Comparison-Between-Zheng-He-and-Columbus-Voyages

ComparisonBetweenZhengHeandColumbus'VoyagesAsweallknow,inthehistoryofhumanbeings'navigation,thereonceappearedtwoimportantanddistinctevents:ZhengHe'svoyagesintheIndianOceanandChristopherColumbus'voyageintheAtlanticOcean.Bothofthemhadgreatimpactsonthedevelopmentofhumanbeing'snavigation,economy,politics,culturesandevenallaspectsofhumancivilization.AsIhavementioned,thesetwogreatvoyagesarealsodistinctfromeachotherinmanyaspects.Thisessaywilltrytofindoutanddiscussthedistinctionsindetails.Theaspectswhicharetobecoveredinclude:thebackgroundofthevoyages,thegeneralintroductionofthevoyages,theaccomplishmentsandeffectsaswellasthediscussion.backgroundofthevoyagesBrieflyspeaking,Columbus'voyagecenteredaroundonepurpose:tofindoutanewtradewaytotheAsiancountries.Beforethefurtherexplanationweshouldmakeclearonething,thatiswhytheymustfindoutanewwaytoAsian.Anewwaymeansthereonceexistedanoldway.Italsomeanstheoldwaymusthavebeenlostforsomereasons,otherwisethereisnoneedtofindanewone.Ifwetracebacktothehistory,beforeColumbusstartedhisvoyage,anothereventhappened,thatwasthefallofthecityofConstantinople.ThisgreatcitywasconqueredbytheMuslimOttomanEmpire.ConstantinoplehadbeenanimportanttradecenterbetweenEuropeandAsia,sothelostofConstantinopleledtoanendtothetraditionalSilkRoadfromAsiatoEuropeanChristians.Asaresult,theEuropeanshadtofindanewroutetoreplacethebrokenroad.Inaddition,theysoonrealizedthatthefirstnationtofindthenewroutinecouldprobablymonopolizethehighlyprofitableAsiantradeandthusbecomequitewealthy.PortugalwasthefirstEuropeannationtotakeanactivepartinseekingasearoutetoAsia.ItexploredthewesterncoastofAfrica,aimingtofindthenewroutebygoingaroundthesoutherncornerofthiscontinent.However,ColumbusbecamethefirsttomakeanattempttoseekthenewtradewaybygoingacrosstheAtlanticOceans.ComparedwithColumbus,ZhengHeVoyage'sreasonseemedalittlebitcomplex.Theymightincludedsuchaspects:toenlargetheempire'scontrolofseawaytrade.toimpressforeignpeoplesintheIndianOceanbasin.ToshowoffthedignityandgloryoftheempiretothestatesandcountriesintheIndianOcean.toextendandstrengthentheempire'stributarysystem.Ithasalsobeenclaimed,thatthevoyagesalsopresentedanopportunitytoseekoutZhuYunwen(thepreviousemperorwhomtheYongleemperorhadusurpedandwhowasrumoredtohavefledintoforeignnations–possiblythelargestscalemanhuntonwaterinthehistoryofChina.Ofallthefourlistedreasons,thefirstoneseemedtobethemostinsufficientone.Astheotherthreeones,theycanbeconcludedtoonesimplesentence:desireoftheemperor.ThatistosaythemotivationofZhengHe'svoyagewasalmostallfromtheYongleemperor'spersonalwill.AftertheconquerofMingdynastytoYuan,ChinabegantoboomagaininthegoverningofMing'sfoundingemperor,ZhuYuanzhang.WhenitcametoYongleorZhuDiemperor,thenationhadaccumulatedlargequantitiesofwealth,whichgaveanendlessconfidencetothenewemperor.ZhuDisoonstartedhisexpansionstrategies,bothinlandandthesea.SowemayregardZheng'svoyagesaspartoftheelaborationsofZhuDi'sambitions.generalintroductionsofthevoyagesPerhapsthemostinterestinganddramaticdistinctionsbetweenthetwovoyagesarethecomparisonsofthesize,boththefleet'sandtheship's.AccordingtomedievalChinesesources,ZhengHehadaltogethercommandedsevenvoyages.The1405expeditionconsistedof27,800menandafleetof62treasureshipssupportedbyapproximately190smallerships.Thefleetincluded:Treasureships(Chinese:宝船),usedbythecommanderofthefleetandhisdeputies(nine-masted,about126.73metres(416ft)longand51.84metres(170ft)wide),accordingtolaterwriters.Thisismoreorlessthesizeandshapeofafootballfield.Equineships(Chinese:馬船),carryinghorsesandtributegoodsandrepairmaterialforthefleet(eight-masted,about103m(339ft)longand42m(138ft)wide).Supplyships(Chinese:粮船),containingstapleforthecrew(seven-masted,about78m(257ft)longand35m(115ft)wide).Trooptransports(Chinese:兵船),six-masted,about67m(220ft)longand25m(83ft)wide.Fuchuanwarships(Chinese:福船),five-masted,about50m(165ft)long.Patrolboats(Chinese:坐船),eight-oared,about37m(120ft)long.Watertankers(Chinese:水船),with1month'ssupplyoffreshwater.Fromthelistoftheseshockingstatisticswemaywellimaginethegreatfleet.Eventodayafleetofsuchsizecouldstillgiveadeepimpressiontopeople,letaloneitreallyexistedmorethan600yearsago.Inaddition,thetreasureshipwasobviouslythelargestshipatthattime,justliketoday'ssuperaircraftcarrier.Actuallythissuperfleetaswellasthesupershiphadwentfarbeyondtherealneedinnavigation.ItwasZhuDi'sdesirethatmadethosegiantscometrue.Oncontrary,thefleetofColumbuswascomparablymuchsmaller.Inhisfirstvoyage,therewereonlythreeships,eachfothemwaslessthan100tonwithtotallylessthan100sailors.Eventhoughhestartedwithafleetof17shipscarrying1,200meninthesecondvoyage,itwasstillnomorethan5%ofthesizeofZheng'sfleet.ThereisnodoubtthatMingwasmuchmorepowerfulthanEuropeatthattime.Withoutthissortofgreatnationpower,ZhuDicouldhardlyownsuchadreamfleet.theaccomplishmentsandeffectsZhengHe's：ZhengHe'svoyagesgenerallyaccomplisheditsoriginalpurposes.Withthegianttreasureshipandthegreatfleet,ZhengsuccessfullyspreadthehonoranddignityofMingempiretoalmosteveryshoreoftheIndianOcean.Alltheforeignnationshadclearlyfeltt