, in the first swimming on the opposite way, the Chinese expeditionary troops were captivated by the famous Pirate Chen Tzui, who captured Palembang at that time, the capital of the Hindus-Buddhist state Srevidaya on Sumatra. "Zheng He returned and brought Chen Ju Zuzu and in the chandelts. Arriving in the old port (Palembang), he called Chen to obey. He attacked that he was obeying, but secretly planned a riot. Zheng He understood it ... Chen, gathered forces, spoke In the battle, and Zheng He sent the troops and accepted the battle. Chen was defeated by headlong. More than five thousand bandits were killed, ten ships were burned and seven seeds ... Chen and two more were captured and delivered to the imperial capital, where they were ordered To be beheaded. "So the Metropolis defended peaceful migrant compatriots in Palembang and at the same time demonstrated that his ships carried weapons on board not only for beauty.
Second expedition
Immediately after returning from the campaign, in the fall of 1407, Zhu Di, surprised by the asian goods, brought by the expedition, again sent the Fleet Zheng He to a distant swimming, but this time the flotilla numbered only 249 ships, since a large number of ships in the first expedition turned out to be useless. The route of the second expedition (1407-1409) mainly coincided with the prior route, Zheng He visited mostly familiar places, but this time he spent more time in Siam (Thailand) and Calicut.
Home, Chinese expeditions returned to the same route as before, and only the incidents in the way allow you to distinguish the navigation "there" from the opposite. During the second navigation, the geographically similar to the first, only one event occurred, the memory of which was preserved in history: the ruler of Calicut provided Messengers of the subwayless several bases, relying on which, the Chinese could continue to go further to the west.
Third expedition
But the third expedition brought more interesting adventures. Under the date July 6, 1411, the chronicle recorded:
"Zheng He ... returned and brought the captured Tsar Zeylon Alagakonar, his family and children. During the first journey of Alagakonard was rude and disrespectful and removed to kill Zheng He. Zheng He understood it and left. Moreover, Alagakonar was not friends with neighboring countries and often intercepted and robbed their embassies along the way to China and back. Due to the fact that other barbarians suffered from this, Zheng He, returned, again showed contempt of Ceylon. Then Alagakonar lured Zheng He deep into the country and sent his son Nianana to demand gold, silver and other precious goods. If these goods did not give out, more than 50 thousand Varvarov would rebel from the shelters and captured the ships of Zheng HE. And they squeezed the trees and rearmed to block the narrow tracks and cut the Zheng He way to retreat so that some Chinese detachments could come to each other to help.
When Zheng He realized that they were cut off from the fleet, he quickly deployed troops and sent them to the ships ... And he ordered the messengers to secretly bypass the roads, where the ambush was sitting, to return to the ships and transfer the order to the officers and soldiers to beat death. Meanwhile, he personally led a two-thousandths of the army by coarse tracks. They stormed the eastern walls of the capital, taking her fear, broke into the inside, captured Anlagakonar, his family, children and dignitaries. Zheng He spent a few battles and broke the Army of Varvarov Head. When he returned, the ministers decided that the alagkonar and other prisoners should execute. But the emperor settled over them - over ignorant people who did not know what heavenly mandate on the board, and let them go, giving food and clothing, and ordered the ward of rituals to choose a worthy person in the Aldakconary family to rule the country. "
It is believed that this was the only case when Zheng He was consciously and decisively crossed off the path of diplomacy and entered the war not with robbers, but with the official government of the country to which he arrived. The above quote is the only documentary description of the actions of the fleet on Ceylon. However, besides him, of course, there are many legends. The most popular of them describes the scandal associated with the most revered relic - tooth of the Buddha (Dalad), who Zheng He could have been going to steal, or really stole from Ceylon.
