Plan:

Introduction

• 1 biography
  • 1.1 Origin
  • 1.2 Admission to the service for Zhu Di and Military Career
  • 1.3 Seven Sea Travel Zheng He
  • 1.4 Death of Admiral
• 2 appearance
• 3 heirs
• 4 Memory
Notes
Sources
Literature

Introduction

Zheng HE. (Kit. Trad. 鄭和, Ex. 郑和, Pinhin Zhèng Hé.; 1371-1435) - Chinese traveler, Flotodets and diplomat, headed by seven large-scale naval trade expeditions sent by emperors of the Minsk dynasty to Indochyan, Indochina, Indochina, Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.

Although private Chinese merchant vessels were kiced between South China and South-East Asia, almost uncertain since the time of the Sun dynasty, and at the Mongolian dynasty, the Yuan had and military diplomatic expeditions to the countries of Southeast Asia and even on Sri Lanka, as the scale of expeditions Zheng HE And the high meaning attached to them by the emperor Zhu di was unprecedented. These expeditions, at least formally and for a short time (several decades), made numerous kingdoms of the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and South India Vassal of the Minsk Empire and brought new information about the peoples inhabiting the shores of the Indian Ocean to China. It is believed that on the historical development of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Java's influence of the expeditions of the Chinese fleet turned out to be longer, as they could be among the factors that gave a new impetus to the emigration of the Chinese in this region and strengthen the role of Chinese culture.

Even at the time of the main patron saint of Zheng He, Emperor Zhu Di, Zheng HE expedition was severely criticized by many representatives of the Confucian elite of China, who considered them unnecessary and expensive imperial checks. After the death of Zheng He and Emperor Zhu Zhangji (the grandson of Zhu di), these insulatingist views prevailed at all levels in the government of Minsk China. As a result, state maritime expeditions were discontinued, and most of the technical information about the Fleet Zheng He was destroyed or lost. The official "History Min" compiled in the XVII-XVIII centuries responded to his swimming in the critical vein, but for many people in China, and especially in the Chinese communities formed in Southeast Asia, Enuh Flotodets remained a folk hero.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in the period of lifting the movement for the liberation of China from foreign dependence, the image of Zheng He gained new popularity. In modern PRC, Zheng He is considered as one of the outstanding personalities in the history of the country, and its swimming (usually considered as a sample peaceful China's policies in relation to their neighbors) are opposed to the conciliatory expeditions of European colonialists of the XVI-XIX centuries.

1. Biography

1.1. Origin

The childhood of the future navigator passed in Kunyan, not far from Lake Dianchi

At birth, the future navigator got a name Mahe (馬 和). He was born in the village of Hadi, Cunyan County [approx. one] . Cunyan County was located in Central Yunnani, at the southern shores of Lake Dianci, near the northern end of which the provincial capital of Kunming is located.

The family of Ma came from the so-called sam. - immigrants from Central Asia who arrived in China during the time of Mongolian dominion and held a variety of positions in the state apparatus of the Yuan Empire. Most sam., including the ancestors of Zheng He, were Muslim religion (it is often believed that the surname "MA" itself is nothing more than the Chinese pronunciation name "Mohammed"). After the fall of the Dynasty of the Yuan and the ascent on the throne of the MIN dynasty, their descendants were assimilated into the Chinese environment, mainly in the ranks of Chinese Muslims - Huzzu.

On parents Mahe is known not so much; Almost everything we know about them goes back to the stele installed in their honor in their homeland in 1405 to indicate the admiral itself. The father of the future navigator was known as Ma Haji (1345-1381 or 1382 [approx. 2]), in honor of the pilgrimage in Mecca committed; His spouse was named Wen (温). The family had six children: four daughters and two sons - senior, Ma Wenmin, and younger, Mahe.

It is unknown to see how the ancestors of Zheng He came to China. According to the family legend, the father of Ma Haji (that is, the grandfather of the future Admiral), also known as Ma Haji, was the grandson of Said, Al-Dean Omar, a leaving from Bukhara (in modern Uzbekistan), - one of the military managers of Hubilai-Khan, who managed to conquer Yunnan Province and become her ruler. There is no complete confidence, but it is likely that Ma's ancestors really got to Yunnan along with Mongols.

Zheng He just as his ancestors professed Islam and, according to some assumptions, he advocated for his brothers in faith, despite the fact that at the beginning of the Board of the Minsk dynasty, the Muslims were suspicious. The reason for this was that with the Yuan dynasty many of sam. Having made posts of tax collectors. However, Zheng He, with all his commitment to Islam, respectively referred to other religions, like Buddhism (had even a Buddhist nickname three jewels - Sanbao) and Taoism, which is in China among the main, and, if necessary, readily participated in the relevant rituals. It is also assumed that his commitment to Islam played not the last role in the decision to appoint it by Admiral of the Golden Fleet, which, among other things, should have visited Arabia and Africa, places in which Islam was one of the dominant religions.

1.2. Admission to the service for Zhu Di and Military Career

After the overthrow of the Mongolian Iga in Central and Northern China and the establishment of there Zhu Yuanzhan Dynasty Ming (1368) The Mountain Province Yunnan on the south-western outskirts of China remained under the control of the Mongols. It is not known whether Ma Haji fought on the side of the yuan loyalists during the conquest of Yunnani by Minsk troops, but be that as it may, he died during this campaign (1382), and his younger son Ma He was captured and got into the service of Zhu di , Son of Emperor Zhu Yuanjzhan, who led the Yunnan Campania.

Three years later, in 1385 the boy was castrated [approx. 3], and he became one of the numerous eunuhs at the courtyard of Zhu Di, who wore the title of the Grand Duke Yansky (Yan Wang) and was based in Baipino (future Beijing). Young eunuch got a name Ma Sanbao (馬三寶 / 马三宝) That is, Ma "Three Treasures" or "Three Jewels". According to Nidem, despite the undoubtedly Muslim origin of Enuha, this title served as a reminder of the "three jewels" of Buddhism (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), whose names so often repeat Buddhists. .

It is believed that, while at the court of the Grand Duke, Ma Sanbao was able to get the best education than he could achieve, if instead of Baipina he got into Nanjing, to the court of the emperor himself Zhu Yuanzhzhan, who forth a strong disbelief for eunuham and strive, if not At all, it is not possible to learn their literacy at all, if possible, if possible, limit the number of competent ENUOV.

As the Grand Duke Yansky, Zhu Di had a significant military force at his disposal and led the fight against Mongols on the northern border of the Empire. Ma Sanbao participated in his winter campaign 1386/87. Against one of the Mongolian leaders, Nagachu (Naghachu).

The first Minsk emperor Zhu Yuanzhzhhan was outlined to give the throne to his original son Zhu Biao, but he died during the life of Zhu Yuanzhzhan. As a result, the first emperor appointed his son the son of Zhu Biao, Zhu Yunweany, although his uncle Zhu di (one of the younger sons Zhu Yuanzhzhan) probably considered himself a more worthy throne. Going to the throne in 1398 (the motto of Jianwean's government), Zhu Yunwene, who feared the seizure of power by one of his uncle, began to destroy them one after another. Soon between the young emperor in Nanjing and his Beijing Uncle Zhu Di, civil war flared out. Due to the fact that Zhu Yunwean forbade Enuham to take part in the management of the country, many of them were supported by Zhu di during the uprising. As a reward for the Zhu di, for his part, it allowed them to participate in solving political issues, and allowed them to rise to the highest steps of political career, which was also very profitable for Ma Sanbao. The young eunah distinguished himself as during the defense of Baipin in 1399 and when taking Nanjing in 1402 and was one of the commanders who were entrusted to seize the capital of the Empire - Nanjing. By destroying the regime of your nephew, Zhu Di on July 17, 1402 climbed the throne under the motto of the Board of Junle.

On (Chinese) new 1404 new emperor as a reward for the faithful service granted Ma He new surname Zheng.. This served as a reminder of how in the first days of the uprising horse Ma He was killed in the vicinity of Baipina in the town called Zhenlunba.

According to some sources, in 1404 Zheng He led the construction of a fleet to combat the so-called "Japanese pirates" and, perhaps, even attended Japan for negotiations with local authorities about the joint struggle against pirates.

1.3. Seven Sea Travel Zheng He

"12 ship steering wheel", a sculptural group in the park of shipyard ships in Nanjing - one of the numerous monuments, perpetuating swimming of Zheng HE

After Zheng He, for all his merit in front of the emperor, was assigned the title of "Chief Enuna", which corresponded to the fourth rank of the official [approx. 4], Emperor Zhu Di decided that he was best about the role of Admiral Fleet and appointed Eunuch by the head of all or almost all seven swimming pools in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean in 1405-1433, in terms of raising his status before the third rank. The fleet consisted, apparently, from about 250 ships, about 27 thousand people of the crew on board. The largest of the courts of this fleet could be - if you believe the official "History of Min" - the largest ever existed wooden sailing ships.

Flotilla under the leadership of Zheng He visited over 56 countries and major cities of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean Basin. Chinese ships reached the shores of Arabia and East Africa. The first swimming Zheng He took place in 1405-1407 on the route Suzhou - Treympi - Yava Island - North-West Sumatra - Malack Strait - Sri Lanka Island. Then, having encouraged the southern tip of Industan, the flotilla moved to the shop cities of the Malabar coast of India, coming to the largest Indian port - Calicuta (Kozhikode). Approximately the same were the routes of the second (1407-1409) and the third (1409-1411) trips. Fourth (1413-1415), the fifth (1417-1419), the sixth (1421-1422) and the seventh (1431-1433) expeditions reached Ormuza and the African coast in the area of \u200b\u200bmodern Somalia, came to the Red Sea. The navigators led detailed and accurate records seen, made up cards. The time of sailting, the locations of the parking lots was recorded in them, the location of reefs and chalks was fed. Descriptions of overseas states and cities, political orders, climate, local customs, legends were compiled. Zheng He delivered the Emperor's message to foreign countries, encouraged the arrival of foreign embassies, led trade.

