Chapter 32 2. Zheng He's Voyages to the West—A Feat That Shocked the World

Just one year before Zhu Di sent troops to Annan, that is, in the third year of Yongle (1405), another event that had a great influence on later generations began, which was Zheng He's voyages to the West.Zheng He made seven voyages to the West, six of which were in the reign of Yongle and one in the reign of Xuande. Since the beginning of Ming Dynasty, the situation in the southeast sea of ​​China has been very turbulent. Not only Annan's expansion and aggression, but also many anti-Ming forces, including the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty, the remnants of Fang Guozhen and Zhang Shicheng, and the rebellion against the rule of the Ming Dynasty along the coast powerful armed forces.Not only did they not abide by the Ming court's ban on access to the sea, but they also communicated with foreign countries privately, often as bandits.Chen Zuyi, a Cantonese, fled to Jiugang (now Palembang, Sumatra Island) due to crimes, recruited Mu to exile, and controlled this traffic channel leading to the West. Many overseas tribute envoys were intercepted, which restricted the development of the Ming Dynasty overseas.At the same time, some places in Nanyang did not know much about the situation of the Ming Dynasty, or held a hostile attitude.After the Battle of Jingnan, the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen were unknown, and it is also unknown whether he would gather forces at sea to confront Zhu Di.In order to solve these problems and to show the presence of the Ming Dynasty at sea, as early as the first year of Yongle, Zhu Di sent the eunuch Ma Bin to the countries of Java.But more importantly, Zhu Di wanted to establish his ideal world order through Zheng He's voyages to the West.

1.The Ritual System of the Celestial Dynasty——The Great Ideal of Ming Chengzu The order of the world occupies a very important position in the heart of Zhu Di, who is determined to become a "famous king in the prosperous age". He attaches great importance to the image of the Ming Dynasty and himself.Zheng He's voyages to the West were part of a series of activities carried out by Ming Chengzu to realize his view of the world.What Zhu Di wants to achieve is political goals.So how did Ming Chengzu design the order of the world as he understood it, and on what basis did he design this order of the world?We can see through an imperial edict that Zhu Di wants to build an ideal world.This imperial edict was brought by Zheng He to "the kings and leaders of the Sifang Overseas" in March of the seventh year of Yongle (1409):

I am entrusted with the mandate of heaven to be the ruler of the world, with the heart of one God, Enbud.Within the coverage, where the sun and moon shine, and where the frost and dew soak, the people, young and old, want to make them carry out their livelihoods and not lose their homes.Now I have sent Zheng He's imperial edict to generalize my intention: You should only follow the way of heaven, abide by my words, follow the rules and order, do not violate the law, do not bully the few, and do not bully the weak, and the common people share the blessing of peace.If there is sincerity to come to the court, Xianxi will reward it.Therefore, this imperial decree should be heard and known by all envoys.

This imperial edict expresses the long-standing Confucian view of the world: the Son of Heaven is the ruler of the world, and under the ruler of the world, regardless of distance, regardless of race, Chinese and barbarians are treated equally.The Son of Heaven is the representative of the way of heaven and justice. Under his auspices, a world order of harmonious coexistence should be established.However, the emperor has nothing to do with the distant countries of the barbarians, and implements the principle of "thicker exchanges and thinner returns" in material exchanges.Professor Wong Chi-lian of Hong Kong called this kind of Tianchao system of rites, and I call it the celestial system of rites.

Under the pattern of the ritual system of the Celestial Dynasty: (1) The Son of Heaven, who has been given the mandate of heaven, is the ruler of the world, and has the responsibility to "be kind" to all people in the world. (2) The Son of Heaven has the responsibility to let people all over the world "follow their livelihoods and careers, and not lose their homes." (3) People all over the world should abide by the requirements of the Son of Heaven, "only follow the way of heaven", "follow the rules and order, and never violate them". (4) Under the supervision of the Son of Heaven, "one must not bully the few, one must not bully the weak" among people and between countries.

(5) The goal that the Son of Heaven wants to achieve is to "share the blessing of peace" with the whole world. This is an attempt to promote the Confucian ideal of governing the country on a larger scale and to the whole world.All countries in the world, "Hua Yi are seamless", regardless of each other, are all the children of the great son of heaven.The Son of Heaven "caresses the word like one".Economically, the Central Empire adopts the principle of taking less and giving more, and "receiving more with less" from all countries.In terms of culture, the central empire promoted "sound education" to all countries, and finally made the whole world share the blessing of peace.

