Zheng He was born in 1371 in Yunnan Province. His given name was “Ma He,” indicative of his family’s Hui Muslim origins since “Ma” is the Chinese version of “Mohammad.” His father was a hajji, a Muslim who had made the hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. Zheng He’s great-great-great-grandfather, Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din Omar, was a Persian governor of the province under the Mongolian Emperor Kublai Khan, founder of the Yuan Dynasty that ruled China from 1279 to 1368.

In 1381, when he was about 10 years old, Yunnan, the last Mongol hold in China, was conquered by Chinese forces led by generals of the Ming dynasty, which had overthrown the Yuan dynasty in 1368. The young Ma He was among the boys who were captured, and he was castrated and made a eunuch. Ma He was sent to Beiping (now Beijing) to serve in the household of 21-year-old Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan who later became the Yongle Emperor. Ma He distinguished himself as a junior officer, skilled in war and diplomacy, and soon became one of the prince’s closest confidants. In the 1390s, he served as a soldier, fighting on the northern frontier and participating in the Prince of Yan’s military campaigns against the Mongols.

The first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Prince Zhu Di’s eldest brother, died in 1398 after naming his grandson Zhu Yunwen as his successor. The Prince of Yan revolted against his nephew, leading an army against him. Ma He served as one of the prince’s commanding officers, and by 1402, Zhu Di had captured the Ming capital at Nanjing, defeated his nephew’s forces, and crowned himself as the emperor. Zhu Yunwen probably died in his burning palace, although rumors persisted that he had escaped. Due to Ma He’s key role in the coup, the new emperor awarded him the honorific name “Zheng He.”

After his ascension, the emperor revived the tribute system. In the traditional tributary arrangement, countries on China’s borders agreed to recognize China as their superior and its emperor as lord of “all under Heaven.” These countries gave gifts of tribute in exchange for certain benefits, like military posts and trade treaties. As part of this resurrection of the tributary system, the Yongle Emperor named Zheng He his Chief Envoy and commanded the construction of a massive fleet that would carry out the expeditionary voyages.

With a mandate to collect tribute and establish ties with rulers all around the Indian Ocean, Zheng He and his armada set forth for Calicut on India’s western coast. It would be the first of seven total voyages of the treasure fleet, all commanded by Zheng He, between 1405 and 1432.

During his career as a naval commander, Zheng He negotiated trade pacts, fought pirates, installed puppet kings, and brought back tribute for the Yongle Emperor in the form of jewels, medicines, and exotic animals. He and his crew traveled and traded not only with the city-states of what are now Indonesia, Malaysia, Siam, and India, but also with the Arabian ports of modern-day Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Although Zheng He was raised Muslim and visited the shrines of Islamic holy men in Fujian Province and elsewhere, he also venerated Tianfei, the Celestial Consort and protector of sailors. Tianfei had been a mortal woman living in the 900s who achieved enlightenment as a teenager. Gifted with foresight, she was able to warn her brother of an approaching storm at sea, saving his life.

By 1424, when the Yongle Emperor passed away, Zheng He had made six voyages, and the cost of these excursions weighed heavily on the Chinese treasury. In addition, the Mongols and other nomadic peoples were a constant military threat along China’s northern and western borders. The Yongle Emperor’s son, Zhu Gaozhi, became the emperor and ordered an end to all treasure fleet construction and repairs.

The emperor died less than a year into his reign in 1426, and his son became the new emperor. The new emperor sent Zheng He on one final voyage. In 1431, the 61-year-old Zheng He set out with his largest fleet ever, sailing all the way to Malindi on Kenya’s east coast and stopping at trading ports along the way. During this trip, Zheng He temporarily split from the fleet and made his hajj to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. At some point, Zheng He fell ill and died, though it is not clear whether he made it back to China or died during his final great voyage.

With this death the voyages ended, and China dismantled their naval presence, withdrawing to become a land power. The Portuguese and other European nations would fill the void a few decades later.

Zheng He’s voyages expanded China’s political influence in the world. He was able to establish new, friendly ties with other nations, while developing relations between the east-west trade opportunities. Unfortunately, most of the official imperial records of his voyages were destroyed. The exact purpose of his voyages, the routes taken, and the size of his fleets are heavily debated because of their unique nature.

The mystery and uncertainty surrounding the actions of the Ming Treasure Fleet makes it a perfect topic for exploration in a historical board game. Now it’s your chance to take the role of Zheng He and chart your own course in history!

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