Map of Zheng He's voyages
Perhaps no Chinese historical figure causes more eye-rolling among historians than the super-naval-bad-ass-7-foot-tall-could-have-discovered-America-but-didn’t-even-if-I’m-a-eunuch-Columbus-still-couldn’t-carry-my-jock admiral Zheng He.* He’s someone that students often ask about, and I’ve written a few posts over the years on the different Zheng He controversies which bubble to the surface of the popular press from time to time.
Like a lot of other historical figures, Zheng He’s story and image are often appropriated as stand-ins for the controversy du jour, whether it’s China in Africa, or China’s rise as a regional naval power capable of projecting force into the waters of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean…coincidentally, Zheng He’s old sailing ground. This past week, a team of Chinese archaeologists have been searching off the coast of Kenya for a shipwreck that some believe was a part of Zheng He’s Ming-era armada.
But what was Zheng He’s mission?
In China, Zheng He is usually depicted as an explorer and diplomat, as in this People’s Daily editorial from 2005 marking the 600th anniversary of Zheng He’s departure:
Zheng He led the ancient world history and the friendly exchanges among different nations, setting a shining example of the history of the exchanges of human civilization.
More recently, Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo told a meeting of ASEAN leaders that Zheng He was a symbol of China’s openness and benevolent intentions, even as China expands its economic and military reach overseas.
“I want to assure you that China is not to be feared.
“The voyages of Zheng He, he said, had brought “porcelain, silk and tea rather than bloodshed, plundering or colonialism” – a reference to violent coercive measures used by Western colonisers.
“To this day, Zheng He is still remembered as an envoy of friendship and peace,” Mr Dai said.
In the same article, however, Geoff Wade, an Australian historian and one of the leading experts on Zheng He and his voyages, offered a different interpretation of Zheng He’s expeditions.
Prof Geoff Wade, a historian who has translated Ming documents relating to Zheng’s voyages, disputes the portrayal of a benign adventurer.
He says the historical records show the treasure fleets carried sophisticated weaponry and participated in at least three major military actions; in Java, Sumatra and Sri Lanka.
“Because there is virtually no critical analysis of these texts even now – history writing is still in the hands of the state – it’s very difficult for Chinese people to conceive of the state as being dangerous, expansionist, or offensive in any way to its neighbours.
“Chinese nationalism is fed on ignorance of its past relations. The way Zheng He is being represented is part of this.”
To say that Zheng He was an “envoy of friendship and peace” is a bit disingenuous. To paraphrase a bit from one of my all-time favorite movies, Snatch: You don’t send an armada that large and that well armed unless you’re trying to say something. The Ming court was trying to prove a very specific point.
On the other hand, these expeditions were of a very different nature than the armed traders/raiders who set sail from Western European ports a few decades later. Zheng He had no interest in colonizing Africa or Southeast Asia, just as long as the people he met could agree that the Ming emperor was the baddest Mofo in the world, he was happy. And the tribute they gave was a nice touch too…
I suspect though, given the ongoing brouhaha of China’s rise and its regional intentions, this isn’t the last time that old Zheng He’s legacy will be hotly contested.
UPDATE
I hope everybody gets a chance to check out the links which Geoff Wade has left in the comments section of this post.
The first is an index of Zheng He references in the Ming shilu, translated by Professor Wade.
The second is a paper by Professor Wade entitled “The Zheng He Voyages: A Reassessment.”
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*I have no idea where the whole seven feet tall thing started. Of the many stories I’ve read about Zheng He, the fact that he could have played power forward for the Celtics is not one of them.
A priceless opening sentence, Jeremiah. I suspect the seven-foot tall colossus nonsense is a Chinese-ego-psyche thing to compensate for the old sailor’s lack of measurement elsewhere.
“Because there is virtually no critical analysis of these texts even now – history writing is still in the hands of the state – … Chinese nationalism is fed on ignorance of its past relations. The way Zheng He is being represented is part of this.”
Absolutely. Professor Wade, take a bow.
There’s something that I’ve never gotten quite clear.
The Ming are traditionally thought of as a “weak” dynasty. Compared to other dynasties, they were not very expansionist. The Ming did not push out the Gansu Corridor into Turkestan (as the Tang did) or bring Tibet more firmly into the Chinese orbit (as the Qing later would).
