Annex 3 – Evidence on Chinese Fleets visit to Europe through Mediterranean
Historical Background:
First Century AD China to Rome via Red Sea Nile Canal
Established trade route through Singapore Straits to Malabar coast of India, thence across Indian Ocean with monsoon winds to Aden. Up Red Sea to Hyos Hormos thence Red Sea-Nile canal to Thebes. Down Nile to Alexandria thence Mediterranean to Rome (‘The Golden Khersonse’)
Red Sea Nile Canal first built by Pharoahs c.2000BC linking Red Sea and Heliopolis. Silted up, dug up by Roman Emperor Trajan, named it Amnis Trajanas. Link then Kulzum (Suez) across desert to Babylon on Nile. (Note this is the route of Tram No.1 which lies across top of old canal – now called Shari’el Khalig (Canal St).
The Arab Canal
Emir Ibn el’as, nine years after Mohammed’s death clear out canal again. 973 AD the Fatimia caliph Mu’iz builds six hundred grain ships 275ft x 110ft in beam and widens canal to accommodate them – descriptions of Ibn Kusrau.
Consal on 1420’s
Makrizi describes it and the bustling city of Misr which lay beside the canal. It was wide enough for Zheng He’s Junks.
Chinese Junks to Europe via Red Sea Nile Canal before Zheng He
(i) To Rome by 1st Century AD (as above) (Also a reader has read of a Chinese delegate’s visit to Rome during the time of Anthony and Octavian. He is in agreement that the Chinese could have travelled by sea instead of using the overland silk route – Tong Wun)
(ii) Before Tang dynasty Arab countries used Chinese built ships for freight using Quercus Cuspidata from S. Canton as word.
(iii) Lin Wai Dai Da written by Chou Qu Fei (partial translation Rockhill – Martin Tai) describe correctly Yusuf Ibn Tashfin founding Almoravid dynasty (1073-1146) at Mawakesh.
(iv) 1147 Al Mohads succeed Al Moravids
1269 Merenids succeed Al Mohads. Ibn Battuta (1325-1354) describes trade between Morocco and China. He travels in huge Chinese ships manned by 1000 men capable of staying at sea for months on end.
(v) 1330-1334 Wang Da Yuan (contemporary of Ibn Battuta) sails in opposite direction to Ibn Battuta from Quanzhou through Egypt to Morocco, reversing course arriving home in China in 1334.
(vi) 1337 Wang Da Yuan’s second voyage via Red Sea Nile Canal from China to Morocco and back. Writes up his account in Dao Yi Zhi – descriptions of Barbarians of Isles, which is published and distributed widely in China.
(vii) In a book entitled Crónica o llibre dels feits del rei en Jacme (Book of the acts of King James (1208 – 1276)) there is an account of the king having received an Embassy from the Great Khan in 1267. An excerpt from Chapter 457 reads:
“… And, when we were come from Montpelier we went to Perpinyà… and arrived in this same day a message from the King of the Tartars. And we say that about this we were very honoured, because in that day had been come letter of the highest king of the world with a lot of love…” It appears that this diplomatic contact was made at the initiative of Kubilai Khan. All this information is confirmed in several documents and chronicles. One of them is Jerónimo Zurita in his Anales de Aragón, written in 1562, in the Book III, Chapter LXXI and LXXIV. In the last Chapter he explains: “… In the history of the king [James I] it seems that several times he received embassies of the Tartars; and in the year 1260 he has wanted to pass with his navy to that parts against the people of the Tartars, when I conjecture, because the wars that there were within this nation and his king, been requested for the Great Khan…”
Zurita explains after that James I collected 15.000 marks of silver to pay for this expedition to help Kubilai Khan in this revolt. But he does not say if this expedition actually went ahead. Does this mean that there were normal and relatively frequent diplomatic contacts between Kubilai Khan, and James I of Catalonia and perhaps with his predecessors also? Translation and research courtesy of Carles Camp i Perez
Situation when Zheng He set sail in 1408
(i) Red Sea Nile canal in good shape (Makrizi)
(ii) Wang Da Yuans voyage through Red Sea Nile canal and across Meditteranean to Kingdom of Merenids is well known
(iii) In 1408 Merendis control Morocco and South Spain (El Andalus – Andalusia)
(iv) Ma Huan (who was Zheng He’s chronicler) writes:
“I followed Zheng He to various countries, being there personally and witnessed with my own eyes that what was written in Dao Yi Zhi were not false (Martin Tai translation).
