At that time, the East King and the West King of this country were fighting a civil war. When the East King was defeated, his territory was occupied by the army of the West King. Members of Zheng He's fleet went ashore to do business in the market. They were mistaken by the occupying forces for coming to help the East King and killed by the West King Ma Xie, with a total of 170 people. Zheng He's soldiers worked hard one after another, saying that their blood could not be shed in vain, and they were anxious to declare war on the eight countries of Mali and avenge themselves.
After the "Java incident", the Queen Mother of the West was very afraid and sent messengers to apologize and compensate 62,000 gold for atonement. Zheng He got off to a bad start in his voyage to the West and lost 170 soldiers innocently. Naturally, it will inevitably lead to a large-scale battle. However, Zheng He learned that this was a manslaughter, and in view of the West King's sincere fear, he pleaded guilty and was punished, so he told the court to make peace and handle the matter peacefully. The Ming dynasty decided to give up the claim for compensation for sleeping in eight countries. The Queen Mother of the West was very moved when she learned of this incident, and the two countries lived in harmony from then on.
Members of the organizing committee for the 600th anniversary of Zheng He in Semarang, Java Island talked to reporters about this matter and all admired him. They said that Zheng He treated all countries equally, regardless of strength. Even if there was a conflict between the two countries, he was able to maintain great restraint, compromise, convince others by reasoning, and show peace and good-neighborliness with neighboring countries, which made the traditional friendship between China and Indonesian people go back to ancient times. When we settled here, we were also proud.
Scholars in Indonesia believe that Zheng He's fleet was undoubtedly the most powerful maritime task force in the world at that time and an invincible fleet. During Zheng He's seven-year voyage to the Western Ocean for twenty-eight years, the real foreign war was only once in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and it was a defensive war when he was forced to do nothing. In dealing with the "Java incident", Zheng He not only did not use force, but also did not demand compensation, which fully showed that Zheng He was an emissary of spreading peace. He spread the traditional etiquette of "harmony is the most important thing" in China and the Chinese civilization of "one country under the sun" and "one family under the world".
From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Ocean strengthened China's ties with other western countries and expanded international trade. Its great and far-reaching influence on "Tang people" was unexpected. Mr. Lin said with emotion that when Zheng He's fleet arrived in countries with "Tang people", the "Tang people" living in these countries rushed to tell each other and were extremely happy. Their joy is due to Zheng He's great national prestige. Wherever Zheng He went, he first visited the king of the country according to the etiquette of the country and gave him precious gifts. These precious gifts, which represent the culture of China, impress the kings, ministers and nobles of this country. The local people admired Zheng He's huge fleet even more, and learned that these "Tang people" had such a powerful country behind them that they dared not despise them, thus greatly improving their status abroad and promoting the formation of Chinatown.
Feng Menglong was a novelist and dramatist in Ming Dynasty. He devoted his life to the study of novels, operas, folk literature and the compilation of popular novels. He recorded in the book "Think Tank" that Ming Yingzong Yingzong had a good time playing with treasures. Some eunuchs suggested that during the Xuande period thirty years ago, the eunuch Xuanzong had sent three treasures to the West and won countless rare treasures to play with. Yingzong ordered eunuchs to go to the Ministry of War to find the sea route map of Zheng He's voyage to the West. Liu Daxia, assistant minister of the Ministry of War, found the information about Zheng He's voyage to the West, secretly hid it and burned it. Although the historical facts about the destruction of Liu Daxia's archives recorded in Think Tank are controversial, it proves that Zheng He did leave nautical charts and other nautical materials.
Zhu Yunming was a calligrapher in Ming Dynasty and a gifted scholar in Jiangnan. He, Xu Zhenqing, Tang Yin and Wen Zhiming are also called "four outstanding people in Wuzhong". Zhu Yunming wrote in unofficial history: "When Zhengdexin died (151kloc-0/year), it was a long way to send envoys to pay tribute in the sand to his country, the South China Sea. At the beginning, he was ordered by the king to sail on a foreign ship for four and a half years, and was blown to the sea of Silan by the wind. The boat broke, leaving only one boat. He drifted at sea for eight days and lived in Deji Zero (now northern Bangladesh) for eleven months. He also lived in Namimi (now Bhutan) for 8 months, but left for Siam on 26th. Out of love for Bai Wang, Jed was sent to Japan, and she lived with four women for another four years. It was not until May this year that the ship was connected and talents entered the wide area. Its tributes: six wooden doors, gold leaf inscriptions, an emerald, four coral trees, four glass bottles, four glass lamps, agate beads and Hulidan ".
