Le dragon des quatre océans: Un roman historique qui retrace la plus fabuleuse expédition de tous les temps [French]

By Ikor-O

In 1405, Yongle, the third emperor of China's Ming dynasty sent out a gigantic armada of more than six hundred ships among which sixty ?treasure-vessels?. Heading this fleet of twelve thousand men was Zheng He, a Muslim-born eunuch. Born in 1371 to poor Muslim parents in Southwest China, Zheng He was captured as a young boy by the Chinese army and castrated, as often were prisoners of that time. Nonetheless, he dedicated himself to his studies, learning several languages and philosophy. At the age of ten, he was hired by the Prince Yongle who later rewarded him with command of the fleet.

The goal of the expedition (the biggest ever to cross the seas, a century before Vasco de Gama) was to make the world's nations acknowledge the emperor's lordship and to impose peace and universal harmony. It was also to resume commercial ties with these nations, crush Japanese and Chinese pirates who scoured the seas and to put order into the Chinese trading posts situated along the coasts.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: French
• ISBN: 2709621975
• ISBN13: 9782709621977
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Editions J.C. Lattes
• Length: 554 Pages
• Weight: 1.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.3"