Zheng He
Zheng He (simplified Chinese: 郑和; traditional Chinese: 鄭和; pinyin: Zhènghé; Wade–Giles: Chêng-ho; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty often regarded as the greatest admiral in Chinese history. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferred by the Yongle Emperor. Commissioned by the Yongle Emperor and later the Xuande Emperor, Zheng commanded seven expeditionary treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. According to legend, his larger ships carried hundreds of sailors on four decks and were almost twice as long as any wooden ship ever recorded.
Zheng He | |
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鄭和 | |
Statue from a modern monument to Zheng He at the Stadthuys Museum in Malacca City, Malaysia | |
| Born | Ma He 1371 |
| Died | 1433 (aged 61–62) or 1435 (aged 63–64) |
| Other names | Ma He Ma Sanbao Cheng Ho Mahmud Shams |
| Occupations | Admiral, diplomat, explorer, and palace eunuch |
| Era | Ming dynasty |
| Zheng He | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zheng's name in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 鄭和 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 郑和 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As a favorite of the Yongle Emperor, whom Zheng assisted in the overthrow of the Jianwen Emperor. He rose to the top of the imperial hierarchy and served as commander of the southern capital Nanjing.