The story is: back in 1284, Hubilai sent his emissaries to Ceylon to get one of the main sacred relics of Buddhists quite legally. But the tooth Mongolian Emperor - a famous patron of Buddhism - was still not given, compensating for the refusal to other expensive gifts. On this case, it ended. But according to Sinhal myths, the Middle State in secret did not refuse the desired goal. They generally argue that the admiral swimming was undertaken almost specifically for the abduction of the tooth, and all the other wanders are to remove the eyes. But Singhals allegedly overheut the Zheng He - "slipped" to him in captivity of the royal twin instead of the real king and the false relic, and the real, while the Chinese were fought, strained. The compatriots of the Great Marithener, of course, adhere to the opposite opinion: Admiral still got the invaluable "piece of the Buddha", and he even helped him safely reach Nanjing back to Nanjing. What was really unknown.
Fourth expedition
In the future, Fleet Zheng He visited even more distant countries: during the fourth expedition (1413-1415), they reached the city of Ormuza in the Persian Gulf.
Fifth expedition
During the next (1417-1419) - I visited Lasa (item in the area of \u200b\u200bthe modern city of Mersa Fatima in the Red Sea) and a number of cities in the Somali shore of Africa - Mogadishu, Brava, Juba and Malindi.
The sixth and seventh swimming Zheng HE are the most poorly studied. They have practically no sources left. Not so long ago, the book "1421: a year when China opened the world" appeared. Posted by her retired British officer, the commander of the submarine Gavin Menzis, who assured Zheng He was ahead of even Columbus, opening America before him, he was ahead of him allegedly and Magellan, having encouraged the globe. Professional historians reject these constructions as untenable. Nevertheless, one of the admiral cards - the so-called "CAN" CAN "NIDO" indicates that he has had reliable and reliable information about Europe. The search for truth is very complicated by the full destruction of official information on the last two swimming, which, Apparently, were the most distances. Did the Chinese get to the Mozambique Strait in East Africa? Researchers are also known by the testimony of Fra Mauro, a monk-cardograph from Venice, which in 1457 wrote that a certain "Johnka from India" thirty years earlier floated two Thousands of miles deep into the Atlantic. An opinion is also expressed as if the Czheng HE cards served as the basis of European maritime cards of the era of the great geographical discoveries. And finally, the last mystery. In January 2006, a 1763 card was presented at the same auction, allegedly accurate copy of the 1418 card. The owner is a Chinese collector who bought it in 2001, immediately relates her with the speculation of Menzis, because the outlines appeared on it I am America and Australia, and with the Chinese transcriptions of the names of the names of the Aborigines. Examination confirmed: the paper on which the scheme was performed is the authentic, XV century, but about ink remains doubts. However, even if it is not a fake, then perhaps just the translation of some Western source into Chinese.
Sixth expedition
During the sixth navigation (1421-1422), the Fleet Zheng Hay again reached the shore of Africa.
The sixth journey Zheng HE is the least lit in the sources, since the attention of the chroniclers was riveted to the death of the emperor, because of which the navigator was possible and was forced to return to his homeland. The purpose of the journey, according to Genvina Menzis, in addition to geographical discoveries was also the delivery of ambassadors and foreign rulers home after their visit to the opening ceremony of the Forbidden City. As before, the first destination of the Fleet Zheng He was Malacca, where the Chinese was founded by a transshipment base for ships, who had spices with Molukkas, or spice islands.
The Chinese, in addition to the Malacca and Calicut, who have been guarded by them and the calika on the south-west coast of India, have created and, one way or another, supported the branched network of port cities smaller, covered by Southeast Asia and the countries of the Indian Ocean basin. Zheng He used these ports as the bases for his golden fleet, where his ships could stock up with fresh water throughout the way from China to East Africa. After replenishing the reserves of provisions and water in Malacca, the Chinese sailed five days and arched at Semuers, where the admiral divided his army into four fleets. Three of these great fleets were sent in swimming under the command of the great eunuha Hong Bao, Eunuha Zhou Manya and Eunuha Zhou Wen. The fourth fleet Zheng He left under his team. All 3 fleet first of all were to deliver those who were on board ingoing nobles and ambassadors to their homeland - in the ports of India, Arabia, and East Africa. After that, the fleet had to meet at the southern coast of Africa to start the second part of the emperor's instruction - to swim on the "unexplored waters to the end of the Earth."
