Publication
Wisdom of the East: Zheng He and his Maritime Expeditions
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Abstract:
About 600 years ago, a huge fleet with more than 27,000 men set sail from the Liujia harbour in Nanjing to begin China’s first-ever large-scale oceanic journey, marking a brilliant chapter in the maritime history of mankind. The Zheng He expeditions were the largest naval expedition during that period as it comprised of as many as 300 ships of various sizes (including 62 large treasure ships) and more than 27,000 men.1 In a span of 28 years, from 1405 to 1433, Admiral Zheng He made seven expeditions to Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa, covering more than 30 countries and regions that include Annam, Champa, Cambodia, Malacca, Siam, Java, Ryukyu, Palembang, Brunei, Sumatra, Bengal, Ceylon, Cochin, Hormuz, Dhufar, Aden along the Red Sea, and Mogadishu on the east coast of Africa. His maritime expeditions demonstrated extraordinary leadership ability and serve as an interesting case study for multi-cultural interaction. Unfortunately, Zheng He was not a scholar and did not leave behind any writing that can reflect his management theories. This paper attempts to reconstruct his traits in managing such a big fleet.
Description:
Date:
2024
Authors:
Lee Cheuk Yin
Publisher:
Institute of Asian Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam
