The 1421 Heresy: An Investigation Into the Ming Chinese Maritime Survey of the World
During the formative years of the Ming Dynasty the Chinese government dispatched hundreds of gigantic ships, some over 400 feet long, into the Indian Ocean. The enterprise was dubbed Zheng He's Seven Voyages to the Western Ocean because the Ming fleets, led by the legendary Admiral Zheng He, went to sea altogether seven times. After twenty-seven years these maritime expeditions mysteriously stopped. To date no scholar is entirely certain of the reason behind the undertaking. Although practically unknown in the West, these events made indelible impressions on the Southeast Asians. Today Admiral Zheng He is regarded as a god and is worshipped in temples not just in China, but throughout Southeast Asia. This year we see the 600th anniversary of the Ming Chinese launching of their monumental excursions, and scholars have renewed their interest in the historical events. There are speculations and assertions that the Ming fleets actually went beyond the Indian Ocean and even sailed to America-all before Christopher Columbus had made his momentous trips. However, researchers seem to be able to neither prove their hypotheses nor disprove them. In any case, it does seem odd that the Chinese, with their superior naval technology would choose to confine their activities to local waters only. Nevertheless, to prove that they did, one needs irrefutable evidence because the suggestion challenges centuries of established history. Historian/researcher Anatole Andro believes that if such evidence exists, it will need to be European evidence to prove the case. By leaving the Indian Ocean the Chinese would be entering European territory, so to speak. If confirmation to this effect is lacking it will not only fail to prove that the Chinese had sailed outside their local waters, but on the contrary, it would be as good as proof that the Ming Chinese never went beyond their traditional sphere of interest. For two and a half years the author searched for such evidence, examining each piece of suspected artifact and following up on every lead. Not only was he able to uncover such evidence he found the evidence to be widespread. Further, scholars had examined such evidence and either discarded, ignored, or obscured it. This book is the presentation of Mr. Andro's research data, his analyses of the data thereof, and the startling but inevitable conclusions that he arrived at. Written in easy to understand language, this book challenges you to accept his findings or dispute it. In either case it is a thrill ride.
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