Cheng Ho went around the world in 28 years

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang

The greatness of Admiral Zheng He (popularly called Cheng Ho) has been revealed more and more to the public after a plethora of books were written about his famous journeys.

Based on vast literature on Cheng Ho, a Semarang historian Gan Kok Hwie said that in his 28-year journey, the admiral had traveled to some 30 countries worldwide, making him one of greatest explorers of all time.

The journey certainly would rank with any of the other great explorers. During his day, Cheng Ho, the political and trading ambassador of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), had 62 big ships and 252 other smaller ships that carried 27,800 troops. The fleet departed in 1405 (or 600 years ago) from Nanking in China to Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Aceh, Palembang, Jakarta, Cirebon, Semarang, Tuban, Surabaya, Omux, Saudi Arabia and as far as Mogadishu in Africa.

It is natural that some historians say that the Cheng Ho fleet looks like clouds joined hand in hand in the sky.

Who really was Cheng Ho? He has been described as handsome, well-built and charismatic, whose journey 600 years ago will be grandly celebrated in Semarang.

He was born in 1371 in Kun Yang regency, Yunnan province. His father Ma Hazhi was killed during a battle with troops from a rival kingdom, but it was not known why he was then chosen as right hand man of the Cuti Prince, the fourth child of Tju Yuen Tjang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday in Semarang, historian Gan Kok Hwie said that after his appointment, Cheng Ho then contributed greatly to his master during an internal power struggle. With the help of Cheng Ho, Cuti Prince, who then changed his name to Emperor Yung Lo, could grab power from his nephew Tju Yin Yuen.

"Cheng helped arrange a strategy so that Prince Cuti could take over power from Tju Yin Yuen, who was just 16 years old," explained Gan, a Chinese-Indonesian.

After consolidating his power, Prince Cuti then deployed Cheng Ho in order to restore diplomatic relations with other countries.

Cheng Ho then embarked on long trip from Nanking on July 15, 1405. During his journey, Cheng Ho brought along with him silk and many other goods for trading. He was slated to have gone back and forth seven times from China to other countries as far as Africa. Once, during the journey back home, he brought home exotic animals such as a giraffe and a lion.

"The animals were presented to Emperor Yung Lo," said Gan.

During the early years of his journey, Cheng Ho reached the Majapahit Kingdom in Central Java and built diplomatic relations with the great kingdom of Java, whose span of influence has reached most of Indonesian territory today. "Cheng Ho, the Muslim admiral, had found a Muslim community in Surabaya," said Gan.

Another historian Slamet Muljana, in his book entitled Java Hindu Kingdom and the Emergence of Islamic Kingdoms across the Archipelago, said that when Cheng Ho landed in Semarang in 1413, he also discovered a community of Chinese Muslims in the city.

Cheng Ho also established the influence of a Chinese system of the government and politics on the Java kingdom. When the Java Hindu kingdom suffered from setbacks, the Chinese Muslim community contributed to the native people's efforts to establish an Islamic kingdom across the archipelago.

Slamet wrote that in 1430, Cheng Ho had great influence in Majapahit politics, which was near collapse. The influence was proven by his ability to place his confidante Gang Eng Wan as the regent of Tu Ma Pan, a Majapahit region under the King of Suhita, one of last kings of the Majapahit Kingdom.

It was still debatable, but the presence of Cheng Ho has also apparently contributed to the prominent presence of the Chinese community in Java's politics. Slamet said that the first Demak King was Prince Patah whose mother was a Chinese.

Slamet also concluded that some of the nine pious leaders who spread Islam in Java island were of Chinese descent, including the most prominent one, Kalijaga, also known as Gan Si Cang. Gan Si Cang established the famous mosque of Demak, which still stands today. One of its main poles resembles a ship pole construction, as Gan Si Cang was believed to be the prominent leader of the Chinese community in Semarang, a town next to Demak before he took the role of Muslim leader.

"There are many books on Cheng Ho and the versions vary. I have read 32 books on Cheng Ho," said another historian, Soenarto.

Some books supported one version and the others supported different versions. "But from all the books, we can draw a line and it makes the story of Cheng Ho complete," said Gan Kok Hwie.