Free levelled English reading practice. Read for meaning first, then use the full Speed Reading tool to time yourself and track your progress.
Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming dynasty sent a series of major maritime expeditions across the Indian Ocean. They were commanded by Zheng He, a Muslim-born eunuch who became a trusted official at the imperial court. Large fleets sailed from China to Southeast Asia, India, the Arabian Peninsula and the east coast of Africa. Their purposes included displaying Ming power, developing diplomatic relationships, carrying gifts and encouraging trade. The expeditions involved many kinds of ships and thousands of people, including sailors, soldiers, translators and officials. Zheng He's fleets returned with foreign envoys, luxury goods and animals that attracted attention at court. After the voyages ended, the Ming government shifted its priorities, and large state-sponsored expeditions on this scale did not continue. The voyages remain significant because they reveal the reach of Chinese maritime technology and diplomacy in the early fifteenth century, before sustained European expansion into the Indian Ocean.