To achieve its goals, he resorted to armed force. For example, in 1405, during the first expedition, Zheng He demanded the transfer of Lanka's Sacred Buddhist Buddhist Relics to the Chinese Emperor - tooth, Volos and Bowls for the Buddha, who were the most important relics and attributes of the Singhale kings. Having received the refusal, Zheng He in 1411 returned to the island, accompanied by a detachment of 3,000 people, broke into the capital, captured the king of Vira Alakeshwar, members of his family and approximate, delivered them to the ship and took them to China. During the fourth travel with the usual visit to the state of Pasay, on this route (also known as the name SAMUDR) In the north, Sumatra, apparently on the way back from Ormyuza to China, the crew of the main fleet Zheng He had to take part in the struggle between the recognized China monarch (Zazyan Al-Abidine) and the applicant named Seconder. The Chinese fleet brought gifts from Emperor Junle for Zacain al-Abidida, but not for the secret, which caused the wrath of the last, and he attacked the Chinese. Zheng Hoe managed to wrap his troops to be able to break his troops, capture the secretarians himself and send it to China.

In the period between 1424 and 1431, after the death of Emperor Zhu Di, the sea expeditions were suspended for a while, and Zheng He himself served as the head of the garrison in Nanjing. During the last, seventh journey Zheng He was for 60 years. He had not personally attended many countries where Chinese ships came in, and returned to China back in 1433, while individual units of the fleet under the command of his assistants visited Mecca in 1434, as well as Sumatra and Java.

Expeditions Zheng HE contributed to the cultural exchange of African and Asian countries with China and the establishment of trade relations between them. Detailed descriptions of countries and cities that visited Chinese navigators were compiled. Their authors were Participants of the Expedition of Zheng He - Ma Huan, Fay Xin (en: Fei Xin) and Gong Zheng (en: Gong Zhen). Also, detailed "Marine Swimming Maps Zheng He" ("Zheng He Khan High Tu") was also compiled.

Based on materials and news collected by the participants of the Marine Expeditions of Zheng He, in Minsk China in 1597, Lo Mao Dan was written by Roman "Swimming of Zheng HE to the West Ocean" ("San Bao Tai Jian Si Yang Ji"). As the domestic kitatist A. V. Velgus indicated, there is a lot of fiction in it, but in some descriptions the author definitely used the data of historical and geographical sources. New routes, laid Zheng He and his team, later were used by European seafarers, who by the time of the expeditions of Zheng He, did not even dismissed the cape of good hope and did not have the idea of \u200b\u200bthe east coast of Africa.

In the "History of the Ming Dynasty" by Maritime Expeditions, Zhen He is extremely important: "In the chronicles it is said that the campaigns of Tajian Sanbao in the Western seas were the most wonderful event at the beginning of the mini dynasty."

1.4. Death of Admiral

Tomb (Kenotaph) Zheng Hoe on Nyushou Hill under Nanjing

According to the tradition transferred to the heirs (through the nephew; see below) Zheng He, Admiral himself died on the way back to China during his seventh travel (that is, in 1433), and his body was buried in the sea. Soon after his death in Semarang, the ritual of "Absorbing funeral" was held on Java, which relying in the absence of the body of the deceased ("Janaza Bill Haib"). Shoes and strand of admiral hair (according to another version, clothes and cap) were delivered to Nanjing and were buried there near the cave Buddhist temple.

Since historical sources that have reached to us do not contain any references to the activities of Zheng He, after the seventh travel, most historians tend to agree with the version of the relatives of the admiral. However, the Chinese historian Xu Yuhih (徐玉虎) in his biography of Zheng HE expressed an assumption made on the basis of the analysis of personnel permutations in the state apparatus of the Minsk Empire, which, in fact, the fleet returned safely to Nanjing, he served as a military commandant of Nanjing and the commander of his fleet two more years and died only in 1435. A similar point of view also adheres to the Russian researcher A. A. Buschinin.

On the southern slope of the Nyushou hill under Nanjing for Zheng HE, Muslim gravestone was drunk. However, according to the stories of local residents, when in 1962 the treasure detectors began to start the grave in search of values, they could not detect any remains or anything else.

In 1985, to the 580-year-old anniversary of the first swimming Zheng He, Kenotaf was restored ( 31.910278 , 118.728611 31 ° 54'37 "p. sh. 118 ° 43'43 "in. d. /  31.910278 ° С. sh. 118.728611 ° C. d. (G) (O)).

On June 18, 2010, during construction work at the neighboring Hill Jutut (祖堂山), another grave of the early Rannoon period was discovered, also announced by the grave Zheng He. However, a few days later, after reading the remnants of the epitaph, Nanice archaeologists decided that in fact this grave belonged to another European Admiral, Hong Bao, who commanded a separate squader during the seventh swimming Zheng He.

2. Appearance

Copies of the monuments of Zheng HE swabs that have reached us. In the center - stele on the turtle installed in Nanjing in honor of the goddess Matsu to commemorate the first navigation; Parties to the stela installed by Admiral in Luzzyagan, Changle (Fuzhou), Galle (Sri Lanka) and Calicuta (India)

Eunuhi, neutered before the start of the period of puberty and therefore considered "clean" (童净, tong Jing.), often used the favor of the court ladies, among other things, were likened by behavior. In adulthood, they usually became high and shridly, the mood was distinguished by instability, and the feelings - the drinity of manifestations, which was often expressed in the enclosures of anger and abundant tears.

Zheng He, although he was eunuch, did not match this stereotype. Although the lifetime portraits of Zheng He did not survive, according to the memories of members of their family (in whose objectivity, it is possible to doubt), he was "height in seven chi. and was in the belt about five chi. in girth "(usually one chi. Minsk epoch is considered to be 31.1 cm, but in some areas used and chi. Less length, from OK. 27 cm). "His forehead was high, the cheeks did not seem accusatives, the nose was small. His teeth differed in white and perfection of the form, the look was clear, and the voice is deep and strong, as if the sound of the bell. He knew the military business well and was accustomed to the battle. "

Another source of information about the appearance of Zheng HE was a document in which one of the 45-year-old Zheng He was recommended to Emperor Zhu di for his first appointment to the post of commander of the fleet. According to this document, his skin was "rigid, as if skin of an orange." The distance between the eyebrows, through which the Chinese tradition prescribed to determine success and happiness was "wide", which in turn predicted to him a good career. "His eyebrows were like swords, and the forehead is wide, as if tigrin", which in turn should have indicated the hardness of the character and the ability to manage. His mouth was "as if the sea", from which eloquent words were poured. His eyes "glittered, as reflected in the fast river", which was a sign of energetic and vitality.

3. Heirs

Peter Pan, one of the descendants of Brother Zheng He, with the statue of his right ... - Dyadyushki (near his grave-Kenotafa in Nanjing)

Being eunuch since childhood, Zheng He did not have his own children. However, he adopted one of his nephews, Zheng Hochojao, who, without being able to inherit the titles of his reception father, could, nevertheless, to retain property. Therefore, until this time, there are people who consider themselves "descendants of Zheng He".

4. Memory

Almost forgotten in the first centuries after their completion, Fleet Swimming Zheng He is now occupied by an important place in the historical memory of mankind.

For the Chinese, this is one of the episodes of the heroic past of the country, demonstrating both the former greatness of the powers and its early technological advances, and (relatively) peaceful foreign policy of the country, in comparison with the colonial policy of Europeans.

Many Chinese communities of Malaysia and Indonesia are considering Zheng He and Van Jinghun as Founding figures, practically as sainful patrons. In their honor, temples and monuments were built.

By virtue of its scale, its difference from the previous and follow-up Chinese history and its external similarity with swimming, which several decades later began the European period of great geographical discoveries, Zheng HE sailing became one of the most famous episodes of Chinese history outside of China itself. For example, in 1997 magazine Life. In the list of 100 people who had the greatest impact on the history in the last millennium, placed Zheng HE on the 14th place (others 3 Chinese in this list - Mao Zedong, Zhu Si and Cao Xuezin).

Notes

1. Now Cunyan (昆昆) County is called Jinning (Jinning), but the name of Kunyan (昆昆) has been preserved for the county center.
2. Levates gives 1381 as the date of death Ma Haji, but at the same time quotes the text of the stele, where it is argued that he died (translated to the European calendar) on August 12, 1382.
3. According to Levathes 1996, p. 57-58, Ma He was captured in 1382 and made Enuch three years later, in 1385; However, according to Dreyer 2007, p. 16, 201, both events occurred in 1382.
4. In the Epoch of the Empire Min, there were 9 ranks, each of which was two discharges - the main (senior) and equivalent (younger). Certain official posts could only occupy officials of the rank corresponding to this post.

Sources

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It is believed that the palm of championship in the opening of new lands in the XV century belongs to the Portuguese and Spaniards. However, the question arises: is it really so powerful at that time a power, like China, did not search for wealth over the sea? It turns out that there is a navigator in its history, quite comparable to Christopher Columbus. Moreover, the Chinese admiral Zheng He has made their swims in a few decades before the beginning of the era of great geographical discoveries.

"Yes, I agree"

Let's not call the country where the events described occurred. There were quite a lot of such countries ...

On the shore, everything was preparing for the worst: what else can you expect from the Armada of warships that appeared on the horizon? The harbor of the VMIG empty, and from the largest ship flotilla framed a big boat with commander-in-chief, his guard and servants.