2.Zheng He's Life Experience and Religious Belief Zheng He was born in the eighth year of Hongwu (1375), from Kunyang (now Jinning), Yunnan, and his original surname was Ma.Zheng He's family was originally an Islamic family. His ancestor Sai Dianchi Zhan Siding led an army into Genghis Khan's army during Genghis Khan's Western Expedition. He was named King of Xianyang.His descendants, surnamed Na, Ha, Ma, Sa, Sai, Hu, Sha, etc., have lived in Kunming and Yuxi, Yunnan for generations.Zheng He is the sixth grandson of Sai Dianchi.His great-grandfather, Bai Yan, married the Ma family; his grandfather was called Ha Zhi, and married the Wen family; his father, called Ma Ha Zhi, also married the Wen family.Haji is a kind of appellation. According to Islamic custom, all believers who have visited Islamic holy places can enjoy this appellation.There are two brothers Zheng He, Zheng He Xing Er, and his elder brother is Ma Wenming.Zheng He also had four sisters.

Zheng He's nickname is Three Treasures.Although Zheng He was ranked second among brothers, maybe one of the four sisters was his elder sister, one brother and one sister, so Zheng He was called the Three Treasures. In the early Ming Dynasty, Yunnan was still under the control of Liang Wang in the Yuan Dynasty.In the fifteenth year of Hongwu, the Ming army defeated King Liang, and Zheng He was captured into the army. Zheng He was eight years old at that time.Two years later, in the seventeenth year of Hongwu (1384), Zheng He was ten years old and entered the imperial palace in Nanjing as an eunuch.Later, Zheng He was assigned to Zhu Di, King of Yan, and became a close person around Zhu Di.Zhu Di was guarding the frontier fortresses back then, patrolling the borders and conquests would not take much time, and Zheng He might have joined the army.Zhu Di launched the Battle of Jingnan, and Zheng He made "many outstanding achievements" in the army.It is generally believed that this refers to the first year of Jianwen (1399 years old) when Zheng He made military achievements in the battle of Zhengcunba outside Beiping City. In this year, Zheng He was 29 years old.

In the third year of Yongle (1405), Zheng He sailed to the West for the first time. Zheng He was thirty-one years old.Later, in the fifth year of Yongle (1407), the seventh year of Yongle (1409), the tenth year of Yongle (1412), the fourteenth year of Yongle (1416), and the nineteenth year of Yongle (1421), he was ordered to go to the West. In the 22nd year of Yongle (1424), Zheng He was ordered to go to Jiugang and give him a letter of consolation envoy. In the fifth year of Xuande (1430), Zheng He was sent to the West for the seventh time. This year, Zheng He was fifty-six years old.Three years later, Zheng He died in Guri, India, at the age of fifty-nine, on his way back from the West.

Zheng He's tomb is in Niu Shou Mountain outside Nanjing. Zheng He established the son of his elder brother Zheng Wenming as his queen, and ordered Zheng Ci, named Enlai. Zheng He was born in a Muslim family and was a Muslim, which provided him with superior conditions for his missions to Western countries.But Zheng He had an inclusive attitude towards religion.He respected Buddhism and was ordained as a disciple, named Fushan.This in turn gave him a lot of convenience when traveling to many Buddhist countries. In addition, Zheng He also worshiped Mazu.Mazu, also known as Tianfei, is the Jinghai Empress worshiped by the Chinese.

3.Why choose Zheng He as envoy Volume 8 of "Ancient and Modern Knowledge" records: Zheng He is "seven feet tall, with a waist of ten circumferences, four steep mountains, a small nose, clear eyebrows, ears over the face, teeth like braided shells, walking like tiger steps, and his voice like a bell. Negative latitude and longitude, the text is familiar with Confucius and Mencius, eloquent and quick-witted, good at intellect, good at fighting."It is said that Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty wanted to master the West, so he asked Yuan Zhongche, who was good at physiognomy, "How about the three treasures leading the army?" Ming Chengzu Zhu Di appointed Zheng He to supervise the troops to go to the West, but he was overwhelmed. This record may not be without exaggeration.However, Zheng He was able to lead a large group of people to more than 30 countries in the past 30 years, which is obviously very talented. In recent years, a group of sculptures of the Ming Dynasty were unearthed in Xianying Palace in Changle, Fujian. Some people believe that this is the image of Zheng He. In October 2003, in Kezhi, a city in southern India where Chinese people were more concentrated at that time, a gold-plated iron statue was discovered, which was enshrined in a Chinese temple. I think this is also a portrait of Zheng He. It is an important mission to sail far to the west and visit all countries.Why should eunuchs be used for such an important job?This is related to the political system of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang repeatedly stated the ban on eunuchs, and eunuchs were not allowed to interfere in political affairs, but they were only not allowed to participate in decision-making. It was also very common for eunuchs to take charge of political affairs and send missions during the Hongwu period.Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Mostly, Cao is only serving as an envoy. How can he be used as an important way, governing power, and acting as a prestige? I have learned from the past. In addition to serving left and right, the most important thing is to pass orders to the Quartet." So. In the Hongwu period, there were many eunuchs sent as envoys, whether at home or abroad.Eunuchs and foreign officials in the Ming Dynasty belonged to two systems.Eunuchs are private ministers of the emperor and the prince, are internal officials, are the emperor's family members, and belong directly to the emperor. Therefore, the regulations on eunuchs are written in the "Emperor Ming Zu Xun", which is juxtaposed with Zhu Yuanzhang's regulations on princes and princesses.After Zhu Dijing took the throne, he relied more on eunuchs. It was natural and normal to choose eunuchs as envoys.Zheng He had military exploits in the Jingnan Battle and won Zhu Di's trust. Coupled with his personal talent, background, and religious background, it was understandable that he was selected to go to the West. 4.The Navigation Technology of Zheng He's Fleet Zheng He’s fleet sailed through many difficulties and obstacles, but they were able to save themselves from danger and return to the voyage smoothly. It cannot be said that it was not a miracle at that time: the literature records the magnificent scene of the voyage in those years: Looking at the ocean, the torrent meets the sky, and the huge waves are like mountains; looking at the barbarians, they are separated by mist and haze.And my cloud sails are soaring, and the stars are galloping day and night, wading through the raging waves, as if passing through a thoroughfare. Zheng He's voyage fleet had the most advanced ships and navigation technology in the world at that time. The scale of Zheng He's fleet is unprecedented. The fleet is composed of treasure ships, warships, passenger ships, grain ships, and water ships, with a total of more than 100 large and small ships.Among them, "Treasure Ship No. 63, the larger one is 44 feet long and 18 feet wide; the middle one is 37 feet long and 15 feet wide."In the Ming Dynasty, one foot was equivalent to 0.311 meters, and the length of the large treasure ship was 138 meters, and the width was 56 meters.There are also two thousand sea-going ships and eight scull ships in the fleet.According to calculations by modern scholars, the displacement of Erqianliao seagoing ships is about 1,000 tons.The various personnel of the fleet include officials, bannermen, warriors, fire chiefs, helmsmen, anchormen, generals, clerks, calligraphers, yin and yang officials, doctors, craftsmen such as iron anchors, wooden boxes, and timber, and sailors. , Minshao, a total of more than 27,800 people.There is sufficient food, fresh water, salt, sauce, tea, oil, candles, firewood, etc. on board. Later than Zheng He, that is what Western historians say, entered the age of great navigation in the world.If we compare the scale of the voyages of famous Western navigators with Zheng He, we can see the huge fleet of Zheng He's voyages to the West. In 1492, 87 years later, Columbus sailed and discovered the New World There are 3 sailboats, the largest displacement is less than 250 tons, and there are about 88 sailors In 1497, 92 years later, da Gama sailed and arrived in Calicut, India 4 ships with a maximum displacement of 120 tons and a crew of about 160 In 1519, 114 years later, Magellan sailed around the world 5 ships with a maximum displacement of 130 tons When Zheng He sailed, the Arabs drew Zheng He's treasure ship, and later Americans compared Zheng He's treasure ship with Columbus's ship to prove the huge difference in size between the two. Zheng He used the nautical compass and the art of astronomy across the ocean for navigation.The nautical compass pointer is tied with rush grass and floats in the compass water.Although there is a storm, it is not easy to fall off.The compass is divided into 24 directions and 48 points, each pointing at 7.5 degrees.Cross-ocean astrology relies on the rising and setting of the sun and moon to identify the direction, and to measure the distance by measuring the height of the stars.The method uses 12 large and small star-strapping plates to measure, and the so-called "twilight shadow" is measured within 12 minutes before the sun rises and after the sun sets.The mileage is calculated in units of time, and each day and night is divided into 10 shifts, and each shift is about 16.22-10.81 nautical miles.The communication between the ships is to look at the flag during the day, look at the lanterns at night, listen to the sound of gongs and drums in foggy and rainy days, and use carrier pigeons. 