Description:
A hundred years before Columbus and his fellow Europeans began making their way to the New World, fleets of giant Chinese junks commanded by the eunuch admiral Zheng He and filled with the empire’s finest porcelains, lacquerware, and silk ventured to the edge of the world’s and “four corners. and ” It was a time of exploration and conquest, but it ended in a retrenchment so complete that less than a century later, it was a crime to go to sea in a multimasted ship. In When China Ruled the Seas , Louise Levathes takes a fascinating and unprecedented look at this dynamic period in China’s enigmatic history, focusing on China’s rise as a naval power that literally could have ruled the world and at its precipitious plunge into isolation when a new emperor ascended the Dragon Throne.During the brief period from 1405 to 1433, seven epic expeditions brought China’s and “treasure ships and ” across the China Seas and the Indian Ocean, from Taiwan to the spice islands of Indonesia and the Malabar coast of India, on to the rich ports of the Persian Gulf and down the African coast, China’s and “El Dorado, and ” and perhaps even to Australia, three hundred years before Captain Cook was credited with its discovery. With over 300 ships–some measuring as much as 400 feet long and 160 feet wide, with upwards of nine masts and twelve sails, and combined crews sometimes numbering over 28,000 men–the emperor Zhu Di’s fantastic fleet was a virtual floating city, a naval expression of his Forbidden City in Beijing. The largest wooden boats ever built, these extraordinary ships were the most technically superior vessels in the world with innovations such as balanced rudders and bulwarked compartments that predated European ships by centuries. For thirty years foreign goods, medicines,geographic knowledge, and cultural insights flowed into China at an extraordinary rate, and China extended its sphere of political power and influence throughout the Indian Ocean. Half the world was in China’s grasp, and the rest could easily have been, had the emperor so wished. But instead, China turned inward, as suceeding emperors forbade overseas travel and stopped all building and repair of oceangoing junks. Disobedient merchants and seamen were killed, and within a hundred years the greatest navy the world had ever known willed itself into extinction. The period of China’s greatest outward expansion was followed by the period of its greatest isolation.Drawing on eye-witness accounts, official Ming histories, and African, Arab, and Indian sources, many translated for the first time, Levathes brings readers inside China’s most illustrious scientific and technological era. She sheds new light on the historical and cultural context in which this great civilization thrived, as well as the perception of other cultures toward this little understood empire at the time. Beautifully illustrated and engagingly written, When China Ruled the Seas is the fullest picture yet of the early Ming Dynasty–the last flowering of Chinese culture before the Manchu invasions.
ebook img

When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 PDF

249 Pages·1994·9.7 MB·English
by  Louise Levathes
#History #China #Asia #Nonfiction #Historical #Medieval #World History
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download

Download When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 PDF Free - Full Version

by Louise Levathes| 1994| 249 pages| 9.7| English

Download When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 by Louise Levathes in PDF format completely FREE. No registration required, no payment needed. Get instant access to this valuable resource on PDFdrive.to!

Free Download PDF

About When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433

A hundred years before Columbus and his fellow Europeans began making their way to the New World, fleets of giant Chinese junks commanded by the eunuch admiral Zheng He and filled with the empire’s finest porcelains, lacquerware, and silk ventured to the edge of the world’s and “four corners. and ” It was a time of exploration and conquest, but it ended in a retrenchment so complete that less than a century later, it was a crime to go to sea in a multimasted ship. In When China Ruled the Seas , Louise Levathes takes a fascinating and unprecedented look at this dynamic period in China’s enigmatic history, focusing on China’s rise as a naval power that literally could have ruled the world and at its precipitious plunge into isolation when a new emperor ascended the Dragon Throne.During the brief period from 1405 to 1433, seven epic expeditions brought China’s and “treasure ships and ” across the China Seas and the Indian Ocean, from Taiwan to the spice islands of Indonesia and the Malabar coast of India, on to the rich ports of the Persian Gulf and down the African coast, China’s and “El Dorado, and ” and perhaps even to Australia, three hundred years before Captain Cook was credited with its discovery. With over 300 ships–some measuring as much as 400 feet long and 160 feet wide, with upwards of nine masts and twelve sails, and combined crews sometimes numbering over 28,000 men–the emperor Zhu Di’s fantastic fleet was a virtual floating city, a naval expression of his Forbidden City in Beijing. The largest wooden boats ever built, these extraordinary ships were the most technically superior vessels in the world with innovations such as balanced rudders and bulwarked compartments that predated European ships by centuries. For thirty years foreign goods, medicines,geographic knowledge, and cultural insights flowed into China at an extraordinary rate, and China extended its sphere of political power and influence throughout the Indian Ocean. Half the world was in China’s grasp, and the rest could easily have been, had the emperor so wished. But instead, China turned inward, as suceeding emperors forbade overseas travel and stopped all building and repair of oceangoing junks. Disobedient merchants and seamen were killed, and within a hundred years the greatest navy the world had ever known willed itself into extinction. The period of China’s greatest outward expansion was followed by the period of its greatest isolation.Drawing on eye-witness accounts, official Ming histories, and African, Arab, and Indian sources, many translated for the first time, Levathes brings readers inside China’s most illustrious scientific and technological era. She sheds new light on the historical and cultural context in which this great civilization thrived, as well as the perception of other cultures toward this little understood empire at the time. Beautifully illustrated and engagingly written, When China Ruled the Seas is the fullest picture yet of the early Ming Dynasty–the last flowering of Chinese culture before the Manchu invasions.

Detailed Information

Author:Louise Levathes
Publication Year:1994
ISBN:9780195112078
Pages:249
Language:English
File Size:9.7
Format:PDF
Price:FREE
Download Free PDF

Safe & Secure Download - No registration required

Why Choose PDFdrive for Your Free When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 Download?

  • 100% Free: No hidden fees or subscriptions required for one book every day.
  • No Registration: Immediate access is available without creating accounts for one book every day.
  • Safe and Secure: Clean downloads without malware or viruses
  • Multiple Formats: PDF, MOBI, Mpub,... optimized for all devices
  • Educational Resource: Supporting knowledge sharing and learning

Free Books Similar to When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really free to download When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 PDF?

Yes, on https://PDFdrive.to you can download When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 by Louise Levathes completely free. We don't require any payment, subscription, or registration to access this PDF file. For 3 books every day.

How can I read When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 on my mobile device?

After downloading When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 PDF, you can open it with any PDF reader app on your phone or tablet. We recommend using Adobe Acrobat Reader, Apple Books, or Google Play Books for the best reading experience.

Is this the full version of When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433?

Yes, this is the complete PDF version of When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 by Louise Levathes. You will be able to read the entire content as in the printed version without missing any pages.

Is it legal to download When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 PDF for free?

https://PDFdrive.to provides links to free educational resources available online. We do not store any files on our servers. Please be aware of copyright laws in your country before downloading.

The materials shared are intended for research, educational, and personal use in accordance with fair use principles.

We use cookies

We use cookies to ensure you get the best browsing experience on our website. By clicking "Accept Cookies", you agree that we can store cookies on your device in accordance with our Terms and Privacy.