Ming Treasure Voyages

The treasure voyages of the Ming Dynasty lasted for two decades and had the Chinese civilization poised on the cusp of a significantly enhanced world role. Within twenty years, from 1405 to 1433, the Chinese navy had become the supreme naval power of Southeast Asia, and helped to establish diplomatic and trade links with more than thirty-seven countries reaching as far west as the coast of Africa, between what is now Mozambique and Madagascar. The grand treasure voyages were helmed by the now legendary figure of Admiral Zheng He, a Chinese Muslim, and one of the emperor’s eunuch admirals. In addition to acting as admiral to fleets numbering as many as 300 ships, Zheng He filled the role of diplomat, trader, conqueror, and even explorer, as he expanded the reach of the Chinese Middle Kingdom to destinations unknown…and those only hinted at by imagination. A man of humble means and background, Zheng He succeeded in his role as naval commander and is today considered one of China’s greatest historical figures. Virtual cities, the treasure fleets were composed of a variety of different Chinese junks. Crews numbered in the tens of thousands, with experts of every discipline on hand to provide the leadership with whatever expertise or skill was desired, from astrologers to interpret the stars, to animal handlers to corral and care for exotic species acquired during the long voyages. Farmers manned special agriculture ships that worked like movable farms, cultivating crops to feed the many thousands of mouths. There was even a cadre of Imperial soldiers to escort the galaxy of ships wherever it sailed. According to the records, the largest ships in the fleet were technological marvels that were far ahead of their time. Sailing with nine masts, these ships reached over 400 feet in length and 185 feet in width, and displaced approximately 3,100 tons of water, dwarfing any European vessels of the period. Watertight bulkheads contained drinking water, and could become storage compartments for housing sea animals. They also helped to keep the massive vessels afloat in the event the hulls were breached. The first treasure expedition was launched in 1405, and made port in Java, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Calicut, Malacca, Quilon, and other destinations. It delivered so many goods to these Indian ports that pricing them took more than three months. Subsequent voyages grew more expensive, and increasingly far-reaching. As a result, the number of soldiers traveling with the expeditions’ merchants and explorers also began to balloon, and at one point a voyage to India including only forty-five ships was supposedly guarded by well over 30,000 Chinese soldiers. Most historians believe that by 1433 the Chinese had reached as far as the coast of Madagascar; while others have posited less accepted theories that envision the Chinese landing as far west as the coast of the Americas, some seventy years before Christopher Columbus’ 1492 expedition. Many factors supposedly contributed to the sudden end of the Ming treasure fleets. The death of the visionary Yongle Emperor in 1424 allowed for the rise of his conservative opponents who had for decades longed to seize power and install a Confucian system that focused on domestic development and isolation. Also, the creation of the Grand Canal running north to south through China enabled the transportation of goods without the necessity of an ocean route. For whatever reason, conservative forces under the new Emperor Hongxi canceled further treasure expeditions. The mighty fleet that had once commanded the seas was sunk, and the records of its exploits burned. By the end of the fifteenth century it was a capital offense in China to build a ship with more than two masts.

From the game's History encyclopedia, AoE3: DE 100.19.18309.