1371-1433
Court Eunuch And Aamiral

Zheng He. Zheng He (Cheng Ho) was born in 1371 in southwestern Yunnan province (north of present-day Laos). His birth name was Ma He because his father had made an overland pilgrimage to Mecca and converted to Islam. Around 1381 Ming armies invaded Yunnan and captured Zheng He. Castrated at the age of thirteen, he became a servant to the Chinese emperor's fourth son, Prince Zhu Di. He held the position of Sanbao Taijien, "Grand Eunuch of the Three Jewelries," and became a military officer, instructing the prince in the ways of war and diplomacy.

First Expedition. In 1402, when the prince became Emperor Yongle, Zheng He was appointed an admiral, the first such posting for any court eunuch. He took the name Zheng officially in 1404 and the next year received command of the "Treasure Ships." (The largest of these vessels was...