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Zheng He's Controversy In The Historical World

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Zheng He’s voyages have been a constant source of controversy in the historical world because of the differing opinions on whether they should be celebrated or not. In July of 1405, Zheng He was given a task to lead a fleet of ships for exploration. This task was assigned to him by Emperor Yongle of China’s Ming Dynasty. Zheng He went on seven separate voyages over the next twenty eight years through the Indian and Pacific Oceans with the largest fleet of wooden ships in history. He navigated his massive fleet from Nanjing along the Chinese coast and through these oceans to explore new lands and bring prosperity to China. Emperor Yongle sent Zheng He on these explorations to explore new lands, establish trade relationships, and to flaunt China’s wealth and power with hopes that these new lands would send China …show more content…

Despite leading some of the largest voyages in size and length, Zheng He’s voyages are not universally well known. Zheng He’s voyages shouldn’t be celebrated due to the fact that he didn’t discover new places, he wasted Chinese resources, and his voyages lead to the enslavement and oppression of foreign people. Although Zheng He travel a total of 105,300 miles during his seven voyages, he made no new discoveries, making his voyages useless to the history of exploration and undeserving of celebration. Christopher Columbus discovered the “new world” for Spain on his first voyage in 1492 and used Chinese maritime technology whereas in seven voyages Zheng He didn’t discover any new lands for China, where some of this technology had been created. A vital part in the discovery of new land is when it is named. This acknowledges the land and establishes it in the world. The chart The Voyages of Zheng He: 1405 - 1433 lists that for the first three voyages the furthest port they

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