It is said that 602 years ago, a eunuch named Zheng, with his seventh wife and tens of thousands of soldiers, set up the largest fleet in the world at that time and made seven voyages to the Western Ocean, nominally for business and trade, but in essence to find the missing little emperor.
During the long voyage, the little lady was idle and depressed and fell ill. Many soldiers are also frustrated by the monotony and homesickness of life at sea.
Zheng He was very anxious, worried that if this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable. In order to relieve his wife's boredom and boost the morale of the soldiers, eunuch Zheng began to look for a solution. The principle of this scheme is as follows:
First, you must be able to play with four people: yourself, the little lady, the deputy commander, and a major officer. In order to contact feelings and monitor the military situation.
Second, the rules are simple, but they can be changed constantly. Easy to learn, more convenient to adjust the rules of the game according to the situation of the little lady.
Third, it lasts for a long time and is tireless, adapting to the continuous boring life at sea.
After thinking hard, I finally came up with a realistic solution:
Make use of the existing bamboo on board to make bamboo cards, carve figures and patterns, and then formulate the rules of the game, which can be placed on a square table for four people to entertain at the same time.
In the determination of characters and patterns, the red word "Zhong" represents the Central Plains and conforms to the principle of "China Red".
The word "Fa" is engraved on the bamboo card, which coincides with the name of navigation. The number of people getting rich ranges from "10,000" to "90,000". According to the custom in China, if there is too much, it will overflow, so there is no more than 10,000. After the swastika used by the Nazi Party is fixed, push others. The food on board is mainly pies, so one cake to nine cakes; Tired of eating cakes, fish, one to nine fish. Sailing by the wind, there are "east", "south", "west" and "north" winds. "Spring Peach", "Xia Lian", "Autumn Chrysanthemum" and "Winter Plum" represent all seasons of the year; Use a whiteboard to represent the vast white sea.
Once the game was launched, it was unprecedented, and the mighty fleet at sea was in an uproar.
Among these soldiers, there is a general named Ma, who has won many battles. After winning, he sang loudly, which greatly boosted the morale of the whole army. Over time, the bamboo card was officially named "Mahjong".
It is impossible to prove whether the little emperor was found, but a game that has been popular in China for more than 600 years was born. And derived a culture that can almost represent China culture: Mahjong culture.
Some people say that "Mahjong Culture", as a symbol of China culture, shows the cultural characteristics of China people who emphasize themselves and are good at living independently.
In fact, the biggest difference between mahjong and other sports activities is the game played by the quartet. Unlike go and chess, which are played by two people, bridge is actually played by two people, although it is played by four people. The interaction between the two sides is complicated and limited, and the battle of mahjong is even more complicated. In this sense, mahjong is a high IQ game with more virtual reality.
There is also a legendary story about Xi 'an Mosque. In the Ming Dynasty, when Zheng He was preparing to lead a huge ocean fleet to the Western Ocean again, although there were nearly 20,000 members in the mission, they only lacked translators who were proficient in Arabic and Ceylon. So Zheng He came all the way to the prestigious Chang 'an Mosque.
After careful investigation and careful selection, he chose Hassan, the abbot of the temple, and appointed him as the chief translator of the western mission. Hassan was smart and steady, and lived up to Zheng's expectations. On the way to the mission, he not only made suggestions for Zheng He, but also successfully completed his mission. After returning to Beijing, Zheng He asked Hassan for meritorious service, but Hassan declined politely. He only asked the saints to help the mosque and allocate funds to repair it. Zheng He returned to Chang 'an, personally designed drawings, recruited skilled craftsmen, and selected excellent materials to make the Qing Palace look brand-new.
The great mosque of Islam has gone through several dynasties. 1200 for more than 200 years, it has pinned the hopes and aspirations of the Muslim nation. Up to now, it is still a holy place for tens of thousands of Muslims in Xi to worship, contact feelings, exchange cultures and celebrate festivals.
Everyone in China knows the story of Zheng He, the eunuch of Sambo, who went to the Western Seas seven times, but Zheng He is always a mystery. How did a Muslim child born in Yunnan come to the palace inside the high walls of Wan Ren? Under such a complicated political situation in the early Ming Dynasty, how could a eunuch win the favor of the emperor and stand out from the crowd? How magnificent is Zheng He-1' s brilliant sailing career?
