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There is many arguments about who the greatest explorer really is. So who do you think the Greatest Explorer was? Ferdinand Magellan? Or Zheng He?

Ferdinand Magellan was the greatest explorer because he discovered Malacca. He studied navigational charts that he used to try to find a better and faster way to get to the Spice Islands and although he did not finish his Journey because of his death on the Battle Field he still was an Inspiration to the rest of his fleet so that way they would finish the Journey.

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All in all Zheng and Ferdinand were both great explorers who most likely made China and Portugal/Spain proud. They discovered new lands, and helped defeat enemies of their allies and established trade among Asian countries.

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Source for Ferdinand Magellan Column and Magellan Quote 1 & 2: 

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Source for Ferdinand Magellan Column and Magellan Quote 1 & 2: 

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https://www.biography.com/people/ferdinand-magellan-9395202

Magellan Quote 3 source: https://www.thoughtco.com/ferdinand-magellan-1435018

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Source for Zheng He Column and Zheng He qoute 1, 2 & 3: 

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Source for Zheng He Column and Zheng He qoute 1, 2 & 3: 

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https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zheng-He

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Zheng He grew up in the Yunnan Province in China. He was from a Chinese Muslim family. His father was hajji meaning he had made the pilgrimage to Mecca. When he was very young his homeland was captured and reconquered by Chinese forces under the Ming Dynasty. He was among the many boys who were captured and castrated and sent into the army. He became a eunuch and eventually had great influential power in the courts and he was given Command of the Treasure Fleet.

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Ferdinand was born in Portugal, either in the city of Porto or Sobrosa around 1480. Ferdinand Magellan was around almost 50 years after Zheng He.

His parents, who were Portuguese Nobility, died when he was young, so soon after he became a page for the Queen.

He started to study at Queen Leonora’s School of Pages in Lisbon. He studied texts about cartography, astronomy, and celestial navigation.

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1st Voyage: "Ma He(Zheng) quickly became a eunuch of great influence in the Yongle court." (Zheng He quote 1) His first mission was to try to discover the "Western Oceans." He set sail in 1405 commanding 62 ships and leading an army of 72,800 men. He visited places like Champa(now Southern Vietnam), Siam(Thailand), the island of Java and many other places.
2nd Voyage: His second voyage was to Calicut during 1408-09.
3rd Voyage: Zheng's third voyage was in 1409 and he went beyond the Seaports of India and on to the Persian Gulf. During his trip back he visited the northern tip of Sumatra.
4th Voyage: In 1413 he went to Oman and Yemen, Some of his fleet visited Mecca and Egypt and some others went along the East Coast of Africa to places like Somalia and Kenya. He almost reached the Mozambique Channel.
5th Voyage: The treasure fleet revisits the Persian Gulf and East Africa.
6th Voyage: In 1421 Zheng helped to take home foreign emissaries from China. He visited South East Asia, India, Arabia and Africa again.
7th Voyage: On his final voyage he revisited many of the places that he had already been too. He also saw the Red Sea.
"Zheng He was the best known of the Yongle emperor’s diplomatic agents." (Zheng He quote 2) This shows that he was a man that helped to expand the knowledge and understanding of the world for the Chinese. And that he was helpful to the Chinese government.

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They both died during their final voyages. Their fleets both returned to their home lands shortly after they completed the expeditions.

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Both Ferdinand and Zheng lost their parents at a young age. Although they lost their beloved parents to different reasons and causes they both still persevered and went on.

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They both commanded Navy Fleets. Zheng He commanded a bigger and maybe somewhat better fleet than Ferdinand yet they both still had a fleet of ships under their Control. Zheng had the Treasure Fleet and Ferdinand had the smaller but still successful 5 ship fleet.

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They both traveled. Where they traveled and how they did it were somewhat different yet they still both managed to discover interesting places.

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In 1505 Ferdinand joined a fleet that was Portuguese, that was sailing towards East Africa.

In 1509 he was caught up in the Battle of Diu. The Portuguese destroyed a lot of Egyptian ships settled in the Arabian Sea.

He explored Malacca two years later. He then met a man he named Enrique there and Enrique became Ferdinand's servant.

In 1513 Ferdinand was wounded while serving in Morocco. Shortly after the injury he was falsely accused of  trading with the Moors illegally. No one would employ him after that.

Magellan moved to Spain later on to be of service to the Court. Around this time the Treaty of Tordesillas was declared. The Treaty declared that all new territories and not yet discovered territories east of the demarcation line would be for the Portuguese. The west was given to the Spanish.

During the years after he departed from Portugal he studied the most recent navigational charts. He understood that the world was round and he believed that he could find a shorter way to get to the Spice Islands. "He believed that he could find a shorter route to the spice Island by sailing west, across the Atlantic Ocean, around South America and across the Pacific." (Magellan quote 1)

Magellan presented his plan to get to the Spice Islands to King Charles I and on September 20, 1519 he set sail with a fleet of five ships. They traveled to Brazil then South America to Patagonia. At Patagonia there was a mutiny and one of the ships was destroyed. Later they set sail with the four remaining ships and headed through what is now known as the Strait of Magellan, which took them a month to get through. One of the masters of the other ships deserted them and headed back home. The rest of the fleet continued across the Pacific and in March of 1521 they reached Guam.

Later that same month the fleet reached Homonhom Island near the edge of the Philippines. They had 150 or less of the 270 men who started on the adventure with them. The island King, Rajah quickly took a liking to Magellan and they became good friends.

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He died during his 7th Voyage in the Spring of 1433. His fleet returned home that summer. He was a great explorer who "missions did have the effect of extending China’s political sway over maritime Asia for half a century. Admittedly, they did not, like similar voyages of European merchant-adventurers, lead to the establishment of trading empires. Yet, in their wake, Chinese emigration increased, resulting in Chinese colonization in Southeast Asia and the accompanying tributary trade, which lasted until the 19th century." (Zheng He quote 3) He left the legacy of increased trade and colonization.

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Unfortunately Magellan's crew became caught up with a war between the King and one of his rivals and on April 27, 1521 Magellan was killed in battle.
"The remaining crew escaped the Philippines and continued on towards the Spice Islands, arriving in November, 1521. The Spanish commander of the last ship, the Victoria, set sail December and reached Spain on September 8, 1522." (Magellan Quote 2)
Magellan was a great explorer and "Though Magellan died before the voyage was completed, he is often credited with the first circumnavigation of the Earth as he initially led the voyage." (Magellan Quote 3) He was a amazing explorer who led hid men through the Strait of Magellan and he inspired his men to finish what they had started, heading to the Spice Islands.