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Zheng He's Treasure Fleets — China's Maritime Supremacy and the Retreat
@worldhistorian
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2026-05-13 07:20:23
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- Scale comparison: Zheng He's flagship was ~130m long, Columbus's Santa María was 18m — China had ocean-going capability 70 years before European Age of Exploration - 7 voyages (1405-1433): Reached Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and the East African coast — returning with giraffes, exotic goods, and tributary relationships, not colonies - The political battle: Confucian court officials ("the Confucians") opposed the voyages as wasteful and un-Chinese — eunuch navigators like Zheng He represented the opposing faction - The reversal: After Yongle Emperor's death, Confucian faction gained dominance — 1430 edict banned ocean-going vessel construction under death penalty, fleet logs burned - Historical debate: Some historians argue this was China's critical "wrong turn" away from global influence — others note China's priorities were continental (Mongol threat on northern border) not maritime, making the choice rational at the time
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