According to the Ancient Chinese map "Mao Kun" that is this segment of the route and looked. Having gathered in the Calicut for trading, the gold fleets were again divided to deliver ambassadors to their homeland. After the messengers were delivered to their native fenats, according to the map "Mao Kun", all ships gathered in Sofala (modern Mozambique). Since the map fell on this stretch of travel Menzis was forced to look for a new source of information that for him and the map of the Venetian Cartographic Frame Mauro, drawn at the beginning of 1459. The researcher attracted how in detail and accurate on the map a cape of good hope was drawn, given The fact that the cartographer itself did not travel around the world and was a cabinet worker. Frame Maro pointed out that information about Cape and Junks was provided to him by the Venice Ambassador and Connyi, who at that time lived in Calicut and, at the suggestion of Menzis, could return to Italy on Chinese Johnka and own the information provided by the Chinese. In August 1421, the Chinese, inhabit the South Equatorial current, reincut the Western African Rog, and, being in the zone of Senegal flow, moved to the north, to the green cavity. There, near the village of Janel, Menzis found a carved stove with old inscriptions (called local residents of Ribeira Di Penden), as a result, as a result of the writers of the Language of Malayalam, a common language in the area of \u200b\u200bKerala (the capital of which was Calicut), starting from the IX century.
As proof of the visit to the Chinese new light, Menzis brought a medieval map of Peir's flight, on which you can trace the contours of the West Bank of South America and Antarctic. The author of the sensational book argues that the Ottoman Cartographer was based on materials collected by the Chinese. The purpose of the Chinese travel to the non-human lands of Patagonia, the writer explained the search for a guide star, which could replace the polar star of the south of the equator line (Canopus and South Cross).
According to the hypothesis of the Menzis, setting the geographical latitude of the canopus, fleets of the Admirals of the Golden Fleet of Zhou Manya and Hon Bao were divided and, independently of each other, moved along a given latitude to China. Since the fleet of Zhou Manya did not deliver a single messenger to China, the researcher concluded, the Flotodets moved in the western direction to explore and put on the map of the Pacific Ocean, he returned to his homeland through the islands of the spices. The Fleet Admiral Hon Bao moved towards the Antarctic to establish the exact position of the southern cross, and then returned home, moving to the east through the water of the southern seas, visiting Malacca and Calicut. Based on the maps, including such ancient such as the map of Admiral Piri flight, Chinese Loading at Pei Chi, etc. Menzis proves that Chinese fleets reached not only new light, but also Antarctica and Australia, as well as the first world journey.
However, a non-professional approach to criticizing sources, pulling up the facts under the dictated necessity was obvious evidence that the creation of the British Seaman is largely only a proposal generated by market demand. Menzis was criticized for the "irresponsible way of considering evidence", which led him to the nomination of the hypotheses "without the slightest evidence." Cooperation with the publishing house, published by Dan Brown, has become a reason for the relevant analogies.
Seventh swimming
Whatever it was, contrary to the statement of Menzis, the sixth journey Zheng He was not the last expedition of the Chinese admiral. Like the preceding swimming seventh expeditions Zheng He (1431-1433) and the expedition of his nearest assistant Wang Jianghun that followed it was crowned with success. Embassy connections of the countries of the South Seas with China again revived, and Malacca (1433) and Samudra (1434) came to the Imperial Court rulers of these countries. However, the situation in the early XV century was not restored. By this time, at the courtyard of the emperor, the grouping of approximated Zhu Di, which insisted on the reduction of expeditions and return to the policy of isolationism. After the death of Zhui, under the influence of the court sentiments, the new emperor insisted on the termination of expeditions, as well as the destruction of all evidence of their conduct.