With questions, I went to look for the real Zheng He. When I first saw his portrait in the Maritime Silk Road collection, I couldn't help but shine at the moment. He is tall and dignified, his eyes are firmly looking at the front, and he has a king's demeanor of not being angry and arrogant. Later, I saw the statue of Zheng He in Yunnan, a cold granite statue. Compared with the portrait, it is a little less gorgeous in clothes, but a little more elegant. The book Zheng He's Journey to the West also records: "Zheng He is nine feet tall, with a big waist and a small nose. It is an extremely expensive face with clear eyes, white ears, teeth like scallops and walking like a tiger. "
If Zheng He wants to be one of the greatest navigators and diplomats in ancient times, he must have both wisdom and appearance, and both talent and courage. As I expected, I wrote in my monograph about him: "Zheng He showed outstanding wisdom and talent in navigation, diplomacy, military affairs, architecture and many other aspects."
The legendary life of Zheng He is closely related to his life experience. To get to know him better, we should trace back to his ancestor, the third year of Xining in northern Song Shenzong (1070), and his tenth ancestor, King Puhua of Bukhara in Central Asia or Imam Sufuor, led more than 5,000 people, and more than 5,000 camels paid tribute to China and applied for surrender. Zongshen named him Yining. His fifth ancestor, Saidian Chishanting, caught up with Kublai Khan's era and was named King of Xianyang, living in southern Yunnan. Since then, they have become the noblest names in Yunnan. Although he became a native of China, he still believed in Islam. Zheng He's grandfather and father both went to distant holy places to worship. When he was a child, he often listened to his father's story about his kneeling pilgrimage to Mecca. His father's thrilling trip over mountains and mountains and the customs of other countries in the distance left an unforgettable impression on Xiao Zhenghe. Endless novelty and endless Arabian nights attract him like a magnet. Influenced by the adventurous spirit of his family's parents, Xiao Zhenghe has made great ambitions since he was a child, preparing to sail west and make a pilgrimage to Mecca in the future. He often meditates, starts practicing, studies boating, sailing and swimming hard, and studies nautical history books with great concentration, as if deliberately trying to become a generation of navigators and adventurers.
Just as he was carefully weaving a dream of a bright future, the god of fate brought misfortune to his head. 1385, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of Hongwu sent troops to pacify Yunnan, and Zheng He's father was unfortunately in trouble. At that time, his name was not Zheng He, but Ma. 1 1 year-old horse became one of countless children who were immediately taken to castrate. This is a difficult beginning and a brilliant foreshadowing.
Zheng He, the second wizard of all time-military talents can escort for life.
From 1385, Ma, 1 1 year old, accompanied the Ming army to the north and south, the Great Wall and Peiping, leaving his young footprints everywhere. The war made the child suffer a lot, but it also made him grow up quickly. When he was sixteen, he met the prince at that time, and the later Yongle Emperor Judy was immediately selected as the prince's personal bodyguard, and he stayed with the king ever since. There is no doubt that he was an outstanding teenager at that time and has since become a martial arts master. When I saw him holding the hilt of his waist in his right hand in Collection of Maritime Silk Road, I couldn't help but imagine how sharp his sword was when it was drawn. I wonder how his swordsmanship compares with that of Jing Ke in Qin Dynasty and Yue Fei in Song Dynasty. When he was a teenager, he worked very hard, practicing sword in Yan every day and studying poetry every night.
1399 In August, the "Jingnan War" broke out in the Ming Dynasty for four years. He fought side by side with Judy, and his military ability is increasing day by day, and he has repeatedly made meritorious military service. At the beginning of "Jingnan", he made great contributions and laid the foundation for Judy's later victory. At the beginning of "Jingnan", the Yan army was quite isolated and its political, military and economic influence was at a disadvantage. Its sphere of influence is limited to several isolated cities in Zhao Yan (Tongxian, Jinji, Juyongguan, Huailai, etc.). Li Jinglong, a general of the Ming Dynasty, took advantage of Judy's attack on Daning, surrounded Beiping and set up nine camps at Zhengcunba (now 20 miles east of Beijing). The prince also fought with his division, and Ma San. The prince adopted his strategy and let him go into battle in person. Sambo desperately broke the 7th Battalion in Li Jinglong, killed tens of thousands of troops, lost to Li Jinglong, and fled to Texas in the south. Suddenly, the morale of the army was in chaos. Yanjun was defeated by tens of thousands of troops and twenty thousand military forces at once, and won the first victory since "Jingnan", which turned the whole war around. Judy has never forgotten this. 1July, 402, he ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, and Ma was also appointed as the eunuch in charge of the internal affairs office, equivalent to four grades. After more than 20 years of hard life, he became an outstanding eunuch in the imperial palace. 1404 gave the surname "Zheng". China has always had the saying that "horses don't enter the palace". Ma made the greatest contribution in Zhengcun, so he was given the surname "Zheng"; When he was born, his parents prayed for God's blessing, world peace and children's safe growth, so why was he named? From then on, it was renamed Zheng He, and its original name was slowly forgotten. In ancient China, it was a supreme honor to be given a surname, while it was unique for eunuchs to be given a surname. This shows how dependent and trusting Emperor Yongle was on Zheng He.
Years of military life honed Zheng He's military talents. He not only has the ability of strategists to strategize, but also the ability of war generals to go into battle and kill the enemy in person. He is worthy of being an outstanding military talent. Military talent is the basis of his achievements in his life, and it is also useful in navigation. In the fleet, he is both a diplomat and a general commander. During the voyage, the fleet experienced three extremely sinister battles, but with Zheng He's military talent, they all won decisive victories. On July 6th, 600 years ago, Zheng He, a world-famous China navigator and diplomat, went to the Western Ocean for the first time. In the following 28 years, Zheng He made seven voyages to the Western Ocean, each time leading a fleet of more than 27,000 people to visit more than 30 countries and regions in Asia and Africa, as far as the Red Sea and the southeast coast of Africa, and reportedly even visited Antarctica and Australia. Its fleet size, advanced navigation technology and strict organization and command were unmatched by other navigation activities at home and abroad at that time, nearly a century earlier than the so-called "geographical discovery" by Europeans.
From captives to generals
137 1 year, Zheng He was born in a Muslim family in the mountains of China, far from the sea. His father and grandfather crossed the ocean to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. They are all soldiers in Genghis Khan's army. When Zheng He was born, the Yuan Dynasty had collapsed.
In the 15th year of Hongwu (1383), in the war of unifying Yunnan initiated by Zhu Yuanzhang, the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, Zheng He was taken into the palace and later served by Judy, the prince of Yan. From then on, he followed Rebecca Judy on the Mongolian prairie. At the age of 20, the eunuch has become a general.
1403, Judy launched the Jingnan rebellion, seized power, and ascended the throne, which is known as Cheng Zu in history. Because of his courage and resourcefulness, Zheng He has repeatedly made outstanding achievements. He was appointed as an "official eunuch" and listed as a high-ranking official who moved in. He was given the surname "Zheng" and renamed Zheng He.
Due to the activities of Japanese pirates, coastal trade has been seriously affected. 1404, Zheng He went to Japan to persuade the Japanese emperor to personally stop the activities of the Japanese pirates. This mission showed his outstanding diplomatic skills. In the meantime, Ming Chengzu was building his own fleet. In the past four years, shipyards along the coast of China will build 168 1 ship.
China has a long sailing tradition, and it is unprecedented to build so many large ships. In Song Dynasty, shipbuilding technology developed greatly, there were many kinds of sailboats, and maritime trade flourished. People in China discovered that there is a magnetic field on the earth, and the great invention of the compass made the shipping of China develop greatly. Zheng He also drew a fairly accurate nautical chart with the help of a compass. Captain Zheng He 130m, 50m wide, can carry thousands of passengers at most. In addition to Zheng He and his seven eunuchs, there are soldiers, businessmen, translators, monks, other religious representatives, doctors, coachmen, cooks, workers and sailors recruited from prisons and the army ...1405 July 1 1. Under the command of Zheng He, this team carries more than 27,000 people.
Open up trade routes
In fact, Zheng He is more like an emissary than an explorer. From 1405 to 1433, he sailed seven times, and each time he sailed, he followed the routes of some unknown Chinese businessmen more or less. He arrived at the largest spice market along the Indian Ocean, and businessmen from all over the East did business in this open market. Before the Ming Dynasty, China was only an agricultural country, and there were even laws prohibiting any foreigners from coming to China. Zheng He's spectacular fleet showed the world that China would once again set foot on Shanghai's trade road on a large scale.
The mission of Zheng He's trip is not limited to the economy. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, pirates appeared in the South China Sea of China. Zheng He's important mission to the Western Seas was to ensure maritime safety and maintain stability in Southeast Asia and South Asia. Keep the navigation channel open for fair trade with western countries. 1407, Zheng He's fleet met terrible pirates in Malacca Strait on its way home. This battle with pirates was another victory of China gunpowder, and the pirate ship was destroyed by the fire of the Chinese fleet. As a result, this sea route became safer, and Malacca City became a major stop for the fleet. For foreigners, this sea route has opened the door to China.
