ZHENG HE TIMELINE
1371
Ma He is born Zheng He is born Ma He to a Muslim family in Kunyang, Yunnan, China.
1381
Ma He is taken prisoner After his father is killed by the invading Ming army, Ma He is captured. He is castrated, which is customary treatment for the sons of Ming prisoners.
1385
Ma He serves Zhu Di Ma He is placed in the home of Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan (within modern Beijing). He accompanies Zhu Di on all his military campaigns and learns the art of war and strategy from the prince.
1402
Ma He assists Zhu Di in ascending the throne Ma He serves as a military commander in Zhu Diʼs campaign to usurp the throne. Ma He distinguishes himself in battle, and Zhu Di is ultimately successful in becoming the next Ming emperor.
1404
Ma He is renamed Zheng He
To honour his loyal service, Emperor Zhu Di changes Ma Heʼs surname from “Ma” to “Zheng”. He is promoted to Grand Eunuch, head of the eunuchs serving in the imperial household.
1405
Emperor Zhu Di sends Zheng He to lead a voyage across the South China Sea
The fleet stops at Vietnam, Thailand, Java, the Straits of Malacca, Cochin and India. Consisting of 317 ships with as many as 60 treasure ships and 28,000 men, there were soldiers, sailors, builders, ship repairmen, diplomats, medical personnel, astronomers and scholars well versed in foreign culture.
1406
Zheng Heʼs fleet arrives in Calicut, India after its first voyage After a brief stop in Champa and Java, Zheng Heʼs fleet sails across the Indian Ocean and arrives in Calicut, India, their ultimate destination.
1407
Zheng He begins his second voyage Emperor Zhu Di is so pleased with the results of the first voyage that he immediately orders a second one. The voyage, which lasts until 1409, establishes friendly contact with Malacca, an important trading centre.
1409
Zheng He leads his third voyage
In September, Zheng He led the third imperial voyage to Ceylon, where he and his fleet display a veneration for Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. They return in 1411.
1413
Zheng He leads his fourth voyage and reaches Africa
On his fourth voyage in 1413, Zheng Heʼs fleet reaches Hormuz, in the Persian Gulf, and detachments sail south along the east coast of Africa almost as far as present-day Mozambique.
1417
Zheng He leads his fifth voyage
On his fifth voyage, Zheng He reaches Yemen, Southern Arabia, and the Eastern Coast of Africa. He returns in 1419.
1421
Zheng He leads his sixth voyage
On this voyage, Zheng He once again establishes friendly contact and trade routes with a number of key cities.
1424
Zheng He is called home to become a military commander When Emperor Zhu Di dies of natural causes, his son takes the throne and immediately calls back all military and exploratory campaigns. Zheng He is called home to become military commander of Nanjing, but the new emperor dies suddenly.
1431
Zheng He leads his final voyage
Zheng He leads his last imperial voyage, his seventh, to the South China Sea. His journey takes his fleet down the East African coast as far as modern-day Kenya, and they trade for amber with the African people they encounter.
1433
Zheng He dies
During his final voyage, Zheng He contracts a disease and dies at age 62. His body is buried at sea off the Malabar Coast near Calicut. His clothes and headgear are later placed in a tomb in Nanjing.