The arrivals asked for frightened locals to hold them to the ruler of the local land. He, already heard about the marine sassk, saw his future at best, in captivity, and at worst - expected an inevitable death. About how to cope with such an army, it was not worth even dreaming! However, the head of the overseas delegation was not militant. First of all, he handed the letter and best wishes from the great emperor Zhu Di, which was ruled by a powerful China since 1402. From him, the servants immediately brought to the hall where the audience was held, numerous expensive gifts.

The opposite ruler first mentally thanked his God for the saved life, and then asked the uninvited guest: why all this? The messenger willingly clarified: it is necessary to voluntarily submit to the emperor of China and pay tribute. For their own subjects, he still remains the ruler - nothing changes.

In addition, there will be no Chinese soldiers on his lands, and in the harbor - the ships of the Middle Kingdom.

What remained to make a local leader (king, prince, sultana)? In fact, there was no choice, taking into account the powerful flotilla with tens of thousands of warriors on board. "Voluntary" answer was obvious: "Yes, I agree."

After replenishing the stock of water and the provisions of the flotilla soon went into the ocean. In spacious holds, she took a considerable tribute, and in luxurious cabins often and local nobles - ambassadors to the distant China.

Prisoner in Sweate

So powerful flotilla in several hundred (!) Ships headed Admiral Zheng He. KTSCHBI might think that the Chinese Muslim Boy-Muslim Wright Flotovod Movement would be a great Flotomod man later in his time? Truly fate made him his chosen one, although initially it would seem to have determined the unenviable fate.

Mahehe - so called the boy initially - born in 1371 in the province of Yunnan, while the Mongols were under the rule of the Mongol. The family confessed Islam, and her head of Ma Haji occupied a high post in a local government. In the period of overthrowing the Mongolian yoke, he died, and his younger son Mahe was captured by Chinese soldiers. Then in 1385 neutered (ENUHOV could sell more expensive), received a new name Ma Sanbao and got into the service of Zhu di - the son of Emperor China.

He had a residence in Baipin (now Beijing), and in his retinue was a lot of eunuhov. They were taught by literacy, various sciences, and the most worthy of Zhu Di put forward to various positions at his yard.

In 1398, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhan died, having passed his throne, not one of his sons, and his grandson Zhu Yunwe-nu (his father Zhu Biao - the eldest son of the emperor - died a few years before). The laid "mine" worked: fearing attempts to seize the throne, the young emperor became one after another to destroy his uncle. The most fierce resistance was supposed to Zhu Di, who eventually won in 1402 victory in the civil war.

Not the last role in the success of the hostilities was played by eunuchs. In particular, Ma Sanbao distinguished himself during the defense of Baipin, and then when taking Nanjing - the capital of China. As a reward, he as an official received an increase and new, already Chinese name - Zheng He.

Floating "Treasury"

But the new emperor did not live calmly: overthrown Zhu Yunwean managed to snap and hid somewhere outside the sea. It would be nice to find it, deliver to Nanjing and publicly execute in editing possible confused. To this end, the fleet began to build - until then the power was considered land. At the head of Marine Armada, it was necessary to put not only a devotee, but also a comprehensively educated person. The choice fell on Zheng He, who by that time he already served as the post of chief eunuha.

At first he led the construction of ships. In total, the fleet entered a little more than 250 ships, and it was the basis of Baocuani (translated "Treasury"). They hit the sizes of these four-plated nine-person giants: length - about 135 meters, width - 55. The team is almost a thousand people. For comparison: in Europe, only a few decades later appeared large vessels, and even then three-materable caravels up to 25 meters long.

In the course of construction, the objectives of the expedition were gradually changed: the search for the runaway ex-emperor was deployed to the background, and the first - demonstration of the relics of China and the peaceful way of attracting new subjects of the Middle Kingdom - the rulers of overseas territories.

In the first two-year sailing of the ADMIRAL Zheng HE squader in full, with almost 28 thousand troops on board went in July 1405. In the course of him, she visited the islands of Java, Sumatra and Sri Lanka, and Calcutta became the end point. In just 1433, seven swimming were committed. Flotilla was able to visit the ports of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, reached the eastern coast of Africa.

Returned from the next campaign of the sailors solemnly met the emperor Zhu di himself. In the holds of the Baocaan, he was carried by jewels, spices and unprecedented animals: Lviv, Leopards, Zebras and Giraffes (the latter produced a real extension!).

Power against tricks

But do you really ask, in long swimming for someone else's shores, Zheng Hoe did purely diplomatic functions - all rulers unquestioned to the Chinese emperor? The chronicles retained two cases of applying Zheng HE strength. First, in the first campaign, in 1405, on Sri Lanka, where Admiral demanded to give him the sacred relics of the Buddha. The local king of Vira Alakeshwara responded with a categorical refusal. Moreover, Danan did not pay and subsequently robbed commercial vessels.

In 1411, Zheng He returned to the island and with three thousand warriors arrived at the Tsarist Palace, where he put forward the ultimatum about the transmission of treasures. Alakeshwara pretended to be agreed, but tried to break the army admiral detachment, which was an order of magnitude more. However, Zheng He has solved the maneuver of the cunning king. He sent the mesbon to ships and a blow from two sides defeated the army of Lantitsev, captivating Alakeshwaru and his family. True, it was lucky: brought to Nanjing, he was pardoned, and the emperor allowed the emperor to choose the ruler himself.

Another military operation Zheng He had to spend in the fourth campaign in 1414, when he at the request of Zajan al-Abidida - a dedicated China king of the country of Semider in the north of the island of Sumatra - helped pacify the chief of the leader of the sedarader separatists. The Bunchovshchik brought the capture immediately executed, Al-Abidin's Zaine handed the generous gifts to the emperor to the Middle Kingdom.

In general, the flotilla quite peacefully conquered the islands and coastal regions, which was different from the Europeans who subsequently, the fire and sword of the "barbarians" to civilization. There was no religious violence - Zheng He and his admirals were tolerant to local cults.

"Silk curtain"

Admiral Zheng HE himself, much more careful about the diplomatic and commercial, but about the scientific part of long marching. It was navigation maps and cards adjacent to sites of the territories (all of them were about 60), described in detail the population and political device, flora and fauna, as well as the legends of the overseas peoples.

The versions are put forward that individual flotilla ships reached the southern tip of Africa - Cape of Good Hope. Unfortunately, there is no documentary evidence of this, with the exception of the Chronicles of the Byzantine Monk Mauro. He collected maritime cards and claimed: in 1427, the Chinese Johnka passed two thousand miles of the Atlantic Ocean. In any case, the doubt is that the Chinese even until the middle of the 15th century could well go bend Africa from the West and reach Europe, no. At the same time, much to get ahead of the Europeans themselves: Vasco da Gama landed in China only in 1513!

Why did the Son of the Middle Kingdom unexpectedly "slowed down"? The fact is that Emperor Zhuhanzi, who came to power in 1425, drastically changed the attitude towards expensive overseas campaigns. In fact: now the merchants of distant countries know the road and they themselves trade themselves, and the content of their own ships is extra expenses for the treasury. Moreover, when Zheng He returned in 1433 from the last hike, I learned: sea travel is now banned. In other words, China went on the path of self-isolation from the outside world - the "silk curtain" sank.

Admiral went ashore. He was appointed to the prestigious position of the Commandant of the Nanice Garrison, being on which he died in 1435. There is a documentary confirmation that refutes the previously existing version of the death at the time of return to China two years earlier.

... about the attitude towards Zheng He in states in which the Chinese flotilla visited the seven campaigns, says the fact that in most of them the monuments of Admiral are installed. Among them, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka. The peaceful mission of the Flootilla Zheng He is memorable to the inhabitants of these countries much more than the raised late conciliatory wars.

Zheng HE. (1371--1435) - Chinese traveler, Flotodets and diplomat, headed by seven large-scale naval trade expeditions sent by the emperors of the Minsk dynasty to Indochyan, Indochian countries, Indoostan, Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.

At birth, the future navigator received the name Ma He. He was born in the village of Hadi, Cunyan County. The family of Ma came from the so-called sam. - immigrants from Central Asia who arrived in China during the time of Mongolian dominion and held a variety of positions in the state apparatus of the Yuan Empire. Most sam., including the ancestors of Zheng He, were Muslim religion (it is often believed that the surname "MA" itself is nothing more than the Chinese pronunciation name "Mohammed"). Traveler Chinese expedition military

About parents Mahe is known not so much. The father of the future navigator was known as Ma Haji (1345--1381 or 1382), in honor of his pilgrimage in Mecca; His spouse was named Wen. The family had six children: four daughters and two sons - senior, Ma Wenmin, and younger, Mahe.

Admission to the service for Zhu Di and Military Career

After the overthrow of the Mongolian Iga in Central and Northern China and the establishment of there Zhu Yuanzhan Dynasty Ming (1368) The Mountain Province Yunnan on the south-western outskirts of China remained under the control of the Mongols. It is not known whether Ma Haji fought on the side of the yuan loyalists during the conquest of Yunnani by Minsk troops, but be that as it may, he died during this campaign (1382), and his younger son Ma He was captured and got into the service of Zhu di , Son of Emperor Zhu Yuanjzhan, who led the Yunnan Campania.

Three years later, in 1385, the boy was castrated, and he became one of the numerous eunuhs at the court of Zhu di,. Young eunuch got a name Ma Sanbao That is, Ma "Three Treasures" or "Three Jewels". According to Nidem, despite the undoubtedly Muslim origin of Enuha, this title served as a reminder of the "three jewels" of Buddhism (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), whose names so often repeat Buddhists.

