Timeline Zheng He: Admiral of the Treasure Fleets

Zheng He: Admiral of the Treasure Fleets 23

• 1371 Zheng He is born as Ma He in Kunyang, Yunnan A boy from a Muslim family in southwestern China Zheng He was born Ma He into a Hui Muslim family in Kunyang, in what is now Jinning, Yunnan. His father and grandfather had carried the title hajji.
• 1381 Zheng He is captured as a boy in the Ming conquest of Yunnan Taken into Ming service after the fall of the Mongol-allied regime When Ming armies overran Yunnan, the young Ma He was captured and made a eunuch in the Ming military household. He was soon assigned to the service of Zhu Di, the future Prince of Yan.
• 1399 Zheng He distinguishes himself at the Battle of Zhenglunba Service to the Prince of Yan in the Jingnan campaign During Zhu Di's rebellion against the Jianwen Emperor, Zheng He served as a trusted member of the prince's entourage. His conduct in the fighting near Beijing, including at Zhenglunba, won the prince's confidence.
• 1402 Zheng He's patron takes the throne as the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di captures Nanjing and becomes emperor After the Jingnan campaign, Zhu Di seized Nanjing and was enthroned as the Yongle Emperor. His reign created the political and financial backing for Zheng He's later voyages.
• 1403 – 1405 Zheng He oversees construction of the treasure ships Shipyards at Nanjing and along the coast build a vast fleet Ordered by the Yongle Emperor, large-scale shipbuilding began at Nanjing's Longjiang yards and other ports. These shipyards produced the great ocean-going vessels of the treasure fleet.
• 1404 Zheng He is granted the surname Zheng and made Grand Director Elevated to the highest rank among palace eunuchs The Yongle Emperor honoured Ma He with the surname Zheng and promoted him to Grand Director (taijian). He is known by this name in history.
• 1405 – 1407 Zheng He sets sail on the first treasure voyage A fleet of some 300 ships and about 27,000 men leaves for the Indian Ocean Zheng He led the first expedition to Champa, Java, Palembang, Malacca, Ceylon and Calicut, India. The voyage opened a series of missions to display Ming power and expand tribute trade.
• 1407 – 1409 Zheng He leads the second voyage to Southeast Asia and India The fleet again calls at Calicut and other Indian Ocean ports Zheng He departed on the second expedition soon after the first fleet's return, escorting envoys home and delivering imperial gifts. The voyage reinforced Ming ties with Calicut and Southeast Asian courts.
• 1407 Zheng He returns and defeats the pirate Chen Zuyi at Palembang The first voyage ends with a victory over pirates in the Strait of Malacca On the return leg, Zheng He's fleet defeated the Chinese pirate chief Chen Zuyi at Palembang. Chen was taken to Nanjing and executed.
• 1409 – 1411 Zheng He commands the third voyage to India The fleet sails to Malacca, Ceylon and Calicut Zheng He led his third expedition, which established Malacca as an important Ming-aligned port. It also strengthened trade links on the Indian coast.
• 1409 Zheng He erects the trilingual Galle stone in Ceylon A stele in Chinese, Tamil and Persian honours the Buddha, Allah and Vishnu Zheng He set up a monument at Galle recording offerings to local religious sites. Its Chinese, Tamil and Persian texts show the fleet's diplomatic reach.
• 1411 Zheng He brings the Ceylonese king Alakeshvara to Nanjing Conflict in Ceylon ends with the king taken captive After a clash in Ceylon, Ming forces captured King Alakeshvara and carried him to the Chinese court. The Yongle Emperor released him and arranged for a new ruler.
• 1413 – 1415 Zheng He sails on the fourth voyage to Hormuz and Arabia The fleet reaches the Persian Gulf with Ma Huan as interpreter The fourth expedition pushed beyond India to Hormuz and Arabian ports. Ma Huan, a Muslim interpreter, joined and later wrote an important account of the voyages.
• 1415 Zheng He's fleet captures the Sumatran usurper Sekandar Ming forces intervene in a succession dispute at Samudera During the fourth voyage, Zheng He's forces defeated the rebel Sekandar in Sumatra and carried him to China. The action showed the fleet's use as a political and military instrument.
• 1417 – 1419 Zheng He leads the fifth voyage to East Africa Ships reach Mogadishu, Brava and Malindi Zheng He's fifth expedition took the fleet to the Horn of Africa and the Swahili coast and carried foreign envoys home. Exotic animals, including giraffes, were brought back to the Ming court.
• 1421 – 1422 Zheng He sails on the sixth voyage, escorting foreign envoys home The fleet again crosses the Indian Ocean Zheng He led the sixth expedition, which returned ambassadors to their home states in Southeast Asia, India, Arabia and East Africa. It ended in 1422 shortly after the court moved north.
• 1421 Zheng He's patron inaugurates Beijing as the Ming capital The court shifts from Nanjing to the north The Yongle Emperor formally made Beijing the capital in 1421. The move and its costs soon generated court opposition to the expensive voyages.
• 1424 Zheng He loses his patron as the Yongle Emperor dies The voyages are suspended under the Hongxi Emperor The Yongle Emperor died while on campaign, and his successor curtailed the costly maritime expeditions. Zheng He's central role in court policy diminished.
• 1425 Zheng He is appointed garrison commander of Nanjing He takes charge of the southern capital's defence The Hongxi Emperor gave Zheng He command of the Nanjing garrison. The posting kept him in the southern capital while the voyages were halted.
• 1430 Zheng He is ordered by the Xuande Emperor to lead a seventh voyage The final and last great expedition is commissioned The Xuande Emperor issued an edict sending Zheng He to renew relations with foreign states whose tribute had lapsed. The fleet sailed in the following year.
• 1431 Zheng He erects stone tablets at Changle and Liujiagang recording his voyages His own account of the first six expeditions survives in stone Before the last expedition, Zheng He had inscriptions set up in Fujian and at Liujiagang. They summarise the earlier voyages and credit divine protection from the goddess Tianfei.
• 1432 – 1433 Zheng He's fleet reaches Hormuz as a detachment visits Mecca The seventh voyage extends to the Islamic holy city On the seventh expedition the fleet reached Hormuz, and part of the mission went on to Mecca. Envoys from the region returned with the fleet to China in 1433.
• 1433 Zheng He dies at the end of his final voyage The last of the Ming treasure voyages closes with his death Zheng He died in 1433 during or just after the return of the seventh voyage; sources disagree about where. The great expeditions were not resumed.