Which figure is famous for treasure voyages across the Indian Ocean during the Ming dynasty?

Which figure is famous for treasure voyages across the Indian Ocean during the Ming dynasty?

• A. Vasco da Gama
• B. Zheng He
• C. Christopher Columbus
• D. James Cook

Answer: (B)

Zheng He led the Ming dynasty’s treasure voyages, a fleet-led effort from 1405 to 1433 to display imperial power, forge diplomacy, and expand trade across the Indian Ocean. These expeditions sailed from China through Southeast Asia to the Indian Ocean and down the East African coast, visiting ports like Calicut, Malacca, and other Swahili city-states. The goal was tribute, goodwill, and establishing China’s presence in long-distance maritime networks, not to conquer territory. The other names listed come from different periods and regions—Vasco da Gama opened a sea route to India for Portugal in the late 1400s, Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, and James Cook explored the Pacific in the 18th century. So the figure associated with the Ming treasure voyages across the Indian Ocean is Zheng He.

Zheng He led the Ming dynasty’s treasure voyages, a fleet-led effort from 1405 to 1433 to display imperial power, forge diplomacy, and expand trade across the Indian Ocean. These expeditions sailed from China through Southeast Asia to the Indian Ocean and down the East African coast, visiting ports like Calicut, Malacca, and other Swahili city-states. The goal was tribute, goodwill, and establishing China’s presence in long-distance maritime networks, not to conquer territory. The other names listed come from different periods and regions—Vasco da Gama opened a sea route to India for Portugal in the late 1400s, Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, and James Cook explored the Pacific in the 18th century. So the figure associated with the Ming treasure voyages across the Indian Ocean is Zheng He.