Accounts of Zheng He’s Voyage to Western Mediterranean
Ming Shi (History of Ming Dynasty) Foreign countries chapter:
“Year 6 [1408] Zheng He went to Hormuz [Persian Gulf], returned home Year 8 [1408]
“The countries visited but for which there was no tribute are listed as an Appendix. These are:
Mayidong, Kalimantan, Misr [Cairo] Mulan’pi [sucessors of Al Moravids viz Morocco and South Spain], Kilin Sunha. (Martin Tai translation)
Note in China it was common to name countries after earlier famous dynasties viz China (from Qin dynasty) – Martin Tai
FM Rogers in his book The Quest for Eastern Christians describes a Chinese delegation of Christians visiting Venice c. 1411 and debriefing Dom Pedro – who took the Master Chart of the World back to Portugal in 1428.
Where would a Muslim Admiral have visited in Merenid Kingdom?
The same fortified holy places as Ibn Battuta visited 60 years earlier: Gibraltar, Marbella, Malaga, Granada. Today Spanish gypsies living in Granada have Chinese DNA.
Chinese Maps contemporary with Zheng He’s voyage to Western Meditteranean:-
Kangnido, c1402-1407 shows:
•Azores – drawn before islands ‘discovered’ by Portuguese.
•The Straits of Gibraltar
•Atlantic coasts of Spain and Portugal
•Sicily
•Mediterranean for Alexandria to Straits Corbrallon
•Germany – North Sea Coast
Arabic Accounts of Zheng He’s Ships in Red Sea
•Ibn Tagui Birdi – Al Nujum, History of Egypt.
European Accounts of Chinese in Europe in 1420’s
•Van Eyck – ‘Adoration of the Lamb’ – Ghent Cathedral
Circumstantial Evidence Chinese Ships in Europe
(i) Rice cultivation in Po Valley started in early 15th century – (Lionel Wong)
(ii) Wrecked Chinese Junks Adriatic coast of Italy (Coast shown on Kangnido)
(iii) Blue Magpies, Gyanopica Cyanos (common to China) found in South Spain (Ferry Van Mansum)
(iv) Wang Da Yuan and Chao Ju Kua describe Etna erupting.
- Chinese claim in official history of Ming dynasty, written during Qing that Zheng He’s Fleet reached ‘Franca’ where he met “tall people with beards, long noses, deep eye sockets… and red hair.”
- Zhu Fan Zhi (Description of Various Barbarians) by Zhao Ru Kua, 1170-1228 describes Venetians gathering coral by dropping five claw iron anchors to root up coral, which was then hauled in with pulleys.
France
DNA and Chinese features
• Residents of the south-west part of the Brittany peninsula, locally known as Pays Bigouden, display Mongolian features, most notably the shape of their eyelids and the ”Mongolian spot,” a blue-black birthmark on the buttocks or lower back of babies. Though commonly associated with people of Chinese origin the spot has also been found in the Americas where DNA tests show that “Close similarity between the Chinese and native Americans suggests recent gene flow from Asia” (Pierre Jego)
Italy
Chinese Records and Claims
• Ming Shi (History of Ming Dynasty), in the chapter headed “Various Kingdoms in the Sea” they describe Sicily, and Mount Etna. The description of their sighting of Mount Etna has been corroborated by her eruption on 11th August, 1408 by the Smithsonian Institution.
