Who was Zheng He and why was he important?

Zheng He (1371 - 1433) was a Chinese admiral and explorer, a Muslim court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He is from Yunnan province.

Explanation:

Zheng He commanded seven remarkable voyages (1405 - 33) undertaken by order of the Ming emperor Yongle and his successor. He was placed as an admiral in control of huge fleet and armed forces that undertook these expeditions. Zheng He generally sought to attain his goals through diplomacy, his large army made most would - be enemies into submission.

His first voyage (1405 - 07) with 62 ships, was to India, subsequent voyages went to the Persian Gulf and his last voyage in 1431 - 33 reached the coast of East Africa.

His importance:

1. His voyages were made possible by the use of compass and by Chinese advances in navigation and ship building.

2. The purpose might be either to develop trade or political influence.

3. He bought back to China with many trophies and envoys from more than thirty Kingdoms and tributes in the form of gifts to the emperor, including giraffes, ostriches, and zebras from Mogadishu in East Africa.

4. He ruthlessly suppressed pirates who had long plagued Chinese and South East Asian waters.