The first Minsk emperor Zhu Yuanzhzhhan was outlined to give the throne to his original son Zhu Biao, but he died during the life of Zhu Yuanzhzhan. As a result, the first emperor appointed his son the son of Zhu Biao, Zhu Yunweany, although his uncle Zhu di (one of the younger sons Zhu Yuanzhzhan) probably considered himself a more worthy throne. Going to the throne in 1398, Zhu Yunwean, who feared the capture of power with one of his uncle, began to destroy them one after another. Soon between the young emperor in Nanjing and his Beijing Uncle Zhu Di broke out a civil war. Due to the fact that Zhu Yunwean forbade Enuham to take part in the management of the country, many of them were supported by Zhu di during the uprising. As a reward for the Zhu di, for his part, it allowed them to participate in solving political issues, and allowed them to rise to the highest steps of political career, which was also very profitable for Ma Sanbao. The young eunah distinguished himself as during the defense of Baipin in 1399 and when taking Nanjing in 1402 and was one of the commanders who were entrusted to seize the capital of the Empire - Nanjing. By destroying the regime of your nephew, Zhu Di on July 17, 1402 climbed the throne under the motto of the Board of Junle.

On (Chinese) New 1404, the new emperor as a reward for the faithful service granted Ma He new surname Zheng. This served as a reminder of how in the first days of the uprising horse Ma He was killed in the vicinity of Baipina in the town called Zhenlunba.

As for the appearance of the future Admiral, he, "Having become adults, they say, grew up to seven chi (almost two meters. - Ed.), And his belt girth equal to five chi (more than 140 centimeters. - Ed.). His cheekbones and forehead were wide, and the nose is small. He had a sparkling look and voice loud, as if the sound of a big gong. "

After Zheng He for all his merits in front of the emperor was assigned the title "Chief Enun" ( taijian), which corresponded to the fourth rank of the official, the emperor Zhu Di decided that he was best about the role of Admiral Fleet and appointed Eunuch by the head of all or almost all seven swimming pools in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean in 1405--1433, in the 1405--1433 Status before the third rank.

Baochuan: length - 134 meters, width - 55 meters, displacement - about 30,000 tons, team - about 1000 people

• 1. Cabin Admiral Zheng He
• 2. Ship altar. The priests constantly burned incense on it - the gods were asked
• 3. TRUM. Ships Zheng HE were full of porcelain, jewels and other gifts for foreign rulers and demonstration of the power of the emperor
• 4. The steering wheel of the ship was equal to the height of the four-storey house. To bring it into action used a complex system of blocks and levers
• 5. Observation deck. Standing on her, the navigators watched the pattern of constellations, the course was drilled and the vessel speed was measured
• 6. Waterlinia. Water displacement of the BOCAUANY Many times more than the modern European ships
• 7. Woven from bamboo mats of sails dropped like a firm and provided high ship sailing

Santa Maria Columbus: Length - 25 meters, width - about 9 meters, displacement - 100 tons, team - 40 people.

The fleet consisted, apparently, from about 250 vessels, and about 27 thousand people of personnel on board, headed by 70 Emperuchi. Flotilla under the leadership of Zheng He visited over 56 countries and major cities of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean Basin. Chinese ships reached the shores of Arabia and East Africa.

The Chinese Empire, all over its centuries-old history, did not particularly show interest in distant countries and travels. However, in the XV century, the Chinese fleet seven times in a row went to distant expeditions and all seven times he was headed by the Great Chinese Admiral Zheng He ...

In 2002, the book of the retired British officer, the former commander of the Underwater boat Gavin Menzis "1421: a year, when China opened the world." In her, Menzis assured that Zheng He was out of ahead of even Columbus, opening America before him, he was ahead of allegedly and Magellan, first concerned about the globe.
Professional historians deny these theories as insolvent. Nevertheless, one of the admiral cards is the so-called "NIDO CAR card" confirms that Zheng He has reliable and reliable information about Europe ...
There is also a point of view that Zheng HE cards served as the basis of European maritime maps of the Epoch of the Great Geographical Discoveries.
Zheng He was born in 1371 in the city of Kunyan (now Jinin), in the center of the south-western Chinese province Yunnan, close to Cunmina. From Kunyana to the coast there was a few weeks drive - a huge distance at the time, therefore Mahe, as his name was in childhood, did not even assume that he would become a great fleece and traveler.
Rod He led his pedigree from the famous Said Advili Shamsa Al-Dina (1211-1279), who was also called Umaro, - a native of Bukhara, who was able to raise at the time of the Mongolian Great Khans Munke (Grandson of Genghis Khan) and Hubilan.
Actually, the conqueror of China's great Khan Khubilai in 1274 and put Umar's Governor Yunnani.
It is also known that the Father and Grandfather of the Future Admiral Zheng Hay strictly observed the deployment of Islam and made a hajj in Mecca. In addition, in the Muslim world there is an opinion that the future admiral itself visited the sacred city, although it should be noted justice that with informal pilgrimage.
Childhood Mahe had evolved very dramatic.
In 1381, during the conquest of Yunnan, the troops of the Chinese dynasty mines, which was lowered by a foreign yuan, at the age of 3rd, his father died, and Mahe Resellers were captured, they were rapidly and gave to service the fourth son of their leader Hun-y, the future Emperor Junle, who Soon she went the governor to Baipin (Beijing).

Eunuchs in China have always been one of the most influential political forces. Some teenagers themselves went on a terrible operation, counting on the retinue of some influential person - Prince or, if Fortune smiles, the emperor himself. So "color-eyed" (so-called representatives of the Neptitular, nonhangan nation in China) Zheng HE on the ideas of that time simply was unrealistic ...
Mahea has established himself in service from a positive side and by the end of the 1380s became noticeable surrounded by Prince, whose younger than he was at eleven years.
When Beijing was asked by the troops of the then Emperor Jianwene's troops, which was ruled from 1398 to 1402, the young dignity was courageously defended one of the city reservoirs, which allowed the prince to survive, in order to counterattack a competitor and climb on the throne.
And after a few years, UNLE collected a strong militia, raised the uprising and in 1402, taking the standby of the capital Nanjing, proclaimed himself with the emperor.
At the same time, he accepted the motto of the New Board: UNLE - "Eternal Happiness."
Was generously rewarded and Mahe: on the Chinese New Year - in February 1404 - in appreciation for loyalty and feats, he was solemnly renamed Zheng He - this surname corresponds to the name of one of the ancient kingdoms that existed in China in the V-III centuries BC e.

The first expedition of Zheng He took place in 1405. Initially, the Emperor Junle himself, who lived in Nanjing, where the ships were built and from where the first journeys started, took direct participation in the project. Later, the arrangement of the new capital in Beijing and the Mongolian campaigns will cool the emperor's fervor, and as long as he personally does noticeably deliberate into all the little things, closely monitors each step and indicating his admiral.
All other Emperor Junle put a trusted Enuha at the head not only the fleet itself, but also the Chambers of Palace Servants. And this means that one has also been answered for the construction and repair of many buildings, and then the construction of ships ...
But the emperor rushing with the construction of ships and special orders to the province of Fujian and in Vrowskaya Yangtzi send parties for wood to build them. The beauty and the pride of the squadron, Baochhani, that in translation listens sounds like "precious ships" or "treasury", was built on the "shipyard of precious ships" (Baochuanian) on the Qinhuai River in Nanjing. Therefore, despite the giant sizes, the precipitate of Jonak was not very deep - otherwise they would not come out in the sea through this influx of Yangtz.

The length of the Baochian was 134 meters, and width - 55.
The sediment to Waterlinia was 6 more than 6 meters.
The mast was 9, and they carried 12 sails from wicker bamboo mats.
On July 11, 1405 in the "Chronicle of Emperor Thai-Tzun" (one of the ritual names of the emperor Junle) was made by the following entry:
"Palace Sanovnik Zheng He and others were sent to the countries of Western (Indian) Ocean with emperor letters and gifts for their kings - golden brocar blinds, patterned silk, colored silk gas, - all according to their status."
In Armada of the first expedition, Admiral Zheng He entered 255 ships from 27,800 people aboard. Ships went on the following route: East coast Indochina (CHAMPA), Java (Northern coast ports), Malack Peninsula (Sultanate Malacca), Sumatra (Sultanata Samudra Pasai, Lami, Haru, Palembang), Ceylon, Malabar coast of India (Calicut) one.
In all his expeditions, Zheng He was walking every time the same way: catching repeating monsoon winds, from December to March and north-east on these latitudes.
And when wet subequatorial air flows rose over the Indian Ocean and, as it were, in a circle, they turned around back to the north - from April to August, - Flotilla turned to the house. This is a monsoon schedule. Local sailors knew long before our era, and not only sailors: because it determined the order of agricultural seasons.
Taking into account the monsoons, as well as the pattern of constellation travelers confidently transported from the south of Arabia to the Malabar coast of India, or from Ceylon on Sumatra and in Malacca, adhering to a certain latitude.
Home Chinese expeditions returned to the same route, and only the incident that happened on the way make it possible in the chronicles to distinguish between the navigation "there" and "back".
In the first expedition on the way back the Chinese captured the famous Pirate Chen Ju Zuzu and, who captured Palembang at that time, the capital of the Hindu-Buddhist state Srevidaya on Sumatra.
"Zheng He returned and brought Chen Ju Zuzu and in the shackles. Arriving into the old port, he called Chen to obey.
He attacked that he was subordinate, but secretly planned a riot. Zheng He understood it ...
Chen, gathering forces, made a battle, and Zheng He sent troops and accepted the battle.
Chen was broken down. More than five thousand gangsters were killed, ten ships burned and seven seven ...
Chen and two more were captured and delivered to the imperial capital, where they were ordered to be beheaded. "
So Zheng He defended peacekeeping migrants in Palembang and thoroughly showed that his ships had a weapon on board not only for beauty.
Until today, researchers did not come together in a single opinion, than exactly the subordinates of the admiral fought. The fact that Chen Tzu ships were burned as if he had evidenced that they were shot from guns. They, like primitive guns, were already applied then in China, but there are no direct evidence to use them on the sea.
In battle, Admiral Zheng He relied on a living force, on the personal composition, which was planted with huge junks ashore or sent to the storm fortifications. This peculiar marine infantry and was the main force of flotilla.

