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Zheng He

Type Figure Region Nanjing Time 1371–1433 Also known as Ma He、Ma Sanbao、Eunuch Sanbao

Famous Ming dynasty navigator and eunuch; originally surnamed Ma from Yunnan, granted the surname Zheng after meritorious service in the Jingnan Camp…

Timeline

  1. 1401–1404Longjiang Treasure Shipyard, Nanjing · NanjingIn the early Yongle era he served as eunuch director of the Directorate of Palace Services, overseeing treasure-ship construction and provisioning for the voyages, carrying out preliminary organization and training for the Western Ocean expeditions.
  2. 1405–1407Liujiagang, Taicang · SuzhouIn July 1405 he led a large fleet from Liujiagang, passing Champa, Java, and Malacca to Calicut in India, completing the first long voyage and returning with envoys from various states.
  3. 1408–1410Indian Ocean sea routes · Indian OceanFrom 1407 to 1409 he sailed again, further consolidating the Ming dynasty's tributary trade network in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean and intervening in political disputes in Ceylon and elsewhere.

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