Question 1

True or false: Zheng He was a pirate before being recruited by the Ming emperor.

Accepted Answer

False. He was a court eunuch and military commander, not a pirate; his father was a Muslim official in Yunnan.

Question 2

True or false: Zheng He commanded only a handful of ships, similar to European explorers of his era.

Accepted Answer

False. His largest fleet included over 300 ships and 27,000 men, far exceeding any contemporary European expedition.

Question 3

True or false: Zheng He discovered America nearly 70 years before Columbus.

Accepted Answer

False. No credible evidence supports this myth; his voyages focused on Southeast Asia, India, and Africa, not the Americas.

Question 4

True or false: Zheng He's voyages reached the east coast of Africa, trading with cities like Malindi and Mombasa.

Accepted Answer

True. His fleet visited Mogadishu, Malindi, and Mombasa, exchanging Chinese silk and porcelain for African ivory and giraffes.

Question 5

True or false: Zheng He was a Muslim eunuch who served the Ming emperor as an admiral.

Accepted Answer

True. Born Ma He, he was captured as a child, castrated, and rose to become a trusted eunuch admiral of Muslim faith.

Question 6

True or false: Zheng He's fleet was destroyed in a typhoon, ending the Ming dynasty's maritime expeditions.

Accepted Answer

False. The voyages ended due to court politics and Confucian opposition to foreign trade, not a single disaster.

Question 7

True or false: Zheng He exchanged gifts with the ruler of Sri Lanka during his voyages.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1411, he intervened in a local conflict and brought the captured king back to China as a tribute envoy.

Question 8

True or false: Zheng He's treasure ships were over 400 feet long, dwarfing Columbus's Santa Maria.

Accepted Answer

True. Historical records describe massive 'treasure ships' up to 440 feet, though some scholars debate exact dimensions.

Zheng He Trivia Questions