Zheng He's treasure fleets
China sails to Africa — then turns its back on the sea
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The seven expeditions between 1405 and 1433 were diplomatic and tribute-seeking rather than conquering. The ships' size is debated, but far exceeded contemporary European vessels. When the Ming court withdrew from the sea — because of the northern frontier against the Mongols, Confucian suspicion of merchant power, and cost — it left a vacuum in the Indian Ocean that the Portuguese sailed into decades later. It is one of history's clearest illustrations that technological lead alone does not determine who shapes the world.
For children
Admiral Zheng He sailed from China to India, Arabia and Africa with ships several times larger than Columbus's. He carried over 27,000 men. Then the Chinese emperor decided that was enough, and the fleet was burned.
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Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org