Ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-15, iqela elikhulu leenqanawa lahamba ngenqanawa lisuka eNanjing.Yayiluhambo lokuqala kuthotho lohambo ngenqanawa olwaluza kuthi, okwethutyana elifutshane, luseke iTshayina njengamandla aphambili exesha.Uhambo lwalukhokelwa nguZheng He, oyena mntu ubalulekileyo waseTshayina wakha waphila ixesha elide kunye noyena matiloshe mkhulu emhlabeni.Ngapha koko, abanye abantu bacinga ukuba wayeyimodeli yokuqala yembali yaseSinbad iSailor.
Ngo-1371, uZheng He wazalelwa kwindawo ngoku ebizwa ngokuba liPhondo laseYunnan ngabazali abangamaSilamsi, abamthiya igama elinguMa Sanpao.Xa wayeneminyaka eyi-11 ubudala, imikhosi yaseMing ehlaselayo yambamba uMa yamsa eNanjing.Apho wathenwa waza wenziwa ukuba abe lithenwa kwindlu yobukhosi.
UMa waba ngumhlobo nenkosana eyathi kamva yaba yiYong Le Emperor, enye yezona zibalaseleyo kwiMing Dynasty.Ukhaliphile, unamandla, ukrelekrele kwaye unyanisekile ngokupheleleyo, uMa waphumelela ukuthenjwa yinkosana eyathi, emva kokunyukela etroneni, yamnika igama elitsha kwaye yamenza Ithenwa eliKhulu loBukhosi.
UYong Le wayengumlawuli onamabhongo owayekholelwa ukuba ubukhulu beTshayina buya kwandiswa ngomgaqo-nkqubo “ovulelekileyo” ngokuphathelele urhwebo lwamazwe ngamazwe kunye nozakuzakuzakuzaku.Ngo-1405, wayalela iinqanawa zaseTshayina ukuba zihambe ziye kuLwandlekazi lwaseIndiya, zaza zabeka uZheng He ukuba alawule uhambo.UZheng uqhubekile nokukhokela uhambo olusixhenxe kwiminyaka engama-28, etyelela amazwe angaphezu kwama-40.
Iinqanawa zikaZheng zazineenqanawa ezingaphezu kwama-300 kunye noomatiloshe abangama-30,000.Iinqanawa ezinkulu, "iinqanawa zobuncwane" eziziimitha ezili-133 ubude, zineemasti ezilithoba kwaye zinokuthwala abantu abaliwaka.Ekunye neqela lamaHan namaSilamsi, uZheng wavula iindlela zorhwebo eAfrika, eIndiya nakuMzantsi-mpuma weAsia.
Olu hambo lwanceda ukwandisa umdla wamazwe angaphandle kwizinto zaseTshayina ezifana nesilika kunye neporcelain.Ukongezelela, uZheng He weza nezinto zasemzini eTshayina, kuquka indlulamthi yokuqala eyakha yabonwa apho.Ngelo xesha, amandla acacileyo eenqanawa athetha ukuba uMlawuli waseTshayina wayalela intlonipho kunye noloyiko oluphefumlelweyo kulo lonke elaseAsia.
Ngoxa eyona njongo kaZheng He yayikukubonisa ukongama kweMing yaseTshayina, wayedla ngokubandakanyeka kwiipolitiki zasekuhlaleni awayezityelela.Ngokomzekelo, eCeylon, wancedisa ekubuyiseleni umlawuli osemthethweni etroneni.Kwisiqithi saseSumatra, ngoku esiyinxalenye yeIndonesia, woyisa umkhosi womphangi oyingozi waza wamsa eTshayina ukuze abulawe.
Nangona uZheng He wafa ngowe-1433 yaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba wangcwatywa elwandle, ingcwaba nelitye elincinane lakhe lesikhumbuzo lisakho kwiPhondo laseJiangsu.Kwiminyaka emithathu emva kokufa kukaZheng He, umlawuli omtsha wakuvala ukwakhiwa kweenqanawa elwandle, yaye ixesha elifutshane lokwandisa umkhosi waseTshayina laphela.Umgaqo-nkqubo waseTshayina uguqukele ngaphakathi, ushiya ulwandle lucacile kwizizwe ezikhulayo zaseYurophu.
Izimvo ziyahluka ngesizathu sokuba kwenzeke oku.Enoba sasiyintoni na isizathu, imikhosi yamandulo yabalasela, yaye amandla eTshayina okulawula ihlabathi akazange azaliseke.Iingxelo ezingohambo olumangalisayo lukaZheng He zatshiswa.Kwada kwasekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-20 apho enye inqanawa yobukhulu obulinganayo yaya elwandle.
Ixesha lokuposa: Nov-10-2022