The ships were launched at the 'Treasure-ship Yard' located north-west of Nanking close to the Yangtze river. The ships were assembled into a fleet with many sacrifices and prayers to the goddess T'ien Fei, patron of sailors. From there they sailed south and around the coast of southern China, Vietnam, Thailand, parts of modern Malaysia and Indonesia and on to the west with India and Arabia. In all, five voyages were completed and the Admiral became known for his firm and fair diplomacy, his commercial acumen and his appreciation of local people and their customs. The history of his voyages was compiled by Ma Huan, of whom little is known apart from his official work as translator, particularly his apparent ability in Arabic and Persian , which is taken to suggest that he was also a Muslim.
Ma Huan's history is somewhat unusual among Chinese chronicles in that there is much less disapproval of foreign customs and unfavourable comparison with the culture of China than is generally the case. The eyewitness observations provide many very useful contributions to our understanding of C15th century Asia, most especially in the cases of those countries where few if any written records remain. Here, for example, is a brief vignette from life in Malacca:
"As to the king's dress: he uses a fine white foreign cloth to wind round his head; on his body he wears a long garment of fine-patterned blue cloth, fashioned like a robe; [and] on his feet he wears leather shoes. When he goes about, he rides in a sedan-chair.
The men of the country wrap the head with a square kerchief. The women dress the hair in a chignon behind the head. Their bodies are [only] slightly dark. Round the lower part they wrap a white cloth kerchief; [and] on the upper part they wear a short jacket of coloured cloth." (Ma Huan, 1997, p.110)
Despite the great success of the voyages and the invaluable information and prestige they afforded, the Ming court turned its attention elsewhere and subsequent activities were cancelled. Perhaps the emperors looked at the outside world and saw nothing with which they needed to concern themselves. If that was the case, it was a great mistake.
References
Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng-lan: The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores [1433], translated and edited by Feng Ch'eng-Chun, introduced and annotated by J.V.G. Mills (Bangkok: White Lotus Co. Ltd., 1997).
John Walsh, Mahidol University October 2003
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