Which makes this naval expansionism all the more interesting. Other dynasties did not attempt to become great naval powers. Compensation for known weaknesses on land? Or just the flush coffers of a dynasty in its first century of power?
http://www.epress.nus.edu.sg/msl/person/4199
I don’t think you have realized it yet, but since there’s no critical analysis of historical evidence, both the CCP’s and Professor Wade’s claims shall be taken with a grain of salt. But since you’re consciously distrustful of the CCP, you are inclined to take Professor Wade’s assertions as more true, as is evident in the tone of this article.
You’re taking a stand, but it’s just as biased as you imagine the one taken by the CCP to be.
Well, Keisaat, you might want to take a look through the handy link to sources from the 明实录 which Professor Wade provided above. I tend to be biased towards arguments with sources and evidence, an odd academic quirk I’ll grant you…
Tom,
I think a lot of it had to do with circumstance. I don’t completely buy the “weak dynasty” characterization of the Ming, they did push out the Mongols and keep them (more or less) at bay for 250 years. That said, they weren’t every able to control the steppe and the loss of overland trade routes made seafaring a necessity. I believe something similar happened during the Southern Song, by I’d have to check with my colleague “Wu Ming,” who is far more versed in the field of Southern Song overseas contacts than I.
Professor Wade,
Thanks for sharing with us the link to that fabulous collection. I’m amazed at how much material you’ve provided.
Ah, seeing the condescending remark, I realized I broke my usually observed tradition of not arguing with people online.
Even if Professor Wade’s arguments are true, they to a large extent do not dispute the CCP’s claim that Zheng He did not colonize the places he visited. You mentioned:
“On the other hand, these expeditions were of a very different nature than the armed traders/raiders who set sail from Western European ports a few decades later. Zheng He had no interest in colonizing Africa or Southeast Asia, just as long as the people he met could agree that the Ming emperor was the baddest Mofo in the world, he was happy. And the tribute they gave was a nice touch too…”
Whatever missions he originally had, his expeditions did not result in Ming’s expansion and, despite the battles, did not slaughter and colonize the locals like the European powers did. This in itself means something, and even if you don’t believe the CCP’s theory that he was there purely to “promote friendship,” why didn’t colonization materialize? It’s probably true that Zheng He and the Emperor thought the locals were barbarians as the Chinese regarded neighboring nations throughout its long history, but they did not choose violence to “enlighten” them, at least not in this case.
The CCP is making claims because there is indeed something to be said of the relatively peaceful ending of Zheng He’s voyages. It’s wrong to disingenuously characterize him as a pure goodwill ambassador, but it’s also cynical and reactive to dismiss or ignore that something just because the commies are exploiting it.
Keisaat,
There’s A LOT of middle ground between “we come in peace” and armed colonialism. My argument…which you helpfully quoted above, is that Zheng He’s missions probably rank somewhere in between. A point you don’t seem to dispute. I didn’t dismiss the CCP arguments because they were made by “commies,” I did it because the evidence complicates their rather simplistic narrative.
in case of “colonization of Southeast Asia” do not forget also religious dimension of his travels (he was muslim and is there remembered till now)
ming “naval expansionism” finished soon – after death of zheng’s protector, when also any idea of new unification of yuan empire ended (young zheng was caught in, after collapse of yuan, short time independent south-west part of china; or search for zheng at sri-lanka and buddha’s tooth compared to Kublai’s effort)
http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/docs/wps/wps04_031.pdf
I do recommend people check Professor Wade’s paper “Zheng He’s Voyages: A Reassessment” and thanks to Professor Wade for providing the link.
Thanks for this post. In my time in China, I heard about Zheng He a lot, and he’s definitely used as a propaganda tool to promote the idea that China couldn’t possibly pose a threat as it becomes a new superpower.
keisaat wrote, “You’re taking a stand, but it’s just as biased as you imagine the one taken by the CCP to be.” This is poppycock, and it’s mystifying how anyone with the intelligence to use a computer could write something like it. Of course the CCP has a powerful vested interested in the point of view they’re promoting; whereas academics, in general, don’t. Whenever there’s a clear vested interest in somebody promoting one point of view, that should immediately make their arguments more suspect.
In fact, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to argue that the CCP would never, ever take the opposite point of view. If that’s true, then anything they say on the matter should be taken as containing zero information, or carrying exactly no weight whatsoever. It’s like someone who always answers “five” to any addition question — there’s no point in asking him anything, because the answer is totally useless.