During the second expedition held in 1407-1409, geographically similar to the first (East coast of Indochina (CHAMPA, SIAM), Java (northern coast ports), Malack Peninsula (Malacca), Sumatra (Samudra Pasai, Palembang), Malabar coast India (Kochin, Calicate)) 1, there was only one event, the memory of which was preserved in history: the Lord of the Calicut provided Messengers of the Middle Kingdom of several databases, relying on which the Chinese could continue to go further to the west.
But during the third expedition held in 1409-1411. (Eastern coast Indochina (CHAMPA, SIAM), Java (northern coast ports), Malack Peninsula (Malacca), Singapore, Sumatra (Samudra Pasai), Malabar coast of India (Call, Kochin, Calicate)) 1, more serious events occurred.
Under the date July 6, 1411, the Chronicle recorded:
"Zheng He ... returned and brought the captured Tsar Zeylon Alagakonar, his family and children.
During the first journey of Alagakonard was rude and disrespectful and removed to kill Zheng He. Zheng He understood it and left.
Moreover, Alagakonar was not friends with neighboring countries and often intercepted and robbed their embassies along the way to China and back. Due to the fact that other barbarians suffered from this, Zheng He, returned, again showed contempt of Ceylon.
Then Alagakonar lured Zheng He deep into the country and sent his son Nianana to demand gold, silver and other precious goods. If these goods did not give out, more than 50 thousand Varvarov would rebel from the shelters and captured the ships of Zheng HE.
And they squeezed the trees and rearmed to block the narrow tracks and cut the Zheng He way to retreat so that some Chinese detachments could come to each other to help.

When Zheng He realized that they were cut off from the fleet, he quickly deployed troops and sent them to the ships ...
And he ordered the messengers to go around the roads where the ambush was sitting, returning to the ships and transfer the order to the officers and soldiers to beat to death.
Meanwhile, he personally led a two-thousandths of the army by coarse tracks. They stormed the eastern walls of the capital, taking her fear, broke into the inside, captured Anlagakonar, his family, children and dignitaries.
Zheng He spent a few battles and broke the Army of Varvarov Head.
When he returned, the ministers decided that the alagkonar and other prisoners should execute. But the emperor walked over them - over ignorant people who did not know what heavenly mandate on the board, and let them go, giving food and clothing, and ordered the ward of rituals to choose a worthy person in the Aldakconary family to rule the country "2.

This quote is the only documentary mapping of the Acts of Zheng HE on Ceylon. But nevertheless, besides him, of course, there is a lot of legends, and the most famous of them talks about the scandal, which is associated with the most respected relic - tooth of the Buddha (Dalad), who Zheng He could have hesitated, or really stole From Ceylon.
And this story is such ...
In 1284, Han Khubilay directed his emissaries to Ceylon to get one of the paramount sacred Buddhist relics by a completely legal way. But the tooth to the Mongolian emperor is the famous patron of Buddhism - they still did not give, the rejection of the refusal to other expensive gifts.
According to Sinhal myths, the Middle State in secret did not return from the desired goal. These myths argue that Admiral's Admiral Expeditions were undertaken almost with the intention to kidnap the tooth, and all other hikes were to remove the eyes.
The Singhales allegedly reheated Zheng He - "slipped" him in captivity of the royal twin instead of the true king and the false relic, and the real, while the Chinese fought, hid.
The compatriots of the Great Admiral, of course, adhere to the opposite opinion: Admiral Zheng He still received a priceless "piece of the Buddha", and he even helped him safely return back to Nanjing to Nanjing.
But what was really unknown ...
Admiral Zheng He was a man extremely wide views. Muslim by origin, he already discovered Buddhism in adulthood and was distinguished by large knowledge of the intricacies of this teaching.
On Ceylon, he took the Sanctuary of Buddha, Allah and Vishnu (one on three!), And in the stele, erected before swimming in Fujiani, the gratitude of the Taoist Goddess of Tien Fei is "Divine Spouse", which was worshiped as the patronage of the sailors.
To some extent, the Ceylon admissions of the admiral, most likely became the top of his overseas career. In the course of this dangerous military campaign, many warriors died, but UNLE, assessing the scale of the feat, generously awarded the surviving.
In mid-December 1412, Zheng He received a new order of the emperor to carry the gifts to the courtyards of the overseas rulers. This fourth expedition is Zheng He, held in 1413-1415,

it was held on the route: East Coast Indochita (CHAMPA), Java (northern coast ports), Malack Peninsula (Sultanata Pakhang, Kelantan, Malacca), Sumatra (Samudra Pasai), Malabar coast of India (Kochin, Calicut), Maldives, Persian Gulf Coast (State of Ormuz) .1
A translator was seconded to the fourth expedition - Muslim Ma Huan, who knew Arabic and Persian languages.
Later, he will describe in his memoirs the latest great swimming of the Chinese fleet, as well as all sorts of household details.
In particular, Ma Huan scrupulously described the diet of the sailors: they ate "hushed and irrigible rice, beans, grains, barley, wheat, sesame and all kinds of vegetables ... They had fruit ... Persian dicks, pine nuts, almonds, Raisins, walnuts, apples, grenades, peaches and apricots ... "," Many people made a mixture of milk, cream, oil, sugar and honey and ate it. "
With confidence you can conclude that Chinese travelers did not hurt quiet.
The key event of the Fourth Expedition of Zheng He was the capture of the rebel leader named Secandar, who opposed by the Chinese and associated agreement on the friendship of the king of the Semider's state in the north Sumatra - Zaina al-Abidida.
The secretar offended that the emperor's messenger did not bring him gifts, which means that he did not recognize the legitimate representative of the nobody, Naskoro gathered supporters and attacked Admiral Zheng Hoe's fleet.
But soon he himself, his wife and children hit the Chinese treasury. In his notes, Ma Huan writes that the "robber" publicly executed on Sumatra, not honing the honor of the Imperial Court in Nanjing ...
From this expedition, Admiral Zheng He brought a record number of foreign ambassadors - from thirty powers. Eighteen diplomats of them are Zheng Hewing at home during the fifth expedition, which took place in 1416-1419.
All of them had merciful letters from the emperor, as well as porcelain and silk - embroidered, transparent, painted, thin and very expensive, so that their sovereigns should be assumed.
This time, Admiral Zheng He chose the next route of his expedition - the east coast of Indochina (CHAMPA), Java (ports of the northern coast), Malack Peninsula (Pakhang, Malacca), Sumatra (Samudra Pasai), Malabar coast of India (Kochin, Calicut), Maldives, the Persian Gulf Coast (Ormuz), the coast of the Aravian Peninsula (Dofar, Aden), the east coast of Africa (Barava, Malindi, Mogadishu) 1. The composition of the fleet of this expedition included 63 vessels and 27411 people.
In the descriptions of the fifth expedition Admiral Zheng HE there are many inaccuracies and discrepancies. It is still unknown, where there is a mysterious fortified Las, which provided an expeditionary building Zheng HE armed resistance and taken by the Chinese with the help of siege guns, which in some sources are called "Muslim Catapults", in others - "Western" and, in the end, Third - "huge catapults shooting stones" ...
In some sources it is indicated that this city was in Africa, near Mogadishu in modern Somalia,

others - in Arabia, somewhere in Yemen. The path to it from Calicut was held in the XV century twenty days with a passing wind, the climate there was burning, the fields burned, the traditions were simple, and there was almost nothing to take there.
Ladan, gray amber and "camels per thousand Lee" (whether - the Chinese length of length, equal to about 500 meters).
The fleet of Admiral Zhenghe He cut off the African horn and headed for Mogadishu, where the Chinese have encountered a real miracle: they saw, as because of the lack of wood, the black people build houses from stones - in four or five floors.
Rich residents of those places were engaged in maritime trade, the poor threw in the ocean.
Small cattle, horses and camels fed dried fish. But the main thing is home the Chinese were lucky a very peculiar "tribute": leopards, zebras, lions and even a few giraffes, which, by the way, the Chinese emperor was completely dissatisfied ...
The sixth expedition Zheng He took place in 1421-1422 and held along the route - East Coast Indochina (CHAMPA), Java (North Coast ports), Malack Peninsula (Pakhang, Malacca), Sumatra (Samudra Pasai), Malabar coast of India (Kochin, Calicut), Maldives, Persian Gulf Coast (Ormuz), Coast of the Aravia Peninsula1. The fleet was reinforced by 41 ship.
From this expedition, Zheng Hue returned again without any values, which is very annoyed by the emperor. In addition, in the most subway, during this time, the criticism of his ruin wars intensified, and therefore the further trips to the Great Flootilla Zheng He were under a big question ...
In 1422-1424, in swimming in Zheng He, there was a significant break, moreover, Emperor Junle died in 1424.
And only in 1430, the new, young Emperor Suanita, the grandson of the late Junle, decided to send another "great embassy".

