Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He led seven large naval expeditions that sailed from China through Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean as far as the Arabian Peninsula and the East African coast. The fleets, which included large multi-masted treasure ships, were intended to project Ming political authority, establish tributary relationships, and facilitate exchange of goods and envoys with dozens of states. Trade conducted along the way included silk and porcelain exchanged for spices, ivory, exotic animals, and other foreign products. The voyages ended after 1433 when the Ming court shifted toward more restrictive maritime policies, though the expeditions had already demonstrated China's shipbuilding and naval capabilities to the wider Indian Ocean world.
Relevance to Trade History
Zheng He's voyages represented one of the largest state-sponsored maritime trade expeditions of the medieval world and connected Ming China directly with Indian Ocean and East African trade networks.
Read the full story in our article Zheng He's Treasure Fleets and Ming China's Maritime Reach.
Source: Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. See our Sources & Methodology page for how we select and verify references.