In the early 15th century, almost 100 years before Europeans reached the Indian Ocean by sea, the Chinese had already travelled extensively across the Indian Ocean. From limited, surviving records*, there are details of Chinese voyages as far west as Mogadishu in present-day Somalia, or Jedda in present-day Saudi Arabia. In fact, it is believed that China was the largest trading force in Asia from the 12th to 15th centuries, with trade networks along the coast of South Asia, and throughout the Western Pacific. However, from the mid-1400s, China's presence in the Indian Ocean diminished as it grew more isolationist, redirecting resources to prioritize domestic trade within the empire and the defense of its northern borders against Mongol attacks.
Number of Chinese ships and military or other personnel actively operating in the Indian Ocean in selected time periods from 1405 to 1433
*Official details of these voyages were destroyed by authorities who were opposed to future voyages. Evidence for these statistics is based on the writings of participants and later imperial histories.
The source gives more information about these and additional journeys regarding the major areas visited in the east and west. These are:
1405-07- West: Calicut. East: Champa, Java, Sumatra.
1407-09- West: Calicut & Cochin. East: Siam, Sumatra, Java.
1409-11- West: Malacca, Quilon. East: Sumatra.
1413-15- West: Hormuz, Red Sea, Maldives, Bengal. East: Champa, Java, Sumatra.
1417-19- West: Hormuz, Aden, Mogadishu, Malindi. East: Java, the Ryuki islands, Brunei
1421-22- West: Aden, East Africa. East: Sumatra.
1431-33- West: Ceylon, Calicut, Hormuz, Aden, Jedda, Malindi. East: Vietnam, Sumatra, Java, Malacca.
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OECD. (December 31, 2006). Number of Chinese ships and military or other personnel actively operating in the Indian Ocean in selected time periods from 1405 to 1433 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1282462/china-number-ships-personnel-diplomacy-indian-ocean-historical/
OECD. "Number of Chinese ships and military or other personnel actively operating in the Indian Ocean in selected time periods from 1405 to 1433." Chart. December 31, 2006. Statista. Accessed December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1282462/china-number-ships-personnel-diplomacy-indian-ocean-historical/
OECD. (2006). Number of Chinese ships and military or other personnel actively operating in the Indian Ocean in selected time periods from 1405 to 1433. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1282462/china-number-ships-personnel-diplomacy-indian-ocean-historical/
OECD. "Number of Chinese Ships and Military or Other Personnel Actively Operating in The Indian Ocean in Selected Time Periods from 1405 to 1433." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Dec 2006, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1282462/china-number-ships-personnel-diplomacy-indian-ocean-historical/
OECD, Number of Chinese ships and military or other personnel actively operating in the Indian Ocean in selected time periods from 1405 to 1433 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1282462/china-number-ships-personnel-diplomacy-indian-ocean-historical/ (last visited December 30, 2024)
Number of Chinese ships and military or other personnel actively operating in the Indian Ocean in selected time periods from 1405 to 1433 [Graph], OECD, December 31, 2006. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1282462/china-number-ships-personnel-diplomacy-indian-ocean-historical/