The latter, seventh expedition Admiral Zheng He, took place in 1430-1433 on the route - East Coast Indochina (CHAMPA), Java (Surabaya and other ports of the northern coast), Malakki Peninsula (Malacca), Sumatra (Samudra Pasai, Palembang) , Delta Ganges, Malabar coast of India (Collam, Calicate), Maldives, Persian Gulf Coast (Ormuz), Coast of the Aravian Peninsula (Aden, Jedda), East Coast of Africa (Mogadishu). 27,550 people took part in this expedition.
Admiral Zheng He, who by the time of his sailing exchanged the seventh decade, before sailing to the last expedition, ordered two inscriptions in the port of Luzzy (near the city of Taicean in the province of Jiangsu) and in Changé (East Fujian) - a kind of epitaph, in which the results of the big Ways.
During this expedition, the fleet landed a squad under the command of Hong Bao, who made a peaceful tale in Mecca. Sailors with giraffes, lions, "camel bird" returned (ostrich, giant feathers at the time were still in Arabia) and other wonderful gifts that were visited by the sheriff of the Sacred City.
Five days after the end of the seventh expedition, the emperor according to tradition gave the team with ceremonial robes and paper money. According to the Chronicles, while Suanghede said:
"We have no desire to receive things from remote countries, but we understand that they were sent with the most sincere feelings. Since they arrived from afar, they should be taken, but it is not a reason for congratulations. "
China's diplomatic relations with the countries of the West Ocean interrupted this time - for centuries. Some merchants continued to trade with Japan and Vietnam, but from the "state presence" in the Indian Ocean, the Chinese authorities refused and even destroyed the majority of Zheng HE locations.
The written off ships rotted in the port, and the Chinese ships have forgotten how to build a taochani ...
For now, it is not known anyone when the famous admiral Zheng He died - either during the seventh expedition, or the shortness after the return of the fleet (July 22, 1433).
In modern China, it is believed that his as a true sailor was buried in the ocean, and Kenotaf, which shown to tourists in Nanjing is only a conditional tribute to the memory.
Most of all surprises the fact that the Zheng HE serious on the scale of the expedition was completely forgotten as contemporaries and descendants. Only at the beginning of the 20th century, Western scientists have discovered references to these swimming in the chronicles of the Imperial Ming Dynasty and wondered: why was this huge flotilla be created?
Different versions were put forward: Zheng Hay turned out to be a "pioneer and researcher" like Cook, it was looking for a colony for the empire like conquistadors, then his fleet was a powerful military cover for developing foreign trade, as in Portuguese in the XV-XVI centuries.
Famous Russian Kitaevyed Alexey Baschinin in the book "China and the countries of the South Seas"

it leads to an entertainment consideration on the possible purpose of these expeditions: by the beginning of the 15th century, the relationship between China of the Minsk era and Power Tamerlan, who even planned to go to China, was very aggravated by the beginning of the XV century.
Thus, on Admiral Zheng He, they could entrust a diplomatic mission to find the seas of allies against Timur.
After all, when in 1404, Tamerlan fell ill, already having the blameed and destroyed cities from Russia before India, the world would hardly happen, able to cope with him alone ...
But in January 1405, Tamerlan died. It seems that the admiral has not been looking for allies against this enemy.
Maybe the rally lies in a certain university complex of UNLE, which was ascended by the throne by palace coup. The illegal "son of the sky" seems to be simply not wanted to wait for the hands until the dannikon themselves appear to him on the bow.
The Emperor Junle sent ships for the horizon in advance of the trunk imperial policy, which prescribed the son of the sky to take ambassadors from the world, and not send them to the world.
Comparing the Expeditions of Vasco da Gama and Expedition Zheng He, American historian Robert Finlay writes:
"The expedition da Gama marked the undeniable turning point in world history, becoming an event symbolizing the onset of the era of the modern.
Following the Spaniards, the Dutch and the British, the Portuguese began to build an empire in the East ...
In contrast to this, Minsk expeditions did not entail any changes: no colonies, no new routes, nor monopolies, nor cultural heyday and no global unity ... The history of China and world history would probably not have changed any changes if expeditions Zheng Hoe never took place at all. "
Whatever it was, but the active Admiral Zheng He has remained for China the only great navigator, a symbol of an unexpected openness of the subway

Throughout its centuries-old history, the Chinese empire did not show much interest in distant countries and sea travel. But in the XV century, her ships were sent seven times in swimming in the Indian Ocean, and headed by a giant junok squadron every time the same person - a diplomat and admiral Zheng He, who was not inferior to Columbus in the wise of his expeditions. Fig. Anton Batova

Zheng He was born in 1371 in the city of Kunyan (now Jinin), in the center of the south-western Chinese province Yunnan, not far from her capital Kunmina. Nothing as a future fleet, who called Ma He, did not foretell the coming novel with the ocean: in the XV century from Kunyana to the coast there were several weeks drive. The name of Mohammed's transcription is often found in the Chinese Muslim community, and our hero was the origin of the famous Saida Advili Shamsa Al-Dina (1211-1279), who was also overlooking Umaro, - a native of Bukhara, nominated during the Mongolian Great Hanov (Grandson of Genghis Khan) and Hubila. It was the conqueror of China Khabilai in 1274 appointed this Umar governor Yunnani. It is known that the father and grandfather of the future Admiral strictly adhered to Islam's locks and made a hajj in Mecca. Moreover, in the Muslim world there is an opinion that the future admiral itself visited the sacred city, however, with informal pilgrimages.

At the time of the birth of the boy, the median empire was still under the rule of the Mongols who favored to his family. But the beginning of the life of Ma He was quite dramatically. In 1381, when conquering Yunnan, the troops of the Chinese dynasty mines, which took off the foreign yuan, at the age of 39, the father of the future navigator died. The boy was captured by the rebels, wept and handed over to the service of the fourth son of Hunle's leader, the future emperor Junle, who soon went to the governor to Baipin (Beijing).

It is important to note one detail: Eunuchs in China, as well as, for example, in Ottoman Turkey, always remained one of the most influential political forces. Many young men themselves went on terrible not only in essence, but also on the technique of execution the operation, hoping to get into the retinue of any influential person - Prince or, if lucky, emperor himself. So, "color-eyed" (so-called representatives of nonetitoile, nonhangny nation in China) Zheng Hay for then the concepts were just lucky. Young Ma He has proven himself in service. By the end of the 1380s, he was already vividly stood out surrounded by Prince, whose younger was eleven. In 1399, when Beijing was askedid by the troops of the then Emperor Jianwene (Rules from 1398 to 1402), the young dignitarily defended one of the urban reservoirs. It is his actions and allowed the prince to stand up in order to counterattack the opponent and achieve the throne. In a few years, Junle collected a powerful militia, raised the uprising and in 1402, taking the standby Metropolitan Nanjing, proclaimed himself with the emperor. Then he accepted the new Board's motto: Junle - "Eternal Happiness." On the Chinese New Year on February 11, 1404, Ma He in gratitude for loyalty and feats was solemnly renamed Zheng He - this surname corresponds to the name of one of the ancient kingdoms that existed in China in the V-III centuries BC. e.

As for the appearance of the future Admiral, he, "Having become adults, they say, grew up to seven chi (almost two meters. - Ed.), And his belt girth equal to five chi (more than 140 centimeters. - Ed.). His cheekbones and forehead were wide, and the nose is small. He had a sparkling look and voice loud, as if the sound of a big gong. "

When looking at the expedition of Zheng He, after time, it is most surprised that such a serious campaign on their completion were completely forgotten with contemporaries, and descendants. The ambitious UNLE sent the fleet to distant countries at the very beginning of his reign, and returned the last great expedition to the reign of his grandson of Sunita, after which in China for a long time they forgot about the maritime glory. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century, Western scientists have found mentioning these swimming in the chronicles of the Imperial Dynasty Min and wondered: why was this huge flotilla be created? Different versions were highlighted: Zheng Hay turned out to be the "pioneer and researcher" like Cook, it was looking for a colony for the empire like conquistadors, his fleet was a powerful military cover for developing foreign trade, as in Portuguese in the XV-XVI centuries. However, the countries of the South Seas and the Indian Ocean were associated with maritime trade with Middle Kingdom during the days of the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279). Then, from the ports of Fujiani, Guangdong, Zhejiang and Guangxi, seaways were already stretched to Indochka, India and even Arabia. Walked by the sea from Liaoning Province to the Korean Peninsula and Japan. So the admiral did not plan to open the new trade routes. Want to conquer new lands? On the one hand, the Chinese Empire, the time of time, sought to attach the lands of the nearest neighbors. Moreover, Armada Zheng Hoe on the most planks was packed with weapons and warriors. But on the other hand, throughout the history, the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom were detained in the distant countries peacefully, formed diasporas, without any need for colonization. "Sons of Heaven" never undertake marine conquests. And if the gifts that the fleet drove back to the court, habitually interpreted as a tribute, then their receipt ceased exactly at the moment when the admiral ships returned to their native harbor. No, Zheng He's mission did not have a military nor aggressive nature. The famous Russian Kitaevyed Alexei Baschinin in the book "China and the countries of the South Seas" leads an interesting consideration about the possible goal of these travels: by the beginning of the 15th century, the relationship between China of the Minsk Epoch and Power Tamerlane was aggravated. The frantic Warrior even planned to go to China. Accordingly, Zheng He could entrust the diplomatic mission to find the seas of allies against Timur. After all, when in 1404 he fell ill, already having the ended and destroyed cities from Russia to India, in the world, the world would hardly happen, capable of having him alone. But in January 1405, Tamerlan died. It seems that the admiral did not seek friends against this enemy. Perhaps the randral lies in a certain complex of inferiority of UNLE, ascended by the Tron of the palace coup. The illegal "son of the sky" seems to be simply not wanted to wait for the hands until the dannikon themselves appear to him on the bow.

Winds of southern seas

The first three expeditions Zheng He followed continuously one after another from 1405 to 1411 with short interruptions in 1407th and 1409. At first, the Emperor Junle himself took a living participation in the project. He then lived in Nanjing, where the ships were built and from where the first journeys started. This later, the arrangement of the new capital in Beijing and the Mongolian campaigns will be cooled by the Emperor's dust, and while he personally delves into each detail, closely monitors each step and order of his admiral. After all, trusted Enun, he set up not only the fleet itself, but also the chambers of the Palace servants. And this means that it was also responsible for the construction and repair of many buildings, and then ships.

