Zheng He, or Cheng Ho orig. Ma Sanbao, (born c. 1371, Kunyang, Yunnan province, China—died April 1433, Calicut, India), Eunuch admiral and diplomat who helped extend Chinese maritime and commercial influence throughout the region bordering on the Indian Ocean.The Yongle emperor named Zheng commander in chief of missions to the “Western Oceans.” He first set sail in 1405 and on this mission visited Champa (southern Vietnam), Siam (Thailand), Malacca, and Java, traveled through the Indian Ocean as far as Sri Lanka, and returned to China in 1407. Subsequent voyages took him to Arabia, the eastern coast of Africa, Southeast Asia, and India. Chinese emigration to, and influence in, Southeast Asia increased in the wake of these missions, resulting in tributary trade to China that lasted into the 19th century.
Zheng He Article
Zheng He summary
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Zheng He.
Zheng He Timeline
Zheng He | Timeline
Zheng He’s Achievements
Zheng He | Achievements
navy Summary
Navy, a nation’s warships and craft of every kind maintained by armed forces for fighting on, under, or over the sea. A large modern navy includes aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, submarines, minesweepers and minelayers, gunboats, and various types of support, supply, and repair
China Summary
China, country of East Asia. It is the largest of all Asian countries. Occupying nearly the entire East Asian landmass, it covers approximately one-fourteenth of the land area of Earth, and it is almost as large as the whole of Europe. China is also one of the most populous countries in the world,