• In Zhu Fan Zhi (Description of various barbarians) by Zhao Ru Kua (1170-1228 AD) in 1225 AD, there is a chapter on “Coral Tree” which says that this is the product of Venice. He describes in detail how Venetians would drop five claw iron anchors tied to long silk rope and lead weights into the sea to root up coral. The rope was tied to the side of the boat, pulleys were used to raise up the coral. This is a clear indication of China trading with Venice in the Song Dynasty
• A small Chinese junk features in a corner of a wall painting at Pompeii – can anyone shed any light on this? – J Huber
Shipwrecks/ Chinese anchors and fishing gear
• Remnants of ancient Chinese ships along the western coastal areas of Italy (Wendy Shaw)
Plants found indigenous to another continent
• Evidence of rice cultivation in the Po Valley, Italy, starting in the early 15th century (Lionel)
Art
• Small Chinese junk in a corner of a wall painting at Pompeii (J Huber) – can anyone shed any light on this?
Spain
Chinese Records/ Claims
• The Chinese had traded with Europe since the Song Dynasty. In Zhu Fan Zhi (Description of various barbarians) by Zhao Ru Kua (1170 – 1228 A.D.) there is a chapter about “Mulanpi Kingdom”, identified by Rockhill as the Al Murabitum kingdom of Spain. In Ming Shi (History of Ming Dynasty) in the ‘Foreign Countries chapter it says “… Year 6 (1408) Zheng He went to Hormuz (Persian Gulf) and other foreign countries, returned home in year 8 (1410). The countries visited but which did not return tribute are listed as an appendix…” This appendix lists “Mayidong, Kalimanjan, Misr (Cairo) , Mulanpi, Kilin, Sunha…” There are vivid descriptions of the Chinese junks leaving Damietta (Nile Delta) and setting sail west across the Mediterranean for Spain. We believe Mulanpi to be Granada or Malaga.
• Linguistics – a French reader states : “…The Basque language is similar to no other in Europe. Both Basque people and people from the Bigouden Country (South West of Brittany) have Asian features in their faces. They have slant eyes, dark eyes and hair. Some of them might even be mistaken for Asian people or strikingly look Asian as children. It is said that the Bigoudens have Asian blood in their veins from the time when Genghis Khan’s hordes stormed across Europe. Why would we then see Asian features only in people living by the sea? It would make sense that the Asian invaders or explorers were coming from the sea and visited the Basque Country and Brittany coming from Spain, on their way north (Pascal Defaisse) Let us know if you agree or disagree with this reader’s opinion.
Animals
• The Azure-Winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) is to be found only in southern Spain/ Portugal and China.
• Chinese ship’s dogs (B Chang)
• Cattle ‘Baida Oriental’ and ‘Roulin Naked’ from China (Darwin, Chapter xx).
Plants
• Spain – Pohutukawa Trees, who origins lie in NZ, can be found in Spain, a few in the city of La Coruna, at least two being very ancient and at least another can be found in the little village of Pontedeume close by. They are named “Metrosidero” in Spanish and “arvore das bruxas” in Portuguese (witches tree). The locals believe the old ones to be over 500 years old and therefore older than the first European voyages there (NZ).
