Zheng He (c.1371–1435)
| Chinese admiral and emperor during the Ming dynasty. A Muslim court eunuch, he undertook maritime expeditions 1405–33 to India, the Gulf, and East Africa, demonstrating China's early command of the compass and shipbuilding techniques. |
| About 60 vessels were used in the first voyage, to India 1405–07, and Zheng undertook seven journeys in all, involving 28,000 persons. The expeditions ceased 1433, probably because of their expense and the Ming government's indifference to foreign trade. |
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