Mombasa and the Ming Fleet Encounter (1408)

Name: Mombasa and the Ming Fleet Encounter (1408)
Start: 1417

Type Event Region East Africa Time 1417

Around 1408, Mombasa, a major Swahili Coast port, made contact with the Ming dynasty's envoy system during Zheng He's voyages, a precursor to direct …

Timeline

1417Mombasa Harbor · KenyaWhile cruising the western Indian Ocean, the Ming treasure fleet reached the waters off Mombasa and made contact with local Swahili merchants, establishing initial ties through mutual gift-giving and trade samples.
1417Mombasa · KenyaLocal Mombasa leaders received Ming envoys, and the two sides exchanged ivory, spices, and porcelain; Mombasa learned of the Ming tributary system, laying the groundwork for later formal embassies to Beijing.

Sources

The Ming Shi-lu as a Source for Southeast Asian History — and Chinese Relations with East Africa — Geoff Wade (2005)
Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty, 1405–1433 — Edward L. Dreyer (2007)