Age of Exploration

1420 to 1750

Zheng He (1371–1435)

• Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, & admiral

• Believed to be a Muslim (according to his chronicler)

• Known to speak both Arabic and Chinese

• Given command of seven voyages by Ming ruler

• Traveled to India, Arabia and Africa (1405 – 1433)

• Emperor’s Purpose of Travels Establish Imperial Presence

Impose Control on Trade

Extend Tributary System

Impress Foreigners

Zheng He (1371–1435)

• First fleet consisted of between

200 – 317 ships (27,800 men)

• “Treasure Ships” described as

being gigantic in size (500 men)

Marco Polo (1271 - 1295)

Ibn Battuta (1325 - 1354)

• 440 Foot Command Ship -vs-

Columbus’ 85 Foot Santa Maria

• Major Ports & Trade Centers Champa (Vietnam)

Java (Indonesia)

Malacca (Malaysia)

Sumatra (Indonesia)

Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

Calicut (India)

Hormuz (Persia)

Dhufur (Arabian Peninsula)

Aden (Arabian Peninsula)

Mogadishu (East Africa)

Malindi (East Africa)

Zheng He (1371–1435)

• Erected the Galle Trilingual Inscription (stone

tablet) in Ceylon around 1410 CE

Stone carved in Chinese, Tamil, and Arabic

Stone gave praise to Buddha, Shiva and Allah

Tributes of gold, silver, silk & jewels made to each

• Erected a Commemorative Pillar in Fujian, China

in 1432 CE

Dedicated to the Taoist Goddess (Tian Fei)

Provided details about his voyages

• Brought back rare animals and animal goods as

tributes from distant lands:

Ivory Tusks

Camels

Zebras

Ostriches

Giraffes Gift from Somalia during the 12