1. Who Was Zheng He?

Zheng He was a famous Chinese admiral. Born in 1371, his life been credited with spreading Chinese influence across the Indian ocean. Zheng He commanded seven voyages to Mombasa, Mecca, and other African, Middle Eastern, and Asian civilizations. Up until this point China was considered a fairly secluded state. They intended to gain patronage from other, lesser civilizations in the Old World. However, the constant threat of Mongols and other nomadic tribes forced China to dedicate the majority of their efforts to defending their empire. Zheng He's resources wore thin, and he died on his last voyage in 1433.

Zheng He's original name was Ma He. This is actually a testament to his Muslim heritage. His father and grandfather were both hajjis, those who completed the pilgrimage to Mecca. In fact, his great-great-great grandfather was a high-ranking leader in Persia under Kublai Khan's Mongol empire. He was born in 1371 under the Mongol Yuan dynasty in a city called Jinning. His father remained loyal to his leaders even until the subsequent Ming dynasty took over. The Ming forces raided his city, killed, his father, and castrated him. This was an incredibly process as G.C. Stent describes:

"When the operation is about to take place, the candidate or victim--as the case may be--is placed on a kang in a sitting--or rather, reclining position. One man supports him round the waist, while two others separate his legs and hold them down firmly, to prevent any movement on his part. The operating "knifer" then stands in front of the man--with his knife in his hand--and enquires if he will over repent.[24] If the man at the last moment demurs in the slightest, the "knifer" will not perform the operation, but if he still expresses his willingness, with one sweep of the knife he is made a eunuch."

However, as far as eunuchs go, Ma He broke the mold. He didn't suffer from the effeminate stereotype most eunuchs were held to. He eventually became one of Prince Zhu Di's closest confidants. After a few military successes, Ma He was given the honorific "Zheng He".