Zhenghe pic

Zheng He's Life

By castlefreak1212
  • Jun 11, 1360

    Zhu Di is born

    son of future Mind Dynasty founder
  • Jan 23, 1368

    Ming Dynasty founded

  • Feb 11, 1371

    Zheng He is born

    Born with the name Ma He to a Muslim family in Yunnan
  • Feb 11, 1380

    Zhu Di made Prince of Yan

  • Feb 11, 1381

    Ming army conquers Yunnan; kill Zheng He's fater and abduct Zheng He

  • Feb 11, 1384

    Zheng He is castrated and is sent to serve as a eunuch for Prince of Yan

  • Period: Jun 30, 1398 to Jul 13, 1402

    Reign of Jianwen Emperor

  • Feb 11, 1399

    Eunuch Ma He leads Prince of Yan's army to victory at Zheng Dike, Beijing

  • Period: Feb 11, 1402 to Feb 11, 1405

    Ma He serves as Director of Palace Servants, highest eunuch post

  • Jul 11, 1402

    Prince of Yan captures Nanjing; Jianwen Emperor dies in palace fire

  • Jul 17, 1402

    Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, becomes Yongle Emperor

  • Feb 11, 1403

    Yongle Emperor orders construction of huge fleet of treasure junks at Nanjing

  • Feb 11, 1404

    Yongle awards Ma He honorific name "zheng He"

  • Period: Jul 11, 1405 to Oct 2, 1407

    First Treasure Fleet, led by Admiral Zheng He, to Calicut, India

  • Feb 11, 1407

    Treasure Fleet defeats pirate Chen Zuyi at Straights of Malacca; Zheng He takes pirates to Nanjing for execution

  • Period: Feb 11, 1407 to Feb 11, 1409

    Second Voyage of Treasure Fleet, again to Calicut

  • Period: Feb 11, 1409 to Feb 11, 1410

    Yongle Emperor and Ming army battle Mongols

  • Period: Feb 11, 1409 to Jul 6, 1411

    Third Voyage of Treasure Fleet to Calicut. Ceylon succession dispute

  • Period: Dec 18, 1412 to Aug 12, 1415

    Fourth Voyage of the Treasure Fleet to Hormuz. Capture of the pretender Sekandar in Sumatra on return trip.

  • Period: Feb 11, 1413 to Feb 11, 1416

    Yongle Emperor's second campaign against the Mongols

  • Period: Feb 11, 1417 to Aug 8, 1419

    Fifth Voyage of the Treasure Fleet

    To Arabia and East Africa
  • May 16, 1417

    Yongle Emperor enters new capital at Beijing, leaves Nanjing forever

  • Period: Feb 11, 1421 to Sep 3, 1422

    Sixth Voyage of the Treasure Fleet

    To East Africa again
  • Period: Feb 11, 1422 to Feb 11, 1424

    Series of campaigns against the Mongols

    Led by Yongle Emperor
  • Aug 12, 1424

    Yongle Emeror dies of stroke while fight Mongols

  • Sep 7, 1424

    Zhu Gaozhi becomes Hongxi Emperor

    Orders stop to Treasure Fleet voyages
  • Jun 29, 1429

    Hongxi Emperor dies

    His son Zhu Zhanji becomes Xuande Emperor
  • Period: Feb 11, 1430 to Feb 11, 1433

    Seventh and final Voyage of the Treasure Fleet

  • Feb 11, 1433

    Zheng He dies

    He is buried at sea on the return leg of the final voyage
  • Period: Feb 11, 1433 to Feb 11, 1436

    Zheng He's companions Ma Huan, Gong Zhen and Fei Xin publish accounts of their travels