5.Where did Zheng He sail to? The Western Ocean under Zheng He is generally said to be the Indian Ocean.Where was the boundary between the East and the West at that time? The ranges of East and West are different in different periods.In the early Ming Dynasty, the so-called Eastern Ocean and Western Ocean during Zheng He's voyages inherited the theory of the Yuan Dynasty.The Western Ocean that Zheng He refers to should be based on what Ma Huan, who accompanied Zheng He to the Western Ocean, said.Ma Huan wrote in his book "Yingya Shenglan" "Nanbo Liguo": "In the northwest sea of ​​the country, there is a large flat-topped mountain...named Maoshan. The west of the mountain is also the sea, which is exactly The Western Ocean.” The large flat-topped mountain referred to is Pulauwe Island at the west entrance of the Strait of Malacca.Then, Wei Island is the dividing line between the East and the West, with the East to the east and the West to the west. Zheng He usually set sail from Longjiang Port in Nanjing, passed through Liujia Port in Taicang, Jiangsu, assembled his formations and sailed to Taiping Port, Changle County, Fujian Province to wait for the northeast monsoon. In winter, he sailed from Wuhumen at the mouth of Minjiang River in Fujian.Zheng He's first voyage to the West.Passing through the South China Sea - Zhancheng (now Guiren, Vietnam) - Java (in today's Indonesia) - Managa (now Malacca, Malaysia) - Old Port, Aru, Sumatra, Namuri (the above are in today's Sumatra, Indonesia )—Mount Ceylon (today’s Sri Lanka)—Little Gelan (today’s Kollam, India)—Kochi (today’s Cochin, India)—Guri (today’s Calicut, India), and return. Zheng He's second voyage to the West, the fleet also visited Boni (now Brunei), Siam (now Thailand), Chenla (now Cambodia), and more. On Zheng He's third voyage to the Western Seas, he visited Tema Kei (today's Singapore), Gayile (today's south east coast of the Indian Peninsula), Abba Badan, and Gambari. On the fourth voyage, I visited Pahang, Kelandan (in the present-day Malay Peninsula), Liushan (in the present-day Maldives Islands), and Hulumos (in present-day Iran's Persian Gulf mouth Abbas Port Qeshm Island), and crossed the indian ocean. On the fifth voyage, I visited Mugudushu (now Mogadishu, Somalia), Brawa (in today’s Somalia), Marin (now Malindi, Kenya); Zufar, Adan, Raza (in today’s Yemen) ,above. The sixth voyage has been to Zhubu (now Juba River, Somalia), Manbasa (now Mombasa, Kenya), and more. The seventh voyage, from Zhubu further south, arrived at the southern tip of Africa, approaching the Mozambique Channel. At that time, it was said that Zheng He's seven voyages to the West covered "more than 30 countries, big and small, and covered more than 100,000 miles of Cangming". During the Yongle period, Zheng He sent envoys to China 318 times in overseas countries he visited (excluding Korea, Japan, and Ryukyu).Eleven kings from four countries came to China in person, including the king of Luni (in today’s Kalimantan Island), the king of Sulu (in today’s Sulu Islands in the Philippines), the king of Managa (in today’s Malaysia), the king of Guma Lang (now the Philippines) king and so on.This has never happened in Chinese history. 6. Zheng He's voyages to the West had far-reaching influence In the fourth year of Yongle (1406), Zheng He's fleet came to Java, just as the Eastern King and Western King of Java were attacking and killing each other.The Eastern King was defeated and killed, and the territory was annexed by the Western King.Zheng He's fleet passed by the Eastern King's office, and the officers and soldiers landed for trade. One hundred and seventy people were killed by the horsemen of the Western King's capital.In order to defend himself, Zheng He was just about to launch an army to protest, when the King of the West heard the news and hurriedly sent an envoy to the Ming court to apologize.Since Du Maban sent an envoy to express his apology and repentance, Zhu Di decided to "stop troops and not advance."But 170 people died innocently, and Du Maban had to lose 60,000 taels of gold to pay for his sins.Otherwise, "the teacher who asks the guilty will have no other choice." Java repented on the surface, but did not plead guilty. When Zheng He went to Java for the second time, he sent envoys to offer gold ten thousand taels to apologize.The minister of the Ministry of Rites still owes 50,000 taels of compensation from Java, please punish the crime of the Java envoy.Zhu Di said: "I want people from afar to be afraid of crimes. How can I benefit from gold? Now that I know my mistakes, I will be exempted from all the money." Later Java "one tribute every year, or one tribute every year, or one year. Years of tribute", and the relationship with the Ming Dynasty has always been good. Zheng He's mission went to the country of Boni (Boni is located in the northern part of Kalimantan and the Sultanate of Brunei), and named the former king of Boni, Ma Hemosha's son, Manarajana, as the king of Boni, and gave the talisman an order .In August of the sixth year of Yongle (1408), Manarakana led his concubine, younger siblings, men and women, and accompanied his ministers to China for an audience.Zhu Di sent Zhongguan Du Xing and others to Fujian to offer condolences and welcome them to Beijing.Zhu Di was very happy that Manarakanana came all the way, and hosted a banquet to entertain him, "Jia Lao again and again".Manaraganan praised "the merits and virtues of the Son of Heaven to me will be as long as the heaven and the earth."Therefore, "the courtiers and concubines from far away dare not go outside, and go beyond the mountains and seas, and bow down to the palace to stretch their strength." Zhu Di was also very moved by King Boni's sincerity, saying: "The king's sincerity runs through gold and stone, and reaches God." King Boni's coming to court was the most satisfactory result of Zheng He's mission, but unfortunately, King Boni died of illness in China before returning to China.Zhu Di stopped court for three days to express his condolences, and was buried outside the southern