Although this huge fleet is powerful, it has never been conquered by force wherever it goes, and its few battles are also self-defense under threat. A short story about Ceylon is still a household name. At that time, King Ceylon refused to receive General China or pay tribute. 14 10, he even sent 50,000 troops to attack Zheng He's fleet. In this battle, the king was captured and Zheng He took him back to Nanjing. The Ming emperor survived the death. Since then, China's authority in the Indian Ocean has been increasing day by day.
China opened the door.
14 12 years, in order to welcome Zheng He's treasure ship back to China, Yongle Emperor Judy ordered people to build a nine-story porcelain tower, which is known as one of the seven wonders of the world. This tower was destroyed by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement in 1856. 14 14, Zheng He hired a chronicler on his ship to record the adventures of the fleet. Zheng He was a devout Muslim, and later he was followed by Muslims who spoke Arabic.
Zheng He's fleet sailed on the green sea. They have been to atolls in Maldives and stopped in Aden. Then the fleet sailed along the African coast to Mogadishu and Brava in Somalia, Mombasa in Kenya ... Zheng He's fleet also went to Madagascar.
Zheng He's trip to Africa was the climax of China's overseas exploration. 14 19 When Zheng He returned, a group of envoys from African countries came to China with him, and of course, a giraffe came back with him. 1420, envoys from these African countries and many guests from all over the world were invited to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Forbidden City.
During Zheng He's voyage to the West, the number of overseas countries communicating with the Ming Dynasty increased from several countries in Hongwu period to more than 30 countries, and as many as 185 kinds of goods were imported into China from Southeast Asia. Many overseas commodities have been imported into China, adding new foreign elements to the development of China's manufacturing industries such as animal botany, medicine, porcelain and glass. Through official and non-governmental trade channels, Zheng He successfully established China's Southeast Asian economic and trade network, and China established close political, diplomatic and trade relations with Southeast Asian countries. The cultural exchanges between the two sides lasted for a long time.
The spirit of exploration lasts forever.
1In August of 424, Emperor Yongle died. His son Zhu Gaochi succeeded to the throne. His first decree after he ascended the throne was to stop going abroad, stop building ships and even stop repairing them.
Zhu Gaochi reigned for only one year, and his son Zheng He revived Zheng He after he succeeded to the throne. Zheng He, who is over 60 years old, thinks that this voyage he is going to make may be the last time in his life. 1432, he led a fleet of 27500 people to Calcutta again. He hoped to make a pilgrimage to Mecca like his predecessors, but he died before reaching his destination. It is said that Zheng He's body is buried in Java.
1In the autumn of 433, the last three giraffes arrived in Beijing. Until 1470, the fleet still had some sporadic sailing activities, and the gate of China was quietly closed again.
Zheng He became a legendary hero. In Southeast Asia, people built temples to commemorate him, and he became a sacred model for overseas China people. When Zheng He's fleet sailed along the coast of Africa and India, it left behind many China stone tablets, sculptures, porcelain, ancient books and China almanac. His exploration is as famous as the Great Wall. Wherever he went, he brought friendship and porcelain, handicrafts and culture, spread the science and technology of the Chinese nation and sowed the seeds of friendship and civilization. It not only shows the broad mind of a powerful country, but also establishes a peaceful and friendly mode of state-to-state exchanges. Joseph Needham once commented: "The navigators of the East, China people, are calm and docile, do not hold grudges, are generous and never threaten the survival of others;" They are armed to the teeth, but they never conquer aliens or build forts. "
After 600 years of vicissitudes, what remains unchanged is the voice of a nation's peaceful development. Under the background of China's reform, opening up and economic development, it is of special significance to commemorate the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's voyage to the West. China people all over the world and people in Zheng He's voyages to the West are commemorating him. People look back on that great voyage, not to commemorate a person's feat and the glory of an era, but to commemorate a historical tradition in international exchanges represented by Zheng He's voyage to the West and the valuable gesture of different cultures approaching each other during this great voyage.
Zheng He's voyage to the West became a symbol, which embodied China's idea and practice of good-neighborly friendship and peaceful communication, provided valuable historical experience for human beings to live in harmony, conformed to the theme of the times of peaceful development in today's world, and was exactly what the international community needed today. The solemn commemoration of him in all parts of China shows China's commitment to peace, development and cooperation, and shows China's firm belief in developing itself in safeguarding world peace and promoting world peace through developing itself.