Value
Description of Expeditions Zheng He was in 1416 his satellite and translator Ma Huan, from Dinlinov. The Book Ma Huan is distinguished by the accuracy of observation of the customs of the peoples inhabiting the shores of the Indian Ocean.
Jenene He's travels were perhaps the first page in the history of great geographical discoveries. He did not set itself the tasks of consolidating in the southern seas and creating a durable trading empire, because the Chinese influence in the countries visited them did not last and half a century. Nevertheless, the information obtained by him about South and Western countries led to intensifying trade with indochite and to the growth of Chinese emigration in these edges. The trends, the beginning of which laid the swimming of Zheng He, continued until the XIX century.
In all swims, the grandiose Armada went from the South China Sea. Through the Indian Ocean, the ships went towards Ceylon and South Industan, and the last journey covered the Persian Bay, the Red Sea and the East Coast of Africa. Zheng Hay walked every time the "rolled" way: catching repeating monsoon winds, which from December to March blowing on these latitudes from the north and northeast. When wet subequatorial flow streams climbed over the Indian Ocean and, as it were, they turned around in a circle back to the north - from April to August, the flotilla, respectively, turned to the house. This is a monsoon schedule. Local sailors knew long before our era, and not only sailors: it dictated and the order of agricultural seasons. Taking into account the monsoons, as well as the pattern of constellation travelers confidently transported from the south of Arabia to the Malabar coast of India, or from Ceylon on Sumatra and in Malacca, adhering to a certain latitude.
A natural question arises: why did the planet discovered, the portuguese, the Spaniards and the British were investigated and settled, and not the Chinese - after all, Zheng Hay's swimming showed that the Sons of the Middle Kingdom could build ships and ensure their expeditions economically and politically? The answer is simple, and it is reduced not only to the difference of ethnopsychology of the middle European and the Middle Chinese, but also to the historical and cultural situation of the era of great geographical discoveries. Europeans have always lacked land and resources to maintain their rapidly developing economy, they drove them on the seizures of new territories of the closest and eternal shortage of material goods (gold, silver, spices, silk, etc.) for anyone who eager them. Here you can also remember the free spirit of the heirs of Ellinov and Romans, with ancient times they sought to settle the Mediterranean, because they walked to the conquest of new lands even before the first dough and caravels came up with the stapels. The Chinese also had their own problems - overpopulation and land hunger, but, despite the fact that they were always separated from the tempting adjacent territories, they were always separated by the non-erased strait, China remained self-sufficient: the Son Son Son of the sky was spread through Southeast Asia and neighboring countries like peaceful settlers, And not as missionaries or slaves and gold hunters. Casus Emperor Junle and his Admiral Zheng HE is an exception, not a rule. The fact that the Baocuanians were big and that there were many of them, did not mean that China sent them to distant countries for the seizure of land and the dispensation of overseas colonies. Yurk Karavella Columbus and Vasco Da Gama beat in this plan Giant Johnci Zheng He on all fronts. It was this disinterest of the Chinese and their supreme power in the outside world, the concentration of themselves and led to the fact that the Grand Passionate Splash of the Emperor Yunle's time did not find a continuation after his death. UNLE has sent ships for the horizon in spite of the main imperial policy who prescribed the Son of the sky to take ambassadors from the world, and not send them to the world. The death of the emperor and the admiral returned to the status quo: briefly, the sinks of the shell slammed again.
Website materials used: http://www.poxod.eu
life magazine, then on the 14th place, immediately behind Hitler, we will meet the name Zheng He. Who is he, and what he deserved such a vocation. We all know the era of great discoveries, Magellan, Columbus, Portugal and Spain share the whole world in half and reach it to the maximum. What did Great China do 100 years before that in the era of the Ming Dynasty?
Fleet Zheng He committed 7 travel from China to Southeast Asia, Ceylon and South India. During some travel, the fleet reached Ormuza in Persia, and its individual squadrons - to several ports in Arabia and East Africa.
