Emperor Yung-lo usurped the throne in a bloody coup in 1402, in which his nephew, Emperor Hsien-wen, was purportedly burned to death. However, reports surfaced that Hsien-wen had actually escaped from the palace, and was living in dislodge in Southeast Asia. Thus, concerned for his position on the throne, Yung-lo equip Cheng Ho to search the region for Hsien-wen.
Although most scholars believe that Yung-lo wished to befall and eliminate Hsien-wen, the expeditions were also motivated by a hope for glory on Yung-lo's part.
Probably the Yung-lo emperor, being a usurper, precious to raise his reputation by sending out expeditions which, by inducing the peoples of foreign lands to pay him homage and by saving back rare objects, would prove that he was the real son of heaven and therefo
The acquisitiveness and, at times, hysteria exhibited by Cheng Ho on his journeys may obscure the diplomatical nature of his missions. He and the other imperial envoys did resort to physical coercion in some instances, but most of the rulers he encountered were eager to better their relations with the Ming court.
From Ceylon to Borneo to the Maldives, Cheng Ho and his envoys visited the rulers of thirty kingdoms and demanded tribute from them. If the native kings complied readily, they received generous financial rewards and even titles from the envoys, on behalf of the emperor. However, if the rulers were slow to submit, they soon found themselves under attack by Cheng Ho's troops. In some cases, rulers were even captured and brought back to Peking as prisoners of war.
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