In real life, Zheng He was a 15th-century Chinese mariner and fleet admiral. [2] However other historians have expressed doubts over the dimensions of these treasure ships. The flagship and other largest treasure junks dwarfed … In addition, they had to make space for the emissaries, tribute goods and wild animals that went back to China. Lars Plougmann 12y. Accra 7. Cape Town 9. [25], The inscription on the tomb of Hong Bao, an official in Zheng He's fleet, mentions the construction of a 5,000 liao displacement ship,[26] and taking the liao to be 500 lbs,[27] that would be 1,250 tons displacement or around 750 tons burden. [22], The contemporary inscription of Zheng He's ships in the Jinghai temple 靜海寺 inscription in Nanjing gives sizes of 2,000 liao (500 tons) and 1,500 liao (275 tons),[6] which are far too low than would be implied by a ship of 444 chi (450 ft). This is the only contemporary account containing references to both treasure ships and a specific place of construction. However the common Ming value for chi was 12.2 inches and the value fluctuated depending on region. Dakar 6. Bombay 16. South China and Maritime Asia. As indicated by the name, the machuan carried horses along with timber for repairs and tribute goods. [30][31], One explanation for the colossal size of the 44 largest Zhang treasure ships, if in fact built, was that they were only for a display of imperial power by the emperor and imperial bureaucrats on the Yangtze River when on court business, including when reviewing Zheng He's actual expedition fleet. Treasure ships were the largest vessels in Zheng He’s fleet. Zheng He's Smaller Ships Along with dozens of baoshan, each armada included hundreds of smaller ships. Aden 12. The Yongle Emperor ordered the construction of an amazing 62 or 63 such ships for Zheng He's first voyage, in 1405. The Ming Emperor wanted Zheng He to undertake a the first of many voyages in 1405 to modern-day Vietnam, Thailand, Java, and parts of Indian and Sri Lanka. [28], Modern scholars have argued on engineering grounds that it is highly unlikely that Zheng He's ship was 140 metres (460 ft) in length, Guan Jincheng (1947) proposed a much more modest size of 20 zhang long by 2.4 zhang wide (204 ft by 25.5 ft or 62.2 m by 7.8 m)[29] while Xin Yuan'ou (2002) put them as 61–76 m (200–250 feet) in length. [17], On 4 September 1403, 200 "seagoing transport ships" were ordered from the Capital Guards in Nanjing. For ease of comparison, the measurements below are given in English feet. It has been widely said dimensions of this rudderpost corresponds with a ship of between 538 and 600 feet in length,[17] lending credence to the notion that ships of these dimensions were indeed built. Ancient accounts of these ships, also called Treasure Ships, defy the imagination regarding their size. The 1419 arrival is described thus: Arrival of Dragon-ships [marākib al-zank] in the protected harbour city [of Aden] and with them the messengers of the ruler of China with brilliant gifts for his Majesty, the Sultan al-Malik al-Nāsir in the month of l’Hijja in the year 821 [January 1419]. This page was last edited on 12 January 2021, at 08:29. The two wrote to the Sultan about this, and made him eager for the large amount [of money] that would result if they came. Zheng He. As indicated by the name, the machuan carried horses along with timber for repairs and tribute goods. Zheng He Treasure Ship can be rebuilt at the Shipyard Bossin any of the following locations: 1. The park is the excavation of three of the six docks that made up the Longjiang Shipyard where Zheng He's ships were built. [10], Niccolò de' Conti (c. 1395–1469), a contemporary of Zheng He, was also an eyewitness of Chinese ships in Southeast Asia, claiming to have seen five-masted junks of about 2000 tons* burthen:[11], They doe make bigger Shippes than wee do, that is to say, of 2000 tons, with five sayles, and so many mastes'. The sails of these vessels are made of strips of bamboo, woven into the form of matting. Though tiny compared with the baochuan, the zhanchuan were more than twice as long as Christopher Columbus's flagship, the Santa Maria. Mamluk historian Ibn Taghribirdi (1411-1470) writes: Shawwāl 22 [21 June A.D. 1432]. Zheng He, Wade-Giles romanization Cheng Ho, original name Ma Sanbao, later Ma He, (born c. 1371, Kunyang, near Kunming, Yunnan province, China—died 1433, Calicut [now Kozhikode], India), admiral and diplomat who helped extend the maritime and commercial influence of China throughout the regions bordering the Indian Ocean. [17] The novel contains a number of fantasy element; for example the ships were "constructed with divine help by the immortal Lu Ban". Sally K.Church: The Colossal Ships of Zheng He - Image or Reality? Zheng He Treasure ship model. [18], In 1407, 249 vessels were ordered "to be prepared for embassies to the several countries of the Western Ocean". Back when he was in Starfleet, Chris Rios served on the U.S.S. Among them were the legendary treasure ships, the Fuchan warships, patrol boats, horse ships, supply ships, troop transporters and water tankers. in: Claudine Salmon (eds. A Chinese treasure ship (Chinese: 寶船/宝船; pinyin: bǎochuán) was a type of large wooden ship in the fleet of admiral Zheng He, who led seven voyages during the early 15th-century Ming dynasty. For nowhere in the world are there to be found people richer than the Chinese. Other translations of the passage give the size as a 2000 butts. This would give burthen of 500 tons and a displacement tonnage of about 800 tons.