The Voyages of Zheng He

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The Voyages of Zheng He

• (ch. 13, sec. 2)

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EU Decisions and actions result in both
intended and unintended consequences. EQ Why
did the Europeans, and not the Chinese, discover
the New World?
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Ming Treasure Fleet
Between 1405 and 1433, the Chinese government,
sent seven naval expeditions south and west to
India, Persia, Arabia, and Africa under the
leadership of Zheng He.
1371-1435
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After 1433 the Chinese government launched no
further naval expeditions. In 1436 the emperor
forbad the building of ships for overseas
voyages. Forty years later, the government
destroyed the records of the voyages of Zheng He.
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With a chronological head start and superior
technology to the Europeans, why did the Chinese
stop exploration?
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Explain how each statement below provides reasons
why the Chinese government ceased to sponsor
voyages of exploration after 1433.

• The Chinese government had an inadequate system
  for collecting taxes. The spending of the
  government greatly exceeded the tax revenue that
  could be collected.
• In the mid-1400s Mongols began frequent attacks
  on Chinas northern border.
• Confucian philosophy advocated the suppression of
  desire for worldly things. After 1425, the
  influence of Confucians grew.
• The Chinese believed that each person had a duty
  to care regularly for the tombs of his ancestors.
• Most Chinese believed that their civilization was
  superior to all others.