According to Gavin Menzis, the author of the last book about Zheng He called "1421", he passed under the sail through the entire Indian Ocean, sailing in Mecca, Persian Bay, Eastern Africa, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Arabia and through the entire Indian Ocean over decades to Christopher Columbus or Vasco da Gama, and his ships in size were five times more!
According to historians, among the reasons for the organization of these expeditions, as a desire for Zhui di, to obtain international recognition of the Minsk dynasty, who came to the change of the Mongolian dynasty of the Yuan, as the new ruling dynasty of the Middle State, and the statement of the legality of his own stay on the throne usurped to them Needle Zhu Yunweany. The last factor may have been aggravated by the wrestling of rumors that he did not die at all during the fire of the Nanking Imperial Palace, and was able to run and hiding somewhere in China or beyond. The official "History of Min" (compiled by almost 300 years later) argues that the search for the missing emperor was one of the goals and for expeditions Zheng HE. In addition, if Zhu Yunwean was alive and looking for support abroad, the Expedition of Zheng He could prevent his plans and show who in China is a genuine ruler.
Stationary full-size model of "Middle-sized Treasury Ship" (63.25 m in length), built approx. 2005 on the site of the former shipyard Longjiang in Nanjing. The model has reinforced concrete walls with wooden trim
The sailing fleet, headed by Eunuch Zheng He, was built at the beginning of the XV century in the Chinese Empire Min, and consisted of at least 250 vessels. This fleet was also called gold.
Among historians there are different opinions about the number of vessels in the Fleet Zheng He. For example, the author of the popular biography of Zheng He (Levathes 1994, P. 82), following many other authors (for example, the authoritative history of the Minsk era (CHAN 1988, pp. 233), calculates the composition of the fleet participating in the first expedition of Zheng HE (1405 -1407) as 317 vessels, folding 62 treasury ship referred to in "History Min" with "250 ships" and "5 ships" for the ocean swimming on the order of which they say in other sources of the period. However, E. Dreier, analyzing sources, It believes that the figures from different sources believes that the numbers are incorrectly, and in reality, the mention of "250 ships" implies all vessels ordered for this expedition.
Baochuan: length - 134 meters, width - 55 meters, displacement - about 30,000 tons, team - about 1000 people
1. Cabin Admiral Zheng He
2. Ship altar. The priests constantly burned incense on it - the gods were asked
3. TRUM. Ships Zheng HE were full of porcelain, jewels and other gifts for foreign rulers and demonstration of the power of the emperor
4. The steering wheel of the ship was equal to the height of the four-storey house. To bring it into action used a complex system of blocks and levers
5. Observation deck. Standing on her, the navigators watched the pattern of constellations, the course was drilled and the vessel speed was measured
6. Waterlinia. Water displacement of the BOCAUANY Many times more than the modern European ships
7. Woven from bamboo mats of sails dropped like a firm and provided high ship sailing
Santa Maria Columbus: Length - 25 meters, width - about 9 meters, displacement - 100 tons, team - 40 people
The beauty and pride of the squadron, Baochuani (literally "precious ships" or "Treasury"), were constructed on the so-called "shipyard of precious ships" (Baochuanian) on the Qinhuai River in Nanjing. It is this last fact that, in particular, determines the fact that the precipitate of Johnk with their gigantic amount was not very deep - otherwise they would simply not have passed into the sea through this influx of Yangtz. And finally, everything was ready. July 11, 1405 in the "Chronicle of Emperor Tha-Zun" (one of the ritual names of UNLE) was made a simple entry: "Palace Sanovnik Zheng He and others were sent to the countries of Western (Indian) Ocean with emperor letters and gifts for their kings - Golden Parch, patterned silk, colored silk gas, is all according to their status. " In total, Armada includes up to 255 ships from 27,800 people aboard.
Johnka with a drawing of a Sun era demonstrates the traditional design of a Chinese flat-door vessel. Beyond the lack of keel, a large steering wheel (on the stern) and side scraps help the sustainability of the vessel.
