Peking Man
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ความคิดเห็นที่ 17 เมื่อ 09 มี.ค. 02, 12:08
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Zheng He, Hmm... from what I can find and I think that it is more or less like what others above have already mentioned.
Zheng He, originally named Ma He ( last name first, followed by first name) his second name ( the chinese have a popular practice to give a name to oneself besides that of the one that was given by your parents since calling someone by their proper name is probably considered proper) San Bao, muslim, born in Yunnan. At the age of 12-13 became a eunuch and was taken by local official to Bei Ping (present day Beijing) where later he went to work in the household of the Duke of Yan, Zhu Di, later to become the Ming emperor Cheng Zu. It was during this time that Ma He cultivated his relationship with the later to be emperor.
After the death of the Tai Zu emperor, Zhu Yuan Zhang, and the crowning of the Hui Di emperor, Zhu Yun Wen, Zhu Di's own nephew. Zhu Di, after only a short period began to put into action a plan to see himself put on the thrown, during this adventure, the eunuch Ma He in many of the battles performed courageously, and in one battle, the battle of "Jing Nan", on the slope of the village of Zheng, Ma He with his courage saved Zhu Di.
After usurping the throne, Zhu Di, now Ming Cheng Zu, moved the capital to Bei Jing, and begins to consolidate his powers. As a sign of gratidtude to the eunuch Ma He, He was given the surname Zheng to commemorate the brave act that he committed in the battle of Jing Nan on the hills of the Zheng village. Besides that the eunuch now called Zheng He was made in charge of the purchase of goods for the royal household, which would have enriched him nicely.
The voyages to Southeast Asia and Africa can be said is an act of political and miltitary might that the Chinese emperor was trying to show to the world. Apart from his famous expedition to Southeast Asia and Africa, the first of his maritime experience was when he on the imperial order of the emperor went to Japan to negotiate a deal between China and Japan concerning the varification of tribunal trade between China and Japan. It is from this experience that we can believe that since he was trusted by the emperor,he was versed in both muslim beliefs and customs and also buddhist beliefs and customs ( originally he was muslim, but converted after serving the royal household), he was somewhat experienced in sea going and negotiating that he was sent to head the famous voyage down to Southeast Asia and further on to Africa.
Later, people would point the finger to these voyages as being crucial to the formation of the chinese world view that China was the greatest empire under heaven and the rest of the world was barbaric. Because it was probably reported as such that China was by far the most advanced nation on earth at the time, there was no need for China to do anything else, except try to maintain this age that they have inherited. This sense of mentality persisted even until the days of the Qianlong emperor, when he met with a British representative. I think that he was saying that China has no needs at all from the foreigners but since tea and ceramics were so important to their livelihood that he will still permit their exprts.....
Well looking back at history, we see that that vision of chinese superiority disappeared into thin air by the middle of the 19th century.
Oh... ok going back to Zheng He, K.NKH's comment is correct that the last name Ma in China for Muslim is for Mohamed. The "MA" sound is used to represent it, to make it easier to assimilate also into the chinese community.
Hope that it is not too long....
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