HILD 11 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Eunuch, Zheng He
Document Summary
Led by zheng he, a muslim eunuch. (eunuchs gained great power because the emperor trusted them more than officials; formed their own bureaucracy) Expeditions to africa, india, and southeast asia; seven total expeditions. Brought back exotic animals (such as giraffes and lions), cloth, gems and spices. Goals: spread glory of the ming and sought tribute for the ming court. Didn"t need goods from other countries or anything imported, but wanted prestige and for other countries to obtain the right" to trade with china. China believed they were the center of the universe and demanded tributes for the emperor which led to a tributary system". It took money and resources (food, supplies, etc. ) to stock each ship that was a part of the expedition. Not much revenue developed from the trips. Decided to concentrate resources on fighting the mongols and coastal piracy. Still engaged with the mongols and needed to focus on defending against them.