The ruler Topeil - Armada was built in a big hurry. The first order for the creation of ships was sounded in 1403th, and swimming began in two years. Special highest orders were devoted commercial parties for wood - to the province of Fujian and in the Ripos of Yangtze. The beauty and pride of the squadron, Baochuani (literally "precious ships" or "Treasury"), were constructed on the so-called "shipyard of precious ships" (Baochuanian) on the Qinhuai River in Nanjing. It is this last fact that, in particular, determines the fact that the precipitate of Johnk with their gigantic amount was not very deep - otherwise they would simply not have passed into the sea through this influx of Yangtz. And finally, everything was ready. July 11, 1405 in the "Chronicle of Emperor Tha-Zun" (one of the ritual names of UNLE) was made a simple entry: "Palace Sanovnik Zheng He and others were sent to the countries of Western (Indian) Ocean with emperor letters and gifts for their kings - Golden Parch, patterned silk, colored silk gas, is all according to their status. " In total, Armada includes up to 255 ships from 27,800 people aboard.

In all swims, the grandiose Armada went from the South China Sea. Through the Indian Ocean, the ships went towards Ceylon and South Industan, and the last journey covered the Persian Bay, the Red Sea and the East Coast of Africa. Zheng Hay walked every time the "rolled" way: catching repeating monsoon winds, which from December to March blowing on these latitudes from the north and northeast. When wet subequatorial flow streams climbed over the Indian Ocean and, as it were, they turned around in a circle back to the north - from April to August, the flotilla, respectively, turned to the house. This is a monsoon schedule. Local sailors knew long before our era, and not only sailors: it dictated and the order of agricultural seasons. Taking into account the monsoons, as well as the pattern of constellation travelers confidently transported from the south of Arabia to the Malabar coast of India, or from Ceylon on Sumatra and in Malacca, adhering to a certain latitude.

Chinese expeditions returned to the same route, and only the incidents on the way allow you to distinguish the navigation "there" from the opposite. So, in the first swimming on the opposite way, the Chinese expedition troops captured the famous Pirate Chen Tzu'i, who captured Palembang at that time - the capital of the Hindus-Buddhist state Srevidaya on Sumatra. "Zheng He returned and brought Chen Tzui in Kandala. Arriving in the old port (Palembang. - Ed.), He called Chen to obey. He attacked that he was subordinate, but secretly planned a riot. Zheng He understood it ... Chen, collecting forces, made a battle, and Zheng He sent troops and accepted the battle. Chen was broken down. More than five thousand gangsters were killed, ten ships burned and seven seven ... Chen and two more were captured and delivered to the imperial capital, where they were announced beheaded. " So the Metropolis was defended by peaceful migrant compatriots in Palembore and at the first time first demonstrated that his ships carried weapons on board not only for beauty.

By the way, about weapons. Historians did not come together, what exactly the subordinates of the admiral fought. The burning of ships Chen Tzui seems to indicate that they were shot from guns. They, like primitive rifles, have already been used then in China, but there are no direct evidence of their use on the sea. In any case, it is obvious that the battle Admiral relied on a living force, on the personal composition, which was planted with huge junks ashore or sent to the storm fortifications. This peculiar maritime infantry was the main vision of flotilla, so imagine the battle of Palambang on the traffalgar manner (as some researchers do), apparently, not worth it.

"Treasury ships" in numbers

It is not possible to reliably determine all the characteristics of the ships of Armada Zheng HE historians and shipbuilders yet. The mass of speculation and discussions in the scientific world is caused by the fact that scientists are known how similar Junks are built to Zheng He and after him. However, the southern seas and the Indian Ocean korozdili specially rebuilt vessels, which are certainly (taking into account the calculations made on the basis of Ruderppost's excavations in Nanjing shipyard) only the following are known.

The length of large boaoic ships was 134 meters, and the width is 55. The sediment to the Waterlinia was 6 more than 6 meters. The mast was 9, and they carried 12 sails from wicker bamboo mats. Baochians in the Zheng HE squadron was from 40 to 60. For comparison: the first transatlantic steamer of Izambara Brunette "Great Western", which appeared in four centuries (1837), was almost twice as smaller (about 72 meters). Measurements of medium ships were equal, respectively, 117 and 48 meters. There were about 200 such junks, and they are comparable to ordinary Chinese courts. The team of such a ship, in 1292, Marko Polo, which took place to India, consisted of 300 people, and Niccolo Di Conti, the Venetian merchant of the XIV-XV centuries, who traveled to India and Ormuz, mentions five-volume junks with displacement of about 2000 tons. The Admiral Fleet consisted of 27-28 thousand people of personnel, among whom they included soldiers, merchants, civilians, officials and master: in terms of quantity it is the population of the large Chinese city of those times.

Chinese ships built quite differently than European. First, they had no keel, although sometimes in the bottom and built a long bar, called Lunga ("Dragon's Bone"), - to mitigate the strike of the soil during mooring. The strength of the design of the ship was achieved by adding wooden strengthening-wavers at the level of Waterlinnia or above on board along the entire length. It was very important that the presence of bulkheads, stretching from the side to board through uniform gaps, were provided to protect the vessel from flooding in the event of damage to some one or more premises.

If in Europe, the mast was located in the center of the vessel, embedded in the foundation in Kiel, then in Chinese Junks, the base of each mast was connected only with a nearby bulkhead, which allowed "scattering" masts on the deck regardless of the central axis of symmetry. At the same time, the sails of different masts did not overlap each other, revealed like a fan, the sailiness increased, and the ship received a greater acceleration accordingly.

The Chinese courts, created to work in shallow waters, differ from European: their precipitate and the length proportionally inferior width. That's all we know reliably. Notes translator Ma Huan, Satellite Zheng He, John Mills complements these data to the assumption that 50 cabins were on the taochia.

Muscles and Tooth Buddha

But back to the chronology. During the second navigation, the geographically similar to the first, there was only one event, the memory of which was preserved in history: the ruler of the Calicut provided Messengers of the Middlewealth of several bases, relying on which the Chinese could continue to go further to the west. But the third expedition brought more interesting adventures. Under the date July 6, 1411, the chronicle recorded: "Zheng He ... returned and brought the captured king Ceillon to Alagakonar, his family and children. During the first journey of Alagakonard was rude and disrespectful and removed to kill Zheng He. Zheng He understood it and left. Moreover, Alagakonar was not friends with neighboring countries and often intercepted and robbed their embassies along the way to China and back. Due to the fact that other barbarians suffered from this, Zheng He, returned, again showed contempt of Ceylon. Then Alagakonar lured Zheng He deep into the country and sent his son Nianana to demand gold, silver and other precious goods. If these goods did not give out, more than 50 thousand Varvarov would rebel from the shelters and captured the ships of Zheng HE. And they squeezed the trees and rearmed to block the narrow tracks and cut the Zheng He way to retreat so that some Chinese detachments could come to each other to help.

When Zheng He realized that they were cut off from the fleet, he quickly deployed troops and sent them to the ships ... And he ordered the messengers to secretly bypass the roads, where the ambush was sitting, to return to the ships and transfer the order to the officers and soldiers to beat death. Meanwhile, he personally led a two-thousandths of the army by coarse tracks. They stormed the eastern walls of the capital, taking her fear, broke into the inside, captured Anlagakonar, his family, children and dignitaries. Zheng He spent a few battles and broke the Army of Varvarov Head. When he returned, the ministers decided that the alagkonar and other prisoners should execute. But the emperor settled over them - over ignorant people who did not know what heavenly mandate on the board, and let them go, giving food and clothing, and ordered the ward of rituals to choose a worthy person in the Aldakconary family to rule the country. "

It is believed that this was the only case when Zheng He was consciously and decisively crossed off the path of diplomacy and entered the war not with robbers, but with the official government of the country to which he arrived. The above quote is the only documentary description of the actions of the fleet on Ceylon. However, besides him, of course, there are many legends. The most popular of them describes the scandal associated with the most revered relic - tooth of the Buddha (Dalad), which our hero was going to steal, or really stole from Ceylon.

The story is: back in 1284, Hubilai sent his emissaries to Ceylon to get one of the main sacred relics of Buddhists quite legally. But the tooth Mongolian Emperor - a famous patron of Buddhism - was still not given, compensating for the refusal to other expensive gifts. On this case, it ended. But according to Sinhal myths, the Middle State in secret did not refuse the desired goal. They generally argue that the admiral swimming was undertaken almost specifically for the abduction of the tooth, and all the other wanders are to remove the eyes. But Singhals allegedly overheut the Zheng He - "slipped" to him in captivity of the royal twin instead of the real king and the false relic, and the real, while the Chinese were fought, strained. The compatriots of the Great Marithener, of course, adhere to the opposite opinion: Admiral still got the invaluable "piece of the Buddha", and he even helped him safely reach Nanjing back to Nanjing. What was really unknown.

Some would not know about Zheng He, it is not doubtful that it was a man of very wide views. It is known for example, that, a Muslim in origin, he opened Buddhism in adulthood and was distinguished by great knowledge in the intricacies of this teaching. On Ceylon, he built the Buddha sanctuary, Allah and Vishnu (one on three!), And in the stele erected before the last swimming in Fujiani, the gratitude of the Taoist Goddess of Tien Fei is "Divine Spouse", which was considered a patronage of the sailors. Anyway, the Ceylon adheres of the admiral, perhaps, became the culmination of his overseas career. In the course of this dangerous military campaign, many warriors died, but UNLE, assessing the scale of the feat, generously awarded the surviving.

