What Ifs? Zheng He's Fleet

I'm trying to picture this as best as I could in my mind but It always comes back to China dominating the sea trade from Africa to Asia and probably beyond that.

We all know that Zheng He's fleet made it to, probably, the tip of Africa. The fleet was a vast fleet and that a portion of that fleet was split off and probably arrived in the Americas (let's forget this part first). However, what would China and to a larger extend, the world be like if Zheng He's fleet would be allow to continue this exploration?

Would they dominated much of the seas? Would they have made it to Europe and even "colonized" part of the world? How far would this grand age of seafaring have gone for China? What are some of their consequences for this?
 
There is evidence that he made it to East Africa, but not to the Cape of Good Hope.

One thing that many people don't realize is that Zheng He's smaller secondary fleet made the venture to E. Africa.
 
What's with all the China Colonising threads?

China does not need to make colonies. It has resources, a massive amount of territory, no regional enemies to concern itself with, and is so far from the areas free and possible to colonise that maintaining control will be difficult and costly.

I am not saying that they couldn't, just that they would have very little reason to. (Not colonising Taiwan for example suggests that colonisation was not a priority, even on their own doorstep)
 
China does not need to make colonies,
, does not need throwing banana.

(Sorry, had to make this one).

Apart this poor joke, mainly agreeing with you, while I think you may end with simili-colonies, more directly held by Chinese administration (or with a reasonable large enough autonomy) closer from it (as Philippines)
 
There is evidence that he made it to East Africa, but not to the Cape of Good Hope.

One thing that many people don't realize is that Zheng He's smaller secondary fleet made the venture to E. Africa.

Yes, my ships from my fleets made it to East Africa and Aden but that was nothing special, Chinese ships had reached those areas before. In fact, in the 1100s and Arab traveler was rather impressed by the size of Chinese trading junks in the harbor at Aden.

This is one of the biggest misunderstandings people have of the missions of my treasure fleets. These were not missions of exploration. They were missions designed to establish a Chinese presence on well known trade routes. Hence I was not out looking to discover unknown lands or find new trade routes by going in a different direction.

There is no evidence that my ships ever made it to America (Gavin Menzies is an idiot) nor as I said was doing something like that what my treasure fleets were trying to do.

Now, if you want to do a realistic ATL where a large scale Ming maritime presence is sustained in the Indian Ocean, the first POD you need is to not have the Yongle Emperor killed while on campaign. He was my biggest champion. That is an interesting what if scenario. Chinese ships (big ones at that) stay off of East Africa and they are there when the Portuguese show up in their durable and sea worthy but puny caravels.
 

Riain

Banned
It was standard byzantine practice to establish diplomatic relationships with the power on the far side of their immediate neighbor, so that they could distract hostile neighbors and keep them looking over their shoulder.

Perhaps this could be the task of the treasure fleet, to bribe and arm the powers beyond china's immediate neighborhood.
 
I'm trying to picture this as best as I could in my mind but It always comes back to China dominating the sea trade from Africa to Asia and probably beyond that.

We all know that Zheng He's fleet made it to, probably, the tip of Africa. The fleet was a vast fleet and that a portion of that fleet was split off and probably arrived in the Americas (let's forget this part first). However, what would China and to a larger extend, the world be like if Zheng He's fleet would be allow to continue this exploration?

Would they dominated much of the seas? Would they have made it to Europe and even "colonized" part of the world? How far would this grand age of seafaring have gone for China? What are some of their consequences for this?
Um, Emperor Yongle sent his mighty fleets were only to put up a big show. He had usurped his nephew's throne, so he wanted to show his subjects with more tributary states, it's never intented to expand their naval presence or seek new trade routes.
 
It was standard byzantine practice to establish diplomatic relationships with the power on the far side of their immediate neighbor, so that they could distract hostile neighbors and keep them looking over their shoulder.

Perhaps this could be the task of the treasure fleet, to bribe and arm the powers beyond china's immediate neighborhood.

If that were the case then they would have only needed to stop at India. Most of the threats to China came from the north but more often than not it was the internal threats that did them in. China loves itself some warlords in between dynasties it seems.
 
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