1421: Chapter 3

After the introuduction period of the first two chapters, chapter three finally begins to describe the voyage of Zheng He. According to the book, several of the documents (Wu Pei Chi) survived the destruction of the mandarins. It is simply amazing how they Chinese navigated the ocean. They established the technique of using "The Pole Star" (Polaris) as a way to measure their latitude. However, contrary to today's methods, the ancient Chinese measured from the North Pole instead of the equator. To them, the Pole Star was a symbol, almost like the Emperor. It ruled the night sky. However, at the time, they could not accurately chart longitude due to currents in the water. Still, it is astounding they were able to accomplish that much. Not only were they excellent navigators, but they were also very aware of their health and nutrition on these voyages, being much more prepared than later voyages, such as Magellan's. While on their awe inspiring journeys, the Chinese took entire ships dedicated to their food supply. Their storing techniques so the food would not spoil was very interesting, and instead of eating meat they mainly relied on fish. How they caught the fish was interesting as well. The Chinese used trained otters to trap the fish into a net, a practice which is still sometimes used today. If there was ever a water shortage, they were somehow able to desalinate the salt water. Again, another very impressive feat. Concubines were also a very important aspect of these voyages. The fleet had landed in Malacca ,Mecca, and Calicut. When the fleet arrived in Calicut, a Portuguese poet (Camoes) said the fleet was comprised of over 800 ships. That number just puts a wow in my head. It is said that the Chinese controlled the trade of the entire Indian Ocean during this time. It is obvious why.

1421: Chapter 2

Chapter 2 begins two months after the great armada left China. A horrible event has just happened. A storm has hit the Forbidden City, burning the palace of Zhu Di. According to the Chinese beliefs, an occurance such as this one displays how their God feels. For example, when he was happy, the city prospered. However, when he was mad, the palace burned to the ground. This event was significant because it forshadowed the downfall of the Chinese under the Ming emperors. Zhu Di basically goes insane after this, draining his finances and losing the support of his people. However, this happens several times through the course of history, so I almost saw it coming in this scenario as well. After Zhu Di's death, basically all foreign trade was cut off. This part of the book surprised me. According to the book, China's fleet was larger than all those of Europe combined at the time. To even ponder that they would just up and abandon that as if it were nothing really shocked me. These ships were simply massive, hundreds of feet long by several hundred feet wide! The Chinese were so far ahead of Europe in so many ways everytime I read about something new I get the same feeling of surprise and awe. Upon the homecoming of the armada, they were not greated with praise. All accounts of the voyage were supposedly destroyed in China, which makes this book all the more mystical. Somehow this account came to be, even if it was not straight from China.

1421: Chapter 1

The opening chapter of the novel was very interesting. It correlates really well with a lot of what we are learning in class about Chinese history. 1421 starts by telling of how the Chinese ended the rule of the Mongols in their land. Zhu Di, the main character, defeated the Mongols on every front. After the defeat, the novel shows a great deal of Chinese culture by revealing how they torture the Mongol prisoners. They took the prisoners and turned them into eunuchs. Eunuchs were a very important part of the Chinese social system. Most eunuchs worked for the emperor, and gained high positions such as: commanders, generals, admirals, and even the emperor's personal assistants. Zhu Di has been the emperor for quite some time, and he had just moved the Capitol to Beijing. He also did many other things, some of which we learned about in class. Confucianism played a major role in Chinese culture at the time. Zhu Di also rebuilt much of the Great Wall of China, and also created the "Great Canal." Both of these immense building projects came at a great cost to the Chinese population, combining to take the lives of millions of Chinese citizens. Around the same time period, the Chinese fleet was being built. This just shows how much the Chinese are willing to sacrifice for progress, just like today. After the completion of the building projects in Beijing and the Great Canal, Zhu Di held a massive party. To show his power, every dignitary that came had to bow at his feet. To show the magnitude of this feast, it was compared to King Henry's wedding in England. On every level, it dwarfed the wedding party. At the end of the chapter, the great voyage of the Chinese fleet is just beginning to be mentioned. So far the culture of the Chinese has simply been captivating, and I look forward to more.

1421: Introduction

The introduction was set up as a really good hook. It simply was a background of how the author, Gavin Menzies, came across the maps that led him to search for an ancient seafaring country. In the beginning, he had no idea who these people were, only that they sailed all over the globe before the days of Columbus and Magellan. The detail that was used in describing the routes took by these seamen has already started to draw me into the novel, and I can tell it is only going to get better. It is astounding to even consider the fact that the history we have been taught our entire lives may be based on the explorations of other explorers years before what we already know.