city of Nanjing with royal rites. In the seventh year of Yongle (1409), Zheng He started his third voyage.This voyage was welcomed by the king of Champa, because the Ming Dynasty stopped Annan's invasion of Champa.During Zheng He's second voyage, he visited Mount Ceylon, offered incense to Buddhist temples, and erected a monument on Mount Ceylon.After more than 500 years, the monument was discovered in 1911 and is now in the Colombo Museum.At that time, the king of Mount Ceylon was Ariel Kunel, a tyrant who was not friendly to the Ming Dynasty and neighboring countries.Zheng He failed to solve this problem during his second mission.This time, Zheng He brought Zhu Di's edict and warned the king of Mount Ceylon to "only care about the way of heaven, abide by my words, follow the law and order, do not violate the law, do not bully the few, and do not bully the weak."At the same time, rewards are given as usual.Instead of listening, Alie Kunai'er tried to murder the envoy and rob the money, food and ships, but failed and was captured and sent to Nanjing.Zhu Di thought that he was a distant man, and he was released soon.In the tenth year of Yongle, Zhu Di sent an envoy to Mount Ceylon to issue a imperial seal, making Yebanina, a relative of Ariel Kuner, king and returning Ariel Kuner.This move made more tribute envoys from Haidao Qingning come to China in an endless stream.During Zheng He's envoy this time, he also conferred the title of the king of Mancijia, which freed Mancija from its long-term control by Luo.When Zheng He's fleet returned, King Managa came to China with the ship to express his gratitude. Zhu Di personally hosted a banquet at Fengtianmen and gave him generous gifts.Under the mediation of Zheng He, Siam finally lived in harmony with Manjika. Wherever Zheng He's fleet went, they had to give rewards on behalf of the emperor and trade with the local area.At the same time, the Ming Dynasty established tributary trade relations with many countries.There are regular tributes, or once a year, two years, three years, or several tributes a year.The imperial court accepted tribute, gave rewards, bought the rest of the goods, and allowed it to sell its goods in the market.China exported silk, porcelain, iron tools and daily necessities, handicrafts, medicinal materials, tea, currency, weighing instruments, calendars, books, etc. to various countries.The main imports are spices, medicinal materials, raw materials for porcelain making, rare animals and plants, etc. Zheng He's voyages were backed by powerful force. According to the legend of Zheng He in "History of Ming Dynasty", Zheng He's voyages to the West wanted to "bring troops to foreign lands, and regard China as prosperous and strong".However, some scholars recently discovered in the Tianyi Pavilion Library in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province that in the original manuscript of Zheng He's biography, "Yaobing Alien Land" was replaced by "Yaowei Alien Land". "Yaowei" should be more in line with the historical reality at that time than "Yaobing". The Ultimatum of the Predecessor of Hong Kong, Srivijaya At that time, the maritime order was chaotic and it was impossible for Zheng He to achieve his goal without the backing of force.Zheng He did not use force purely, he first "proclaimed the emperor's edict" and "give gold coins", and if he "disapproved", he "used force to deter him".There are three recorded examples of Zheng He's obvious use of force.One time was to capture the chieftain of Old Port, Chen Zuyi.Chen Zuyi is a Chinese who fled overseas privately, and "robbed business travelers", Zheng He used force for no reason.However, we might as well first read about the transfer of the "ministers" of the Ming court to the old through Siam: Since the beginning of heaven and earth, there has been a distinction between monarchs and ministers... My holy son of heaven treats all tribes with benevolence and righteousness.He Zhufan dared to betray his great favor and lose the courtesy of a monarch and his ministers!If the Son of Heaven is furious and sends a general to command a hundred thousand troops to punish him respectfully, it will be as easy as overthrowing his hand.Why don't you think about it.My holy son of heaven once said: "Annan, Zhancheng, Chenla, Siam, and Daliuqiu all cultivate ministers, but the three Buddhas all stop me from teaching. He is a small country, dare to be stubborn and refuse to accept, and bring about his own destruction. " It emphasizes "the distinction between the ruler and his ministers", which is "the etiquette of the emperor and his ministers". If you lose points and go beyond the etiquette, then you must "respectfully perform the punishment of heaven".His arrest of Chen Zuyi is also a deterrent to all countries.Chen Zuyi dismissed Beijing's ambush and said, "When the barbarians heard about it, they were shocked and said, 'It's really powerful. My Cao An is introverted'".Since then, the sea has been peaceful and the sea lanes have been unblocked.From this we can see the role of force. The other time was to capture the king of Mount Ceylon, Alechanel, and his family members to Beijing.It is said that Mount Ceylon communicated with China only during the Liang Dynasty, and had very little communication with China thereafter.Zheng He made the land almost equal to forcing him to communicate with China. His