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THE MING TREASURE FLEET
Chair: Baala Shakya
Committee Type: Specialized
In the early 15th century, the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) launched one of the most ambitious maritime projects in world history: the Ming treasure voyages. Beginning in 1405 under the Yongle emperor, the expeditions sought to project power, secure maritime trade routes, and formalize diplomatic relations across the Indian Ocean. Commanded by Admiral Zheng He, the treasure fleet undertook seven voyages between 1405 and 1433, reaching from Southeast Asia to South Asia, the Persian Gulf, and the East African coast. The fleet was unprecedented in scale, carrying vast amounts of silk, livestock, porcelain, and precious metals to foreign courts while returning with tribute, ambassadors, and exotic goods. Through a combination of careful diplomacy and selective military intervention, the voyages incorporated dozens of territories into China’s tributary system and temporarily established Ming China as a naval power. At the same time, the voyages led by Zheng He were deeply entangled in domestic political struggle. The expeditions were overseen by the eunuch establishment, whose influence depended on imperial favor, and faced growing opposition from civil officials who viewed the voyages as costly, destabilizing, and contrary to their vision of state governance. As political priorities shifted following the death of the Yongle Emperor, support for the voyages waned, and the expeditions were ultimately discontinued. Despite their abrupt end, the Ming treasure voyages endure as a defining moment of early global connection and imperial ambition.
Topic 1
The Final Expedition
The seventh and final Ming treasure voyage, launched in 1431, marked both the culmination and conclusion of one of the most ambitious maritime enterprises in history. Commanded once again by Admiral Zheng He, the fleet traveled farther than ever before, reaching Hormuz in the Persian Gulf and extending Chinese diplomatic and commercial presence across the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. By this stage, the treasure voyages had firmly established Ming China as the pre-eminent naval power of the early fifteenth century, integrating ports from Southeast Asia to the Swahili Coast into a vast maritime network structured around tribute, trade, and political hierarchy. Yet the final expedition unfolded against a backdrop of shifting priorities within the Ming court. While the voyage reaffirmed tributary relationships and projected imperial authority, it also exposed the growing tension between maritime expansion abroad and mounting pressure for balance with domestic governance. Delegates must assess whether the goals of the seventh voyage were still aligned with the strategic interests of the Ming state, and, in evaluating the final voyage, consider whether continued expeditions would have strengthened imperial authority or further destabilized internal governance. How should an empire weigh the benefits of global influence against the costs of sustaining it? Was maritime dominance a sustainable strategy for Ming China, or was restraint and redirection the wiser course of action?
Topic 2
Court Politics & The Fate Of Maritime China
Behind the Ming treasure voyages was a court marred by personal ambitions and factional struggle. The expeditions were championed by the eunuch establishment whose authority and prestige depended directly on imperial favor. In opposition stood the civil scholar-officials, who viewed the voyages as financially reckless, ideologically suspect, and dangerously empowering to rivals within the court. As the Yongle Emperor’s reign ended, accusations of corruption, exaggerated costs, and improper accumulation of foreign luxury goods began to circulate. Records were selectively suppressed, and shipyards were defunded. Some officials deliberately destroyed archives to prevent the voyages from ever being revived, while others redirected funds under the guise of domestic reform. Delegates must navigate a court environment where policy is inseparable from personal power. Was the maritime project undermined by genuine concern for stability, or by calculated intrigue aimed at weakening the established eunuch faction? Delegates must confront how corruption, rumor, and political rivalry shaped China’s grand strategy, and determine whether the withdrawal from the seas represented calculated statecraft or a failure of governance.