Chinese shipbuilders understood that the gigantic size of the ships would complicate their maneuverability, and therefore they set the balance sheet that could be lifted and lowering for greater stability. Modern shipbuilders do not know how the Chinese have built the ship's housing without the use of iron that could carry a 400-foot vessel, and some even doubted that such ships at that time existed at all. However, in 1962 in Nanjing in the ruins of one of the shipyards of the Ming dynasty, the ruderosost of the treasure ship was discovered, which was thirty-six feet long. Using the proportions of typical traditional junki (typical Chinese vessel), making repeated miscalculations, the calculated body for a similar steering was five hundred foot (152.5 meters).
The steering wheel on the modern model of the treasury ship (shipper Longjiang)
What is strange, comparing the expeditions of Vasco da Gama and Expedition Zheng He, American historian Robert Finlay (English Robert Finlay) writes: "The expedition da Gama marked the undeniable turning point in world history, becoming an event symbolizing the new time. Following the Spaniards, the Dutch and the British, the Portuguese began to build an empire in the East ... In contrast to this, Minsk expeditions did not affect any changes: neither colonies, no new routes, nor monopolies, nor cultural heyday and no global unity ... History of China and World The story probably would not have changed any changes if the Zheng HE expeditions never took place. "
Sailboat Christopher Columbus in comparison with the ship Zheng He (in feet).
In connection with the swimming in Zheng He, Western authors often ask the question: "As it happened, the European civilization in a couple of centuries involved in its sphere of influence the whole world, and China, although he began the large-scale ocean swimming earlier and with a much larger fleet, which had Columbus and Magellan, soon stopped such expeditions and moved to the policy of isolationism? "," What would happen if Vasco da Gama met on his way a Chinese fleet, such a fleet Zheng He? "
In popular literature, even the opinion was expressed that Zheng He was the prototype of Sinbad-Morthode. Evidence is looking for in the similarity of the sound between the names of Sinbad and Sanbao and in the fact that both have committed seven maritime travels.
Zheng HE (1371--1435) - Chinese traveler, Flotodets and diplomat, headed by seven large-scale naval trade expeditions sent by the emperors of the Minsk dynasty to Indochyan, Indochian countries, Indoostan, Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.
At birth, the future navigator received the name Ma He. He was born in the village of Hadi, Cunyan County. The family of Ma came from the so-called sam. - immigrants from Central Asia who arrived in China during the time of Mongolian dominion and held a variety of positions in the state apparatus of the Yuan Empire. Most sam., including the ancestors of Zheng He, were Muslim religion (it is often believed that the surname "MA" itself is nothing more than the Chinese pronunciation name "Mohammed"). Traveler Chinese expedition military
About parents Mahe is known not so much. The father of the future navigator was known as Ma Haji (1345--1381 or 1382), in honor of his pilgrimage in Mecca; His spouse was named Wen. The family had six children: four daughters and two sons - senior, Ma Wenmin, and younger, Mahe.
Admission to the service for Zhu Di and Military Career
After the overthrow of the Mongolian Iga in Central and Northern China and the establishment of there Zhu Yuanzhan Dynasty Ming (1368) The Mountain Province Yunnan on the south-western outskirts of China remained under the control of the Mongols. It is not known whether Ma Haji fought on the side of the yuan loyalists during the conquest of Yunnani by Minsk troops, but be that as it may, he died during this campaign (1382), and his younger son Ma He was captured and got into the service of Zhu di , Son of Emperor Zhu Yuanjzhan, who led the Yunnan Campania.
Three years later, in 1385, the boy was castrated, and he became one of the numerous eunuhs at the court of Zhu di,. Young eunuch got a name Ma Sanbao That is, Ma "Three Treasures" or "Three Jewels". According to Nidem, despite the undoubtedly Muslim origin of Enuha, this title served as a reminder of the "three jewels" of Buddhism (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), whose names so often repeat Buddhists.