king "wanted to harm peace" and "lured peace to the country to ask for gold coins." Zheng He had no choice but to arrest the king of Mount Ceylon. Shame, there are more and more people coming." Another time was in Sumatra "capturing the false king alive" Su Ganci, and Zheng He went to Sumatra to proclaim his chief as king.First, the king's father died in a war with the neighboring Huamian King.A certain fisherman led the crowd to kill Huamian King and avenged the Sumatran king's wife, so he occupied the throne and was called the old king.Prince Zainuli Abidin was older, killed the old king and regained the throne, and has been fighting with the old king's younger brother Su Qianci for many years.Zheng He supported Zai Nuli Abdin and captured Su Qianci. In the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty was the emperor, and the monarchs of the Siyi were the kings. The emperor Zhu Di would mediate any disputes between countries. Responsibilities of the Tribunal, see: In the eighth month of the first year of Yongle, Kuichou ordered Annan Hu to say: My ruler is in all directions, and the heavens rule me.Now Champa is adjacent to you, and you have repeatedly invaded its land, killed its people, and plundered its property.The land of the husband and the two countries is passed down from the ancestors, and the master is in the emperor's hands, so how can we overdo it by force!There have been clear precepts since ancient times to suffer evil for evil, but the matter has already been pardoned, so I will not go into it. From now on, it is better to protect the environment and the people, and stop the troops to repair it, and the two countries will benefit from it.Er Qiqin! Another example: In the tenth month of the 17th year of Yongle, Guiwei sent an envoy to the king of Siam, the third Lai Bomo Tsar, saying: I am only entrusted with the destiny of heaven.Wang Neng's tribute to heavenly affairs and major repairs, my heart is full of praise, and it will not take a day.For example, the king of Mancijia also Sihanda'er Sha Sili, who succeeded was his father's ambition, led his wife to pay tribute to Que.Its great sincerity is no different from that of a king.However, I heard that the king wanted to join the army for no reason.Husband soldiers are murderous weapons, and when two soldiers fight each other, they are bound to be injured.Therefore, a good soldier is not the heart of a benevolent man.Since the king of Kuang Mancijia has belonged to the family, he is a minister of the court.If he has ever done so, he should apply to the imperial court instead of going out here, and instead add troops, there will be no imperial court.This must not be the king's intention... To be friendly to neighboring countries, not to invade each other, and to be blessed by it, how can it be poor!Wang Qi paid attention to it. Zheng He's missions were always accompanied or backed by force.In Zheng He's words, it means "When you come to a foreign country, those who are stalked and disrespectful by their barbarian kings will be captured alive; those who are violent and plundered by their bandits will be wiped out. The sea road is peaceful, and the people rely on it for peace."Zheng He's mission won Zhu Di the honor of being a great power in the sky. The Ming people said: "What is covered by the sky is covered by the earth, and there is no one who does not contribute and submit. Three generations and five generations are not too much." This is exactly what Zhu Di wanted to boast about. Chinese.Therefore, they also praised Zheng He as "the light of the Son of Heaven". Because Zheng He opened up the sea route and maintained the maritime order, the trade and exchanges between countries were more prosperous than before. When it comes to foreign countries, those who are disrespectful to the king of Fan will be captured alive; Promoting the ritual system of the Celestial Dynasty was the core mission of Zheng He's voyages to the West, and Zheng He's voyages were an important measure of Ming Chengzu's efforts to establish the world structure according to Confucian ideals.All the efforts made by Ming Chengzu are backed by strong strength.Through Zheng He's voyages and various other measures, the result is (1) China in the Ming Dynasty had a lofty prestige and status among all countries in the world. The so-called "wealth and quilt, the four quarters are obedient". (2) The Ming Dynasty has established and maintained tributary trade relations with many surrounding countries, and the scope of the extension and contact is wider than that of previous dynasties, making the Ming Dynasty an unprecedented era of striving to expand the international space, the so-called "far beyond the Han and Tang Dynasties". Chengzu said, "In the year of his season, he was honored with great virtue and honored by guests from all over the world. Those who were ordered by the court to pay tribute went to thirty countries, and the territory was as far as the Han and Tang Dynasties. The success is strong, and the excellence is overwhelming!" The world order that Ming Chengzu wanted to establish was a product of the history at that time.His ideas cannot go beyond the limits of history.We cannot ask him to use the norms of state relations that are generally recognized today.That is to say, his idea is different from the idea that all countries, big or small, are equal in