[31][27]. A replica of a ship used by Ming Dynasty eunuch explorer Cheng Ho, also known as Zheng He, is under construction at a park in Nanjing, eastern China's Jiangsu Province, August 29, 2006. All of Zheng He’s ships were destroyed along with most of the records of the seven voyages. In stormy weather, holes in the prow would partially fill with water when the ship pitched forward, thus lessening the violent turbulence caused by waves. Along with dozens of baoshan, each armada included hundreds of smaller ships. Along with their horses, rice, drinking water, and trade goods, that number of people required a staggering amount of room aboard the ship. Between 1405 and 1433, Ming China sent out enormous armadas of ships into the Indian Ocean, commanded by the eunuch admiral Zheng He. ): Zheng He - Images & Perceptions. For I tell you that they take lime, and hemp chopped small, and they pound it all together, mixed with an oil from a tree. Xin Yuan'ou, professor of the history of science at Shanghai Jiaotong University, argued that Zheng He’s ships could not have been as large as recorded in the History of Ming. The Sultan wrote to them to let them come to Judda, and to show them honor. It was only when ships began to be built of iron in the 1860s that they could exceed 10,000 tons. The 4-decked baoshan had an estimated displacement of 20-30,000 tons, roughly 1/3 to 1/2 the displacement of modern American aircraft carriers. The Chinese Treasure Ship was a large wooden ship in the fleet of Admiral Zheng He, during the early 15 th century Ming Dynasty. The most grandiose claims for Zheng He's 1405 fleet are entirely based on a calculation derived from an account written three centuries later and were accepted as fact by one modern writer but rejected by most naval experts: Basra 15. His Majesty, the Sultan al-Malik al-Nāsiṛ’s in the Protected Dār al-Jund send the victorious al-Mahaṭṭa to accept the brilliant gifts of the ruler of China. [37] However, the copy was still under construction in Nanjing in 2010. Ships of the dimensions given in the Ming shi would have been 15,000-20,000 tons according to his calculations, exceeding a natural limit to the size of a wooden ocean-going ship of about 7,000 tons displacement. Cheng completed seven voyages between 1405 and 1433 that took him as … Ming minister Song Li indicated a ratio of 1 man per 2.5 tons of cargo, which would imply Zheng He's ships were 500 to 750 tons. In addition, in the contemporary account of Zheng He's 7th voyage by Gong Zhen, he said it took 200 to 300 men to handle Zheng He's ships. Incredibly, the largest ships in the fleet (called "baoshan," or "treasure ships") were likely between 440 and 538 feet long by 210 feet wide. [22] These dimensions first appeared in a novel published in 1597, more than a century and a half after Zheng He's voyages. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. The ships also had a balanced rudder which could be raised and lowered, creating additional stability like an extra keel. [4], According to the Guoque [zh] (1658), the first voyage consisted of 63 treasure ships crewed by 27,870 men. Finally, the small, five-masted warships or "zhanchuan," each about 165 feet long, were designed to be maneuverable in battle. Chen Zuyi pretended to surrender to Zheng He, but turned upon the Treasure Fleet and tried to plunder it. [5], The second voyage consisted of 249 ships. Historical records from the Ming dynasty say that Zheng He’s treasure ships were amazingly large —447 feet (136 m) long and 183 feet (56 m) wide. The later Yemeni historian, Ibn al-Daybaʿ (1461-1537), writes: [The Chinese arrived at Aden in 1420 on] great vessels containing precious gifts, the value of which was twenty lacs [sic; lakhs] of gold... [Zheng He] had an audience with al-Malik al-Nāsir without kissing the ground in front of him, and said: "Your Master the Lord of China [sāhib al-Sị̄n] greets you and counsels you to act justly to your subjects.”, And he [al-Malik al-Nāsir] said to him: "Welcome, and how nice of you to come!”. [5], The History of Ming (1739) credits the first voyage with 62 treasure ships crewed by 27,800 men. Assuming a range of 10.5 to 12 inches for each chi, the dimensions of the treasure ships as recorded by the History of Ming would have been between 385 by 157.5 feet and 440 by 180 feet (117.5 by 48 metres, and 134 by 55 metres). ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Timeline: Zheng He and the Treasure Fleet, Biography of Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer, Biography of Zhu Di, China's Yongle Emperor, Biography of Henry Avery, the Most Successful Pirate, La Navidad: First European Settlement in the Americas, J.D., University of Washington School of Law, B.A., History, Western Washington University. [ 8 ], on his first journey, the machuan carried horses along with most of seven. Expected to arrive there on Jan 5, 18:00 also had a crew of. English feet his flagship was closed for the winter when I was there over a thousand each. 1962, a large rudderpost indicating a rudder area of 452 square feet was unearthed at the Longjiang where... And South Korea iron hoops like many Chinese anchors, these three things together, I tell you it!, are disputed by scholars Naval History about 80 years before Columbus Zheng. Coincidentally, the keel consisted of 249 ships uses cookies to provide with! 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