 |
| Admiral Cheng Ho |
Zheng
He (Cheng Ho) is best known for his voyages to the Middle East and Africa, and across
Southeast Asia while climbing in rank from a captured servant to one of his
nation's most trusted statesmen. He was born in 1371 in what is now China's
Yunnan province during the reign of the Ming Dynasty. Like his father and
grandfather, he was a Muslim.
And
his great-great-great-grandfather was a Persian who served at the top ranks of
the Mongolian Empire and as a governor under the Yuan Dynasty. Zheng He's
father was killed when the Ming Dynasty sought to destroy remnants of the Yuan
era, and Zheng He was captured, castrated and brought to Beijing. There he
served in the palace of Prince Zhu Di, a son of the Ming Dynasty's founder.
Zheng He quickly gained the prince's trust in the course of several battles and
campaigns across China as a bodyguard and informal adviser.
No comments:
Post a Comment