The first Minsk emperor Zhu Yuanzhzhhan was outlined to give the throne to his original son Zhu Biao, but he died during the life of Zhu Yuanzhzhan. As a result, the first emperor appointed his son the son of Zhu Biao, Zhu Yunweany, although his uncle Zhu di (one of the younger sons Zhu Yuanzhzhan) probably considered himself a more worthy throne. Going to the throne in 1398, Zhu Yunwean, who feared the capture of power with one of his uncle, began to destroy them one after another. Soon between the young emperor in Nanjing and his Beijing Uncle Zhu Di broke out a civil war. Due to the fact that Zhu Yunwean forbade Enuham to take part in the management of the country, many of them were supported by Zhu di during the uprising. As a reward for the Zhu di, for his part, it allowed them to participate in solving political issues, and allowed them to rise to the highest steps of political career, which was also very profitable for Ma Sanbao. The young eunah distinguished himself as during the defense of Baipin in 1399 and when taking Nanjing in 1402 and was one of the commanders who were entrusted to seize the capital of the Empire - Nanjing. By destroying the regime of your nephew, Zhu Di on July 17, 1402 climbed the throne under the motto of the Board of Junle.
On (Chinese) New 1404, the new emperor as a reward for the faithful service granted Ma He new surname Zheng. This served as a reminder of how in the first days of the uprising horse Ma He was killed in the vicinity of Baipina in the town called Zhenlunba.
As for the appearance of the future Admiral, he, "Having become adults, they say, grew up to seven chi (almost two meters. - Ed.), And his belt girth equal to five chi (more than 140 centimeters. - Ed.). His cheekbones and forehead were wide, and the nose is small. He had a sparkling look and voice loud, as if the sound of a big gong. "
After Zheng He for all his merits in front of the emperor was assigned the title "Chief Enun" ( taijian), which corresponded to the fourth rank of the official, the emperor Zhu Di decided that he was best about the role of Admiral Fleet and appointed Eunuch by the head of all or almost all seven swimming pools in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean in 1405--1433, in the 1405--1433 Status before the third rank.
Baochuan: length - 134 meters, width - 55 meters, displacement - about 30,000 tons, team - about 1000 people
- 1. Cabin Admiral Zheng He
- 2. Ship altar. The priests constantly burned incense on it - the gods were asked
- 3. TRUM. Ships Zheng HE were full of porcelain, jewels and other gifts for foreign rulers and demonstration of the power of the emperor
- 4. The steering wheel of the ship was equal to the height of the four-storey house. To bring it into action used a complex system of blocks and levers
- 5. Observation deck. Standing on her, the navigators watched the pattern of constellations, the course was drilled and the vessel speed was measured
- 6. Waterlinia. Water displacement of the BOCAUANY Many times more than the modern European ships
- 7. Woven from bamboo mats of sails dropped like a firm and provided high ship sailing
Santa Maria Columbus: Length - 25 meters, width - about 9 meters, displacement - 100 tons, team - 40 people.
The fleet consisted, apparently, from about 250 vessels, and about 27 thousand people of personnel on board, headed by 70 Emperuchi. Flotilla under the leadership of Zheng He visited over 56 countries and major cities of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean Basin. Chinese ships reached the shores of Arabia and East Africa.
Zheng He (Kit. - 郑和) (1371-1433) - Chinese traveler, Flotodets and diplomat, headed by seven large-scale naval trade expeditions sent by the emperors of the Minsk Dynasty to Indochyan, Indochina, Indogenian countries, Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.
Father Zheng He was Muslim and wore the name Ma. According to some data, the genus Ma took place from Western edges and some sources claim that the ancestor was the great Persian diplomat Said Adel, Al-Dean Omar, who became the first governor of the emperors of the Mongolian dynasty yuan in the province of Yunnan. In 1382, when Chinese troops entered the southern province of Yunnan, Zheng He came to the service to Zhu Di (afterwards the Emperor Junle) and was reasonable. As the inscription in the grave stone of Father Zheng He, compiled in 1405 and found in 1894, Zheng He was born in 1371 in the Cunyan district (now Jignnin) Yunnan Province. He "diligently served and showed the ability, was modest and careful, did not avoid difficult affairs, for which he acquired a good reputation among officials." He got into the surroundings of Zhu di during the campaign of 1400-1402, participating in the battles on the side of the future emperor. During New Year's celebrations in 1404, many participants of this war were granted awards and titles. Among them was the young scruptic, who since that time got the name Zheng and was produced in the Higher Palace Enunuch - Taijiani.