Zaganga Zheng HE

Six years ago, the book "1421: a year when China opened the world" was published. Posted by her retired British officer, the commander of the submarine Gavin Menzis, who assured Zheng He was ahead of even Columbus, opening America before him, he was ahead of him allegedly and Magellan, having encouraged the globe. Professional historians reject these constructions as untenable. Nevertheless, one of the admiral cards is the so-called "Map of Can'Nidido" - indicates a minimum that he has a reliable and reliable information about Europe. The search for truth is very complicated by the full destruction of official information on the last two swimming, which, apparently, were the most distances. Did the Chinese get to the Mozambique Strait in East Africa? Researchers also know the testimony of Fra Mauro, a monk-cartographer from Venice, which in 1457 wrote that a certain "Johnka from India" thirty years earlier floated two thousand miles deep into the Atlantic. The opinion is also expressed that Zheng HE has served as the basis of European marine maps of the era of great geographical discoveries. Finally, the last mystery. In January 2006, a 1763 card was presented at one auction, allegedly accurate copy of the card of 1418. The owner is the Chinese collector, who bought it in 2001, immediately relates it with the speculation of Menzis, because on it the outlines of America and Australia appeared, and with the Chinese transcriptions of the names of the names of the Aborigines. Examination confirmed: the paper on which the scheme was performed is the authentic, XV century, but about ink remains doubts. However, even if it is not a fake, then perhaps just the translation of some Western source into Chinese.

Imperial giraffe, or who are such Afro-tree

In mid-December 1412, Zheng He received a new order to carry the gifts to the courtyards of the overseas rulers. Moreover, to this fourth expedition, which saved in 1413, prudently addressed the translator - Muslim Ma Huan. This native Hangzhou owned Arabic and Persian languages. Later he will leave quite detailed stories about the last great swimming in the Chinese fleet, not forgetting about all sorts of household details. For example, he carefully described the diet of the sailors: they ate "hushed and unlucky rice, beans, grains, barley, wheat, sesame and all kinds of vegetables ... They had fruit ... Persian dates, pine nuts, almonds, raisins, walnuts, Apples, grenades, peaches and apricots ... "," Many people made a mixture of milk, cream, oil, sugar and honey and ate it. " It is safe to conclude that Chinese travelers did not suffer from zing.

The main event of this hike was to capture a certain leader of the rebels by the name of secretar. He had a misfortune to speak against the Chinese and related treaty about the friendship of the king of the Semider's state in the north of Sumatra - Zaina al-Abidida. The arrogant doctor was offended that the emperor's messenger did not bring him gifts, which means that he did not recognize the legal representative of the nobility, naspech gathered supporters and attacked the Admiral's fleet. True, he had no more chance of victory than Parambang's pirate. Soon he, his wives and children were aboard Chinese treasury. Ma Huan reports that the "robber" publicly executed on Sumatra, not honored the honor of the Imperial Court in Nanjing. But in the capital, Flotodets brought from this swim to the record number of foreign ambassadors - from thirty powers. Eighteen diplomats of them are Zheng Hewing at home during the fifth expedition. All of them had merciful letters from the emperor, as well as porcelain and silk - embroidered, transparent, painted, thin and very expensive, so that their sovereigns should be assumed. And Admiral himself, this time, went into the uncharted waters, to the shores of Africa.

The farthest to the west, the further divergence of the testimony of sources. So, it is still unclear where there is a mysterious fortified Las, which provided an armed resistance to the expeditionary building and taken by the Chinese with the help of siege guns, called in some sources of Muslim Catapults, in others - "Western" and, finally, in Third - "Huge Catapults shooting stones. " Some sources report that this city was in Africa, near Mogadishu in the present Somalia, others in Arabia, somewhere in Yemen. In any case, the path to it from Calicut was held in the XV century twenty days with a passing wind, the climate there was always hot, the fields are scrubbed, the traditions are simple, and there was almost nothing to take there. Ladan, gray amber and "camels per thousand Lee" (whether - the Chinese length of length, equal to about 500 meters).

The fleet came down the African horn and really went to Mogadishu, where the Chinese met with a real miracle: they saw how the black people were in the lack of wood folded at home from stones - in four or five floors. Rich people were engaged in maritime trade, the poor threw in the ocean. Small cattle, horses and camels fed dried fish. But the main thing is home travelers took a very special "tribute": leopards, zebras, lions and even several giraffes. Unfortunately, African gifts at all satisfied the emperor. In fact, the goods and offering from already acquaintances of Calicut and Sumatra represented significantly greater material value than the exotic newcomers of the imperial belt.

When in the spring of 1421, amplifying the fleet 41 vehicles, the admiral sailed again to the black continent and returned again without any convincing values, the emperor was quite annoyed. In addition, in the most subway, during this time, the criticism of his ruin wars intensified. In general, further trips to the Great Flootilla were under a big question.

As for the trace, which the Chinese left in Africa, he today, of course, is not traced. Is that a legend has been preserved in Kenya: not far from Malindi (apparently, this port turned out to be an extreme point of travel), near the island of Lama, one of the ships flew to reefs. The surviving team members got to the shore, married local girls and as if they would have marked the beginning of the African community. This really exists in Kenya and maintains close ties with the PRC, but the origin, apparently, has nevertheless later.

Karavella vs Johnok.

A natural question arises: why did the planet discovered, the portuguese, the Spaniards and the British were investigated and settled, and not the Chinese - after all, Zheng Hay's swimming showed that the Sons of the Middle Kingdom could build ships and ensure their expeditions economically and politically? The answer is simple, and it is reduced not only to the difference of ethnopsychology of the middle European and the Middle Chinese, but also to the historical and cultural situation of the era of great geographical discoveries. Europeans have always lacked land and resources to maintain their rapidly developing economy, they drove them on the seizures of new territories of the closest and eternal shortage of material goods (gold, silver, spices, silk, etc.) for anyone who eager them. Here you can also remember the free spirit of the heirs of Ellinov and Romans, with ancient times they sought to settle the Mediterranean, because they walked to the conquest of new lands even before the first dough and caravels came up with the stapels. The Chinese also had their own problems - overpopulation and land hunger, but, despite the fact that they were always separated from the tempting adjacent territories, they were always separated by the non-erased strait, China remained self-sufficient: the Son Son Son of the sky was spread through Southeast Asia and neighboring countries like peaceful settlers, And not as missionaries or slaves and gold hunters. Casus Emperor Junle and his Admiral Zheng HE is an exception, not a rule. The fact that the Baocuanians were big and that there were many of them, did not mean that China sent them to distant countries for the seizure of land and the dispensation of overseas colonies. Yurk Karavella Columbus and Vasco Da Gama beat in this plan Giant Johnci Zheng He on all fronts. It was this disinterest of the Chinese and their supreme power in the outside world, the concentration of themselves and led to the fact that the Grand Passionate Splash of the Emperor Yunle's time did not find a continuation after his death. UNLE has sent ships for the horizon in spite of the main imperial policy who prescribed the Son of the sky to take ambassadors from the world, and not send them to the world. The death of the emperor and the admiral returned to the status quo: briefly, the sinks of the shell slammed again.

Last parade

In 1422-1424, a considerable break occurred in Zheng HE swimming, moreover, in 1424, Yunle died. But still, on this, the Chinese sea epic has not yet ended: in 1430, a new one, the young emperor Suangtende, the grandson of the deceased, decided to send another "great embassy".

Apparently, feeling that the final is close to the seventh dozen admiral before sailing in the last expedition ordered two inscriptions in the port of Luzzhagan (near the city of Taisan in Jiangsu Province) and Channel (East Fujian) - a kind of epitaph, which were summed up . And the swimming itself passed on the forefronts of the previous ones, except that once the fleet landed a squad under the command of Hong Bao, who made a peaceful tale in Mecca. Sailors have returned with giraffes, lions, "camel birds" (ostrich, gigantic feathers then were still in Arabia) and other wonderful gifts that were taken away from the sheriff of the sacred city. About the time, where the fellow countrymen of the Prophet Mohammed were moved, whether they were back to the fatherland - it is unknown, the chronicles in this period marked noticeably to the acts of the Great Armada.

It is especially surprising that anyone is reliably unknown when the famous admiral Zheng He was died - either during the seventh swimming, or shortly after the return of the fleet (July 22, 1433). In modern China, it is believed that his as a real sailor was buried in the ocean, and Kenotaf, which shown to tourists in Nanjing is only a conditional tribute to the memory.

As for the results of the seventh swimming, after five days after its completion, the emperor, as usual, gave the team with ceremonial robes and paper money. According to the chronicles, while Suanghede said: "We have no desire to receive things from remote countries, but we understand that they were sent with the most sincere feelings. Since they arrived from afar, they should be taken, but it is not a reason for congratulations. "

Diplomatic intercourse with the countries of the West Ocean ceased this time - by century. Separate merchants continued to trade with Japan and Vietnam, but from the "state presence" in the Indian Ocean, the Chinese authorities refused and even destroyed the majority of the Loccas of Zheng HE. The written off ships rotted in the port, and the Chinese ships have forgotten how to build taocoani.

Long swimming Residents of the Middle Empire resumed many later, and even then epizodically. So, in 1846-1848 in England and the United States visited the huge trading junk "Qi'in", successfully reinished the cape of good hope. And yet, we should not blame the country in navigation indecision - China simply had to choose where it is more important to defend its extensive territory, on land or at sea. The other forces were clearly lacked, and at the end of the era of Zheng He sushi again took over: the coast was left defenseless - and in front of the pirates, and in front of Western powers. Well, the energetic admiral remained for the country the only great navigator, a symbol of an unexpected openness of the Middle Mira. At least this is the lessons of these seven swimming in China.