Imagine sitting on the front porch, enjoying a warm cup of morning coffee, when, all of a sudden, a fleet of over three-hundred ships come sailing into the harbor, each ship being both longer and wider than an entire football field. Intimidating, right? Immediately, one feels small, weak, powerless, and maybe even a little bit scared. Well, time and time again, countries across the Indiana Ocean trading network experienced the same exact feeling. Zheng He devoted his life to a series of seven voyages. Throughout these voyages, He sailed from China, with nearly thirty thousand men, to numerous different countries collecting tribute and establishing tributary relations. The reasons behind these voyages are strongly and continuously debated by
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He held a respected résumé. Not only was he one of Emperor Yongle’s well trusted eunuchs, but he was also highly known for organizing large scale construction projects. In Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty: 1405-1433, Edward Dryer points out that He’s loyalty to the emperor, courage in battle, and prior leadership experiences made him the perfect man to lead and command the seven voyages. The first voyage set sail in 1405 and is a great example that these voyages were not meant to be violent. The first stop of this voyage was at the city of Champa, a territory constantly at a losing war with Vietnam. China, however, was also at war with Vietnam, although a little more evenly matched. This common animosity led to a friendship because after all, “Vietnam’s enemy was China’s friend” (Dreyer p. 52). China became a sort of protective figure over Champa. Their new support of Champa, and continued war with Vietnam, was able to exhaust war efforts and end Vietnam’s war with Champa. This cements He’s good intentions and proves that he truly did want to help the smaller cities that were being bullied and taken advantage of. Throughout the rest of the voyages, Champa was always the first stop on the itinerary. Even a quick stop in the ports reminded people that the Ming Dynasty supported and protected the city of Champa. Although conquering such a weak city through force and violence would have been a simple task for Zheng He and his men, he chose to fight for them and demonstrate China’s power in a different way. This highlights who He is as a leader as well as his reasons behind the
He held a respected résumé. Not only was he one of Emperor Yongle’s well trusted eunuchs, but he was also highly known for organizing large scale construction projects. In Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty: 1405-1433, Edward Dryer points out that He’s loyalty to the emperor, courage in battle, and prior leadership experiences made him the perfect man to lead and command the seven voyages. The first voyage set sail in 1405 and is a great example that these voyages were not meant to be violent. The first stop of this voyage was at the city of Champa, a territory constantly at a losing war with Vietnam. China, however, was also at war with Vietnam, although a little more evenly matched. This common animosity led to a friendship because after all, “Vietnam’s enemy was China’s friend” (Dreyer p. 52). China became a sort of protective figure over Champa. Their new support of Champa, and continued war with Vietnam, was able to exhaust war efforts and end Vietnam’s war with Champa. This cements He’s good intentions and proves that he truly did want to help the smaller cities that were being bullied and taken advantage of. Throughout the rest of the voyages, Champa was always the first stop on the itinerary. Even a quick stop in the ports reminded people that the Ming Dynasty supported and protected the city of Champa. Although conquering such a weak city through force and violence would have been a simple task for Zheng He and his men, he chose to fight for them and demonstrate China’s power in a different way. This highlights who He is as a leader as well as his reasons behind the