HIST 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Second Opium War, Gavin Menzies, Zheng He
Document Summary
Captured by the ming army when young and served as a eunuch; Rose to a general in the ming court. The following are some basic information about zheng he and his overseas voyages: the reasons for his overseas voyages, to display the glory of chinese civilization and the power of. Chinese empire: no economic motives, zheng he"s seven overseas voyages, from 1405 to 1433 he led seven overseas voyages to explore the. Indian ocean, he and his fleet visited 30 or so countries around the indian ocean area and went to as far as today east africa: zheng he"s fleet. The largest fleet of the world at the time. Some reasons for the end of china"s overseas exploration: The exception of the second ming emperor (r. 1403-1424); The chinese discovered the americas first? (a claim made by gavin. Menzies in his book 1421: the year china discovered america, harper.