Zheng He, an admiral of the 15th century, who sailed the Indian Ocean to make alliances for the Ming dynasty should not be celebrated because his actions were not essential to China. Although he did travel thousands of miles, he did not discover any new territory, so what makes him different from any other admiral? He had a crew of 27,500 people which was not necessary at all just for making alliances by giving gifts or repaying a gift. Also those 27,500 people could have been more resourceful in China than of those seven voyages. Since China was already the best out of the rest of the nations, there was no real reason to give gifts to foreign envoys especially since the Ming Dynasty became bankrupt because of these actions. There are actual explorers who found new territory so why should Zheng He be celebrated for only traveling and not discovering? For instance, we have Columbus day because he had “discovered America”. …show more content…
Although he did not truly discover America, he is the reason why people from Europe are now living in the Americas. Columbus was given a day because he did something that changed the world for example: the columbian exchange which would include bringing new world items to the old world and vice versa. Even though Zheng He traveled to Callicut, India three times and various other places doesn’t mean he should be celebrated because to this day, what he did has had no impact on today’s society (Doc A). In document D it states, “Emperor Yongle almost always offered local kings and ambassadors gifts in return.” In the 15th century giving gifts as a way to make alliances may have worked but as said in the Background Essay, Zheng He’s voyages were a mistake according to the Chinese government. In document E it says,” … [Zheng} He and others to take command of several thousands of imperial officers and soldiers… to go to their countries and confer presents on them by displaying our power while treating distant peoples with kindness.” While this could be true, it was found near China where the information could be biased. This shows how he was like other people who worked for royalty to provide aid for their nation.His voyages never made an impact on today’s society which is why they were unnecessary and shouldn’t be celebrated. Zheng He had a crew of 27,500 people and if you are going to give gifts, there is no need for a crew to be that big.
When Christopher Columbus went to go discover a new path way to India, he had only brought 90 other people with him (Doc B). This seems as an appropriate number since Columbus and his crew were going on an exploration to discover new territory. However, having a crew of 27,500 seems a little overboard. On the fifth voyage Zheng He brought back animals as gifts that envoys had sent to Emperor Yongle (Doc D). Although lions and leopards and other animals should be looked over, there is no reason why Zheng He should have had a crew that big. In document C it states, “Soldiers, petty officers, sailors, sail makers, caulkers, anchormen, horse groomers, rudder operators, business managers, cooks, servants, interpreters- 26,803.” Having soldiers, horse groomers, and servants seem unnecessary considering that they are already serving the Emperor. Specifically speaking having that many people on crew is way too many as well as giving
gifts. The Ming Dynasty should not have given other foreign envoys gifts since they were already at the top of the league and since it lead to them becoming bankrupt. In document D it states, “ The chinese gave so much paper money that the inflation became a real problem in the Indian Ocean region.” This not only shows how it was unnecessary it was to give gifts but it also caused an economy problem that could have easily been avoided. Another economic problem that could have been avoided was the bankruptcy of the Ming Dynasty. The dynasty eventually ran out of money because of building too many ships and giving gifts that weren’t essential to the future of China. Perhaps if Emperor Yongle realised that the exchanging of gifts wouldn’t last and would end up being worthless, he could have prevented becoming bankrupt. Zheng He was just another pawn an emperor used to gain alliances that weren’t needed. He only traveled thousands of miles with a gigantic crew that didn’t discover anything, nor was needed. China was already #1 so Zheng He’s work was almost for nothing since it didn’t add any value to China past the death of Zheng He and Emperor Yongle. Zheng He shouldn’t be celebrated because he is just another person who contributed to trying to make a nation better.
Zheng He had a fleet that contained 255 ships, compared to Columbus’s 3 ships. (DOC B) Zheng He also had 27,500 crew members compared to Columbus's 90 members. (DOC B) Not only is the amounts amazing in comparison but also the fact that Christopher Columbus was about 100 years after Zheng He and they had even more advancements in technology than Zheng He. So we can say that at least in terms of scale Zheng He had a bigger, by far, amount of ships, and a huge amount of crew members compared to the well recognised Christopher
When comparing the Chinese and Western historical development, the similar key events would have very different outcomes due to their different backgrounds. During the fifteenth century, Zheng He was commissioned to lead the “treasure ships” for seven voyages down the Western Seas. And, Prince Henry sent expeditions to explore the western coast of Africa. China and Portugal, the both ends of the Eurasian continent, almost simultaneously began marine navigations. They have shared some similar features, but there are actually major differences between the two. This paper will compare and contrast these two remarkable explorers. The focus will be on the ideas and circumstances that influenced their actions, and their importance in shaping history.
Not only did he explore a variety of lands he also brought things back creating trade routes throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. As Zheng He returned from his voyages he brought back goods and much tribute. We can see how Zheng He explored many lands as shown on the map in document A. We can also see that his voyages were long and did go up to 19000 miles’ roundtrip per voyage (doc A). This evidence proves that Zheng He must’ve been a good leader in order to successfully carry out 7 of these voyages and bringing back tributes like “local products, pepper, horses, and money” (doc D). This shows how the voyages actually benefited the emperor and proves that we would be celebrating something that included
...aders usually offered tribute and emissaries to avoid conflict. This whole process preceded the colonialism practiced by the Europeans in years to come. The question begging to be answered here is, are Zheng He’s voyages deserving of celebration? In my opinion, I feel that we should acknowledge what he did, and continue to try to learn about the voyages. Just the fleet that he sailed across the world was remarkable; 255 huge ships, 27,500 people, and an astounding doctor-to-patient ratio of 1 to 151. Should Zheng He’s voyages be celebrated? Definitely not, he did not capitalize on the resources available to him. He cared too much about animals that weren't very beneficial, and essentially wasted precious time and money. We need to celebrate people that maximized the potential of their opportunities and actually got close, or achieved something truly great and useful.
