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.
Local access dig.pdf [Sen-Zheng He.pdf]

Cf. Wilkinson, E., Chinese history, a manual, p.746-747.

Zheng He xia Xiyang kao 鄭和下西洋考 / Boxihe zhu 伯希和著 ; Feng Chengjun yi 馮承鈞譯.
Translation of: Les grands voyages maritimes chinois au début du XVe siècle.
民國51 [1962].

Zheng He xia Xiyang kao 鄭和下西洋考  /  Boxihe zhu 伯希和著 ; Feng Chengjun yi 馮承鈞譯.

Translation of: Les grands voyages maritimes chinois au début du XVe siècle.
Includes bibliographical references.
民國24 [1935]

T.P. signed : Lo Hsiang-lin; Final pages covered in notes (Chinese), possibly by Luo Xianglin himself. though Fr. Albert Chan's (or someone else's) hand cannot be ruled out.

Zheng He xia Xiyang zhi baochuan kao 鄭和下西洋之寶船考 / Bao Zunpeng zhu 包遵彭著.
Chinese and English, with added English cover title for English section (2nd section, pp. 1-47): On the ships of Cheng Ho.
Keywords: Treasure ships, baochuan 寶船, Longjiang shipyards, Longjiang chang 龍江廠, treasure fleets, expeditionary fleet.