In the study of ancient Chinese maritime history, there are plenty of sources from which one can gather information. These sources, however credible, may differ slightly in historical accuracy as well as in opinions, which is based on who is writing the publication. While we studied the voyages of Admiral Zheng He, I gathered information from three separate sources ranging from the textbook, classroom handouts, to articles published on the internet. Each was different in their styles as well as in what was stated as a fact. This leads one to think that history is told through people who lived through it, and in fact, stories are how it is carried on. I believe these stories lose some of their accuracy after a few generations and become more of a form of folktale.
The first source I analyzed came from the information I received found in the textbook. This source was very brief on the information concerning Zheng He; however, it consisted of many facts. Ship size was discussed as well as the fleets that Zheng He sailed with. It emphasized the facts on the technology the Chinese possessed at the time in terms of shipbuilding. The textbook discussed the reasoning for the departure from Zheng He’s voyages was largely from
economic issues because the ships cost too much money to build and maintain. The moving of the capital from Nanjing to Beijing was another reason as well as the fear of a Mongol invasion from the north.
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