Zheng He: Famous Chinese Explorer Who Added Wealth and Power to the Ming Dynasty

Zheng He (also known as Cheng Ho) is one of the most famous admirals in Chinese history, and is best known for his treasure voyages. These voyages served to project the power and the wealth of the Ming Dynasty to the known world and were sponsored by the Ming emperor, Yongle, himself. Yet, due to the way that the Yongle Emperor came to power, it has been speculated that the treasure voyages were commissioned with a more sinister goal in mind. Before going into that, however, we shall first have a look at the man who led these voyages, the admiral Zheng He.

The Story of Zheng He

Zheng He was born in 1371 to a Hui Muslim family in Yunnan, southwestern China, and was originally named Ma He. In 1378, this region was conquered by the forces of the Ming Dynasty. Subsequently, the Ming army embarked on a military campaign in this area to eliminate any remaining Yuan loyalists.