today's world.However, under the circumstances at that time, the Ming Dynasty made important contributions to the maintenance of peace and order, the protection of smooth trade routes, and the peaceful exchanges between countries.In particular, the Ming Dynasty did not plunder other countries' property, did not invade other countries' territories, and insisted on exchanges of favors and trades. This not only allows us to see the demeanor of a great country, but also makes us admire the excellence of Chinese traditional culture. Zheng He was widely respected by the world.Wherever Zheng He went, many ruins have been carefully protected. In Indonesia, there are Semarang, Sammardun, and Sambo Cave. In Malaysia, there are Sampo Mountain and Sampo Well. In Sri Lanka, the stele erected by Zheng He is still well preserved.There are three treasure temples in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and other countries.There is also a Zheng He village in the Brava region of Somalia, Africa. 7.Descendants of Zheng He's Fleet Zheng He sailed for more than 20 years, with a fleet of more than 20,000 people. Each voyage took more than two years. The crew had extensive contacts with the local people in the places they visited. So is it possible now? Somewhere left the crew of Zheng He's fleet, so there are still their descendants now? In the folk songs of the aborigines in the northern part of AmhemLand, Australia, a people called the Baijini (Baijini) is recorded.They came to Australia earlier than Indonesians and Europeans and are related to the Chinese.The Baijini in my memory have light golden skin, and the local aborigines also said that the women of the Baijini are extremely beautiful, and they always wear colorful robes and trousers.The Baijini people grow rice, build houses with stones and bark, weave cloth with looms they bring, and dye yarn in vats.Then they left Ahnhendi.Fei Xin, who followed Zheng He on the voyage, recorded in "Xingcha Shenglan" that the treasure fleet had reached Jili Dimen Island (Timor).This island is located 400 miles north of the port of Darwin, Australia, so some people believe that Zheng He once visited Australia in his voyages. In addition, there is a place called "Hafuni" in "Zheng He's Nautical Chart". This place is considered to be Kerqueland Island in the Antarctic Ocean, which shows that Zheng He's fleet (■) may reach across the southern hemisphere. On the east coast of Africa, in the archipelago off the coast of Kenya, there is a species of the Bajuni.They are light-skinned, thin, and handsome.Men's beard hangs smoothly, while women's hair is parted in the middle and has two braids. A branch of the Famao on Pate Island, called the Washanga family, considers themselves to be descendants of the Chinese, and their ancestors are Chinese sailors who survived a shipwreck.They build walls and are good at carving and fine carpentry.There is also a story among them that the king of Malindi presented a giraffe to the Chinese emperor.Some people infer that they are the descendants of Zheng He's subordinates. In 2003, journalists from China's Xinhua News Agency and Kenyan coastal archaeological experts visited the site there.I met the Vashang family who claimed to be of Chinese descent. History is so confusing.Are they really descendants of Zheng He's fleet?This is an unanswered question. 8.Did Zheng He sail around the world? In 2002, Gaven Menzies, a retired British military officer, published a book called "1421: The Year China World" (1421: The year China World).The book claims that after 15 years and 120 countries, he has traveled through 120 countries and concluded through careful research: Zheng He, a Chinese, took the lead in realizing global voyages.This was an explosive piece of news, which immediately aroused widespread repercussions all over the world.In just three days, twenty-six TV stations in the world including Canada and Japan interviewed him, and major publishers in the world bought the copyright of this book from him at a high price.Menzies rented the lecture hall of the Royal Geographical Society and invited more than 250 scholars, diplomats, naval officers, publishers and documentary producers to present his research conclusions, and more than 700 people actually attended people.Menzies' writer Bonomie, who was also surrounded by inquiries from publishers and studios, said: "It's almost arguable that, whether (the conclusion) is correct or not, it's also a great adventure story. Menzies is a very heroic man. Menzies is a paranoid eccentric, and people like him are usually the ones who find out the truth." He added: "Many scholars are rigid-minded and just want to protect themselves. For them, Menzies is a layman. The wolves surrounded him like that." Menzies first started his research through an ancient map found in the library of the University of Minnesota in the United States. His long-term sea voyage experience gave him a lot of help.He not only read a lot of historical materials, but also conducted research combining astrology, cartography, ancient artifacts and anthropology.Menzies said that his research attitude is very serious, and he hopes to return history to its true colors.He also said: "The more you know about Zheng He, the more you marvel at the weight of Zheng He's history." He deduced that the Chinese fleet has not only been to the coast of