Zheng He

Zheng He (also romanized Cheng Ho; 1371–1433/1435) was a Chinese explorer, admiral, diplomat, and eunuch from the early Ming dynasty, who is often regarded as the greatest admiral in Chinese history. Born into a Muslim family as Ma He, he later adopted the surname Zheng conferred onto him by the Yongle Emperor ().

Between 1405 and 1433, Zheng commanded seven treasure voyages across Asia under the commission of the Yongle Emperor and the succeeding Xuande Emperor (). According to legend, Zheng's largest ships were almost twice as long as any wooden ship ever recorded, and carried hundreds of sailors on four decks. As emphasised by Tansen Sen, the powerful Ming navy brought a new militaristic presence to the Indian Ocean. It also encouraged state-controlled trade networks extending from China all the way to the Swahili coast of Africa.

A favorite of the Yongle Emperor, whom Zheng assisted in the Jingnan campaign that overthrew the previous Jianwen Emperor in 1402, Zheng He rose to the top of the Ming imperial hierarchy and served as commander of the southern capital Nanjing. Provided by Wikipedia