Abstract
This article examines the consequences of the Ming maritime expeditions led by Admiral Zheng He (1371–1433) in the early fifteenth century on Indian Ocean diplomacy, trade, and cross-cultural interactions. The presence of the powerful Ming navy not only introduced an unprecedented militaristic aspect to the Indian Ocean region, but also led to the emergence of state-directed commercial activity in the maritime world that extended from Ming China to the Swahili coast of Africa. Additionally, these expeditions stimulated the movement of people and animals across the oceanic space and might eventually have facilitated the rapid entry of European commercial enterprises into the Indian Ocean region during the second half of the fifteenth century.

Keywords: Indian Ocean, Zheng He, Ming Dynasty, Cross-cultural interactions, Chinese navy, Circulations of animals

Added keywords: Indian Ocean, Chinese navy, naval affairs and military actions, African contacts, giraffes and exotic animals, tribute states, Ming exploration.
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