Chinese voyage

[Aqua]

Hehe, I live near Pandua.

 

[lcloo]

If what you say is true, then Southeastern India would have hosted multiple Chinese tributary states.

But then again, Ming was the dynasty which had the most tributary states...

@Solomon
In Marco Polo's time, China was under Mongol rule (Yuan Dynasty), theyy were considered as foreign conqueror then. Unlike Ming Dynasty, The Mongolians conquered and burnt cities in Europe and China and hated by Han Chinese. They are not same as Ming Dynasty.

In fact Ming court gave more gifts to Malacca Sultan more gifts than what China received from the Sultan. The gifts from the so called tributory states are not mandatory. In fact Malacca did not send gifts every year yet they were on friendly terms. Decades later the Portuguese came to Malacca, captured the port and started to collect tax for themselves. Malacca is in Malaysia, and we studied thorough Malacca history in our school days.

There is no punishment like if you don't give then we will invade you that kinds of stuff. It was alwasy a two way gift givings. The Treasure ship of Cheng He is exactly what it meant - it carried treasures from China to foreign land, and bring back some from exotic lands. Some of the gifts are more like sovenieur - Corals, Elephants, Giraffe, local spice etc. How wealthy do you think those South East Asian nations and those from Arab and Africa were during those ancient time?