Columbus Day was not always a federal holiday. Traditionally, the holiday was observed on the 12th of October locally. Columbus Day first became a holiday in Colorado in 1906. Through lobbying by Angelo Rose, Generoso Pope, and The Knights of Columbus, Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937. It was signed in by Franklin Roosevelt. Since 1970, the holiday has been observed on the second Monday of October. Columbus Day had lobbying against it as well. During the early days before information was not easily available, it was said that the holiday would be used to spread Catholic influence. In later years during the Information Age, arguments such as Columbus 's character or the genocide and slavery of the Indians became widespread arguments against the celebration of the holiday. There are also many arguments as to why the holiday should be kept. Columbus 's voyages led to the colonization of the New World. His expeditions spurred the Age of Exploration, where many European countries continued to invest in exploring for shorter and faster routes to India and the Orient, and new territories to claim. His voyages also led to the Columbian
Christopher Columbus does not deserve to be honored as a hero with his own holiday. Close to 500 years, people have praised Christopher Columbus and also celebrated him as though he was the one who truly founded America. Teachers teach students that he was a great man, also how he found treasures and land known as America. Students are also taught about the names of his three ships he used on his first voyage. However, they did not teach us the truth about Christopher Columbus, and his so called “discovery”.
The number of his voyages vary depending on method of division, but he travelled at least seven times to The Western Ocean with his fleet. The fleet comprised 30,000 men and seventy ships at its height. He brought back to China many trophies and envoys from more than thirty kingdoms including King Alagonakkara of Ceylon, who came to China to apologize to the Emperor. Life magazine ranked Zheng He the 14th most important person of the last millennium.
Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. He is known for discovering the ‘New World’ or what we now know as America . Although he changed the world, he might not be the hero one would think of. The author of “Sail On!” thinks of him as a ‘brave’ hero who changed the world. However, the author of “Columbus Doesn’t Deserve A Holiday” thinks of him as a ‘great evil’ or even a ‘murderer’. Between these two articles Columbus had the same goal and achieved it, but does Columbus deserve to be honored?
One reason we shouldn’t celebrate Columbus Day is because he enslaved Natives to have them work. The text states,”The aim was clear: slaves and gold. They went from island to island in the Caribbean,capturing Indians,”(page 8
The Han dynasty in China was similar to the Imperial Rome. They shared common features, such as strong militaries. However they also had their differences. The Han dynasty rule was passed down among families. With the Imperial Rome, rule was based upon votes.
Many Americans honor Christopher Columbus Day as a holiday that celebrates his discovery of the New World on October 12, 1492. Some make the argument that Columbus is not to be considered a hero because of his actions. However, this day celebrates his discovery but not his mistakes after. His findings brought new knowledge to the Old World, profited many countries, and improved life conditions of many people. Before his voyage some thought if sailing West all one would find is India, however Columbus’ expedition found
Lewis and Clark are the men that ‘discovered’ the northwest, but should we really celebrated them? They were not the first people here, they failed their primary mission, but they did claim land for america, they added to science and finally we are just using them as profit. They should be celebrated but not for the reason we give them.
Accompanied by 27,000 men on 62 large and 255 small ships, the Chinese eunuch Zheng He, led 7 naval expeditions to Southeast Asia, Middle East and east coast of Africa in the span of 28 years during the Ming Dynasty. The scale of Zheng He’s fleet was unprecedented in world history. The large treasure ships used during the expeditions were purported to be 440 feet long and 180 feet wide (Dreyer, p. 102). Throughout his travels, Zheng He brought Chinese tea, porcelain and silk products to foreign countries and also brought back exotic goods to the Ming court such as spices, plants and leather. Although his voyages fostered commercial trades and cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, the goal of his expeditions stemmed from the political motivation to maintain the tributary system and his voyages had important political implication of causing Neo-Confucian opposition and suspension of the expedition.
Even though he is celebrated in the United States, Christopher Columbus should not be considered a hero. He took advantage of the generosity of the American natives he found. His greedy ambition had horrible results that most Americans do not even realize.
Poets were very prevalent in ancient China. Their poems often included vivid imagery of the land, romance, and praising of their leaders (“Chinese Poetry”). One of the most famous poets was Li Bai. Li Bai was also known as Li Po (“Li Bai”). Li Bai is now considered one of the greatest of the ancient Chinese poets, if not the greatest. Beginning at an early age, Li Bai had a deep love for words (“Biography of Li Bai”). When he grew up, he became a “wandering poet” (“Li Bai”). As a wandering poet, he got to meet a lot of people; eventually he became a very influential person in the Tang Dynasty. His influence would continue all the way to modern times. People often wonder what contributes to the influence a poet has on his or her community. For Li Bai, it was his love for travelling, his political positions, and his celebrity status which helped to increase the influence of his poems on everyday life in ancient China.