Africa, but also to South America and Australia, and entered the Caribbean Sea and the Sea of ​​Cortez .He presents strong evidence of nine ancient Chinese shipwrecks found in the Caribbean.If Menzies' conclusion is true, it will rewrite the history of world navigation and the history of great geographical discoveries in the world.He also said: "Zheng He is really a great navigator, he has outstanding leadership ability. In the process of advancing the fleet, he absorbed many skilled craftsmen along the way to serve the fleet, including Christians, Arabs, Proficient in the translation of various languages. It is a veritable transnational fleet." "And in my research, Zheng He's voyages were based on the desire for peace, not 'brilliant troops to foreign lands' as some historical records say. During Zheng He’s seven sea voyages in the past two decades, except for a few defensive operations against pirates, there is no evidence that the fleet actively attacked the residents along the way, and there is no historical data to show that Zheng He’s fleet intended to conquer foreign countries. .This is fundamentally different from the conquest and aggressive expeditions of later Western navigators.” Unfortunately, the facts were revealed by the writer.Many scholars surrounded the layman Menzies like a pack of wolves. Menzies' research is flawed.For example, the ancient sea chart he obtained before 1424 had already marked the positions of Africa, South America, Australia and many islands, including the Cape of Good Hope.At this time, the European sailing expeditions had not yet begun, and some people had already been to these places.At that time, Zheng He was leading the world's largest fleet on a long voyage. He believed that it must be Chinese.His inference needs more evidence.So far, we have not been able to confirm that it was the Chinese Zheng He who first completed the circumnavigation around the world, but we should respect Menzies' research instead of criticizing it.At least, the questions he raised are worthy of our further exploration, and some of the methods he used are also worthy of our reference.For a Western scholar to be able to look at the history of the East and the West without prejudice is in itself extremely remarkable. 9.eternal regret Zheng He's large-scale voyages for more than 20 years have promoted the civilization process of all countries in the world. In 1998, the American Geographic magazine selected one hundred people who had made the greatest contribution to the world in the past thousand years. The selected Chinese included Zheng He, Kublai Khan, Mao Zedong, Cao Xueqin, Zhu Xi, and Fan Kuan. rank first. As early as 1904 (the 30th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty), Liang Qichao published "The Biography of Zheng He, the Great Navigator of the Motherland", which systematically sorted out the history of Zheng He's voyages for the first time, and introduced them to the people of the country and the world.He called Zheng He "a giant of the sea who was in harmony with the Italian navigator Columbus and the Portuguese navigator Da Gama", and was more than 60 years earlier than Columbus and more than 70 years earlier than Vigo da Gama.Mr. Sun Yat-sen said in "Strategies for the Founding of a Nation" that Zheng He's voyages to the West were "a remarkable feat of China ahead of others". In 1947, the Chinese government named the Yongle Islands (west) and the Xuande Islands (east) in the Paracel Islands, and the Zhenghe Reefs in the Nansha Islands.In the 1980s, the Chinese People's Liberation Army named the first modern training ship Zheng He.The miracle of Zheng He's voyage will always be the pride of the Chinese nation! But as Liang Qichao pointed out: "The achievements of Brotherhood and Vickers can usher in a new era for the whole world. And Zheng Jun's martyrdom will die with Zheng Jun's death. Although the people of our country have a little bit of their blessings, they are still a little hopeless. Columbus It implies that there have been countless Columbuses, and after Vigoda Gama, there have been countless Vigoda Gamas. But after Zheng He, there is no second Zheng He. Hey, it is Zheng Jun’s fault! " Why did Zheng He's voyages to the West stop abruptly after Xuande?Liang Qichao pointed out: Zheng He's voyages to the West were to satisfy "the ambition of a hero, to gain the same false reputation as Huairou, distant people, and all nations, so as to entertain himself. Therefore, those who achieve it are also suitable for this hope." "Zheng He The achievement of harmony was achieved by Ming Chengzu who was already full of ambitions, but even though there will be countless Zheng Hes in the future, if he is, he will already have heard of it." Why did Zheng He's threat to the West come to an abrupt end, and why didn't it have such a profound impact as Columbus's voyages?Liang Qichao made it clear a hundred years ago.那就是他的动因不同。郑和下西洋缺乏经济发展原动力的驱使。明成祖所达到的目的在很大程度上是名义性的，而不是实质性的。然而，抛开明成祖的个人目的不谈，天朝礼制体系的设想却是美好的没有侵略，没有杀戮，全天下共享太平之福。但不幸的是，历史的发展常常伴随着掠夺和杀戮。人们在歌颂哥伦布的伟大功绩时，却不去计较他的野蛮掠夺和杀戮，人们在称颂美洲大陆的发现时，却忽略了印第安人的血泪和苦难。无疑，这种价值定位，是以西方为中心的，是以强权强势为中心的。在今天我们评价这段历史时是不是应该改变这种以西方为中心，宣扬掠夺、侵略有理的价值观呢？我们的世界究竟需要什么呢？无疑，需要发展。然而，更需要和平、平等。发展不需要掠夺和流血，不能以牺牲弱小民族为代价。说到此，我们不能不赞叹中华民族的天下观之伟大。它要建立的是一个天下为公的、普天之下一视同仁的和谐世界。郑和留给世界的不止是对新航路的开辟，不止是他的领先的造船和航海技术，不止是他坚韧不拔的精神力量，更主要的是一份珍贵的文化遗产。在今天面向二十一世纪，面向全球化，在建立国际新秩序时，这份遗产将会为我们提供宝贵的借鉴。