The aggressive foreign policy of Emperor Yun-Le Dictated an increasingly active expansion of the borders of China. The emperor sent a gigantic flotilla into Southeast Asia to master new trade routes. Zheng He was appointed commander.
In 1405, Zheng He first received the order of the Navy's story, numbering 62 large ship, auxiliary vessels that were visited by water and food, and 27 thousand soldiers to the Malack Peninsula. Ships on which Zheng HE expedition is located were called "precious." Each of them, a length of 138 meters, a width of 56 meters, was equipped with 9 masts and accommodated from 400 to 500 people.
Although the development of new trade routes and the spread of the political influence of China was the main goals of the emperor, some historians believe that these grandious foreign expeditions pursued another goal.
According to this assumption, Zheng He was aimed at searching for an overwhelmed emperor Jianwene, because his body was never found. At that time, rumors began to circulate that Jianwene was not really killed in the battle for Nanjing, and hit the run and hiding somewhere in the south-west China. So, continues to be a threat to the new emperor.
In the period 1405-1433. Zheng He committed seven expeditions on the Indian Ocean. His fleet consisted of 317 ships and almost 28 thousand soldiers and sailors. The largest ship reached 130 meters long. Strocious! Against the background of the ship Zhen He, the famous flagship vessel of Columbus "Santa Maria" would look like a lifeboat.
Zhan He so did not manage to find the traces of Emperor Jianwene. However, he reached the Philippine Islands, Malaysia, Mozambique Strait, South Coast of Africa, as well as several times crossed the Indian Ocean.
He even managed to surprise the Arabian navigators and the Venetian merchants, with whom he met in the waters of Ormuz and Aden Straits. It is worth emphasizing that all this happened 90 years before Columbus and 116 years old to Magellan.
However, Zheng He travels, popular in the emperor's circle, were not those in the environment of officials. An old rivalry was affected between the palace eunuchs and the ranks of the influence on the emperor and the courtyard. The high cost of marine expeditions, as well as the fact that they were headed and controlled eunuchs, and not ordinary officials or generals, caused universal discontent.
After the death of Emperor Yun-Le Zheng He committed two more marine fights. He died during the last expedition. His grave is located in Nanjing, but it is empty. According to the legend, the body of the admiral was buried in the sea, in the maritime tradition.
Dissatisfaction with maritime expeditions and envy to the glory of the Admiral of the court circles after the death of Zheng He played their crucial role. During the planning of the next expedition, the official bureaucracy managed to "lose" navigation maps and other documents necessary for the expedition. The expedition was postponed, as it turned out forever. As a result, many of the road journals with the information on the swimming information of Zhen He and his fleet were destroyed. That is why information about those edges and countries that the fleet visited is so contradictory. The data we possess now have been drawn mainly from the works of contemporaries Zhen He, as well as from sources found only in the 1930s.
The active activities of Zheng He and its numerous foreign expeditions are reflected in the novel "Notes on Swimming Enuch of Three Jewels in the West Ocean", consisting of 100 chapters. It pictures on the impressive campaigns of the Chinese seafarers XV century, and the background of this fantastic novel is a description of a variety of countries (their more than twenty). After the destruction of the ruling top of the documents and archives of the Expedition of Zheng He, the appearance of the novel with the presentation of the history of these travel was considered by some readers and critics as a challenge of power. The numerous heroes of the novel united the marine campaign, and the composition of the book was the path from the mouth of the Yangtze, along the shores of Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, East Africa and back to China.
