Historical Context: This was Zheng He’s first voyage and was extremely important. Calicut had valuable things for trading, like spices and rare wood. Calicut was the most important port in all of South Asia so China’s voyage here would help them significantly. 

Cause: Calicut being the biggest trading port in all of South Asia

Effect: Zheng He traveling there, gaining power easily, China gaining a tributary state

Was a tributary state

3rd voyage

Purpose: on Zheng He’s third voyage, he was going to places for political power and ones that were favorable. Malacca had many goods and was popular in trading, so by visiting there he was able to gain more power for China and gain power in profitable locations         

As a result of its position between the Indonesian spice islands and the Malabar coast, it was a popular trading. For example, island spices and island related items were traded for Indian textiles here, along with tin. (document/day 3)

Zheng He’s intended audience is the emperor. Since he’s writing to the emperor, his boss essentially, Zheng He would edit his letters and make it sound better than it actually was. In document 4, one sees how Zheng He, “one fought against a hundred”, and successfully won the battle. This is most likely false and edited because never in history has one person beat 100 people in a war (was the second voyage)

Context: Zheng He was on a voyage to gain tributaries and assert China’s power overseas. This was probably his second trip to Ceylon and his motives were mostly politics.

Zheng He leaves Ceylon and Calicut and uses the winds to reach the Strait of Hormuz in 25 days (61 sea miles/day). In Ma Huan’s records, he describes that everyone is rich and that families support each other. In Hormuz, they traded for sapphires, rubies, topaz, pearls, beads, amber, coral, woolens, and carpets. They also provided tributes for the emperor such as lions, leopards, and Arabian horses. (document/day 6)

After leaving Samudera and Sumatra, Zheng He and team traveled for 10 days in the Indian Ocean. Zheng He then reached the eight Maldive Islands, where there were many coconut trees, whose fibers were used to create strong ropes. The Maldive area also sold ambergris, which came from whales, and was worth the same as silver. Zheng He’s crew also purchased cowrie shells, which were used as currency elsewhere. (document/day 6)

Yang Min’s intended audience is the emperor as he knew that the new finding of the qilin would flatter the emperor, due to his assumption that it was a sign from heaven.

Zheng He and his fleet arrived at Temasek (future SIngapore) after departing from Champa on his 3rd voyage → Document 3

This route took eight days to reach their destination, with fair winds

third voyage

third voyage

Was a tributary state

Was a tributary state

Went there on his third voyage and first voyage

First voyage

Historical Context: This was Zheng He’s first voyage and was extremely important. Calicut had valuable things for trading, like spices and rare wood. Calicut was the most important port in all of South Asia so China’s voyage here would help them significantly. 

Cause: Calicut being the biggest trading port in all of South Asia

Effect: Zheng He traveling there, gaining power easily, China gaining a tributary state

Was a tributary state

On his third voyage

On his third voyage

On his third voyage

Zheng He and his ships left from here to go to the Maldive Islands. 

First voyage

Historical Context: This was Zheng He’s first voyage and was extremely important. Calicut had valuable things for trading, like spices and rare wood. Calicut was the most important port in all of South Asia so China’s voyage here would help them significantly. 

Cause: Calicut being the biggest trading port in all of South Asia

Effect: Zheng He traveling there, gaining power easily, China gaining a tributary state

Was a tributary state

Third voyage

Was a tributary state