The area is also plagued with a plant that “during the Ming Dynasty was honoured as the ‘most beautiful flower under the heavens'”: the camellia (see http://www.camelias.net), and you can find over there the most ancient camellias of Europe (there and in the northern-western coast of Spain – Galicia and Asturias) It also seems the River Eume is clothed in Eucalyptus trees (from Australia) – of course these could have been relatively recent imports – Festa Fotra
DNA
•Spanish Gypsies have close genetic similarities with Chinese – Katsushi Tokunaga and colleagues
Portugal
•The word for tea ‘Chà’ in Portuguese is very close to the Chinese pronunciation and was known and used there before the Portuguese reached China. (Carlos Neto)
•In the letters of Afonso de Albuquerque to King Manuel of Portugal, on his return to India after from the conquest of Malaca he dates a letter April 1512, where he refers to a large mapa (presumably of Chinese origin) they took from a Javanese pilot and which went down with his ship the “Flor de la Mar” on the return from Malaca. (there is a version edited in English…)
I am also sending you an authentic portion of a greatmap belonging to a Javanese pilot, which sowed theCape of Good Hope, Portugal and the territory of Brasil, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and the Spice Islands. It also shows where the Chinese and theGores sail, with the rhumbs and the routes taken bytheir ships and the interiors of the various kingdomsand which kingdoms border on which. It strikes me as the finest piece of work I ever saw and I am sure Your Highness would be delighted to see it. The names were written in Javanese script and I found a Javanese who could read and write the language. I send YourHighness this fragment that Francisco Rodrigues copied from the original, in which Your Highness will see where the Chinese and the Gores really come from and the route your ships should follow to reach the spiceislands, where the gold mines are located and the islands of Java and Banda, where nutmeg and mace come from, and the territory of the king of Siam. You will see the extent of Chinese navigation and where they return to and the point beyond which they will not sail. The mail part of the map is lost in the Flor de la Mar. I worked out the meaning of this map with the pilot Pero de Alpoim, so that they would be able to explain it to Your Highness. You may take this portion of it as very authentic and accurate, because it shows
the routes they take in both directions. It does not show the archipelago called Celate. Which lies between Java and Malaca. Your Highness´ creature and servant, Afonso de Albuquerque
IN: “Albuquerque Caesar of the East – selected texts by Afonso de Albuquerque and his son” ed. Aris & Phillips, 1990. Authors: Villiers and Earle ISSN 0953-797X ISBN 0 85668 488 0 pp. 148 – 149
and IN : “Cartas de Afonso de Albuquerque seguidas de documentos que as elucidam” edited by Raymundo António de Bulhao Pato, 7 vols. (Lisbon , 1884-1935) volime I, carta IX, 1 April 1512, pp. 29-65)
This statement strikes me as meaningful in a number of ways:
a) Albuquerque does not find it noteworthy to stress that the Javanese (& the Chinese) know where Portugal and Brazil lie on a world chart.
b) this was taken on the eve of the Portuguese conquest of Malaca.
c) this was taken from a Javanese pilot who supposedly got it from the Chinese (implies some time between the original being made and the Javanese copy made available for navigation…)
It seems doubtful that the information came from Portuguese origins – the text implies Chinese origin.
d) It shows details of the interior, not just the
coast – again implies time and detailed knowledge.
On a separate note, I have also found reference to Brazil showing up in a Map dated 1447 (45 years before Columbus??) “O Brasil num Portulano do Sec. XV – Portuguese National Library – ref. H.G. 17204 / 17v. – Manuel Stock Research
Belgium
A reader has recently been speculating on the development of Fine Art in Europe and the West from the fourteenth century to the present day. In particular it is to do with the theories of artist David Hockney in his book and TV documentary “Secret Knowledge.” Hockney was puzzled by the sudden change in the ability of artists to render reality in their paintings from the 1300s into the 1400s. Hockney describes how an abrupt change occurred early in the 1400s – from portraits that were simple & ‘naïve’ to portraits that were stunningly accurate in their photographic qualities, virtually overnight. He also discovered that this change first occurred in Flanders before spreading southward to Italy by the 1500s. During the course of his investigations, he narrowed the change down to the artists: Jan van Eyck, Robert Campin, and Van der Weyden, and to the date 1430! What he then went on to research and prove was that these and subsequent artists used – and kept secret – optics ; i.e. lenses and concave mirrors that, together with a darkened ‘tent’, the artist could use to project an image of his subject onto a canvas and therefore paint an optically accurate portrait or still life. Reading 1421 and Hockney’s book together has led a reader to speculate that perhaps the Flemish artisans had gained access to advanced optics (concave / convex mirrors etc) not through their own invention nor via the Middle East and silk road, but via a possible direct Chinese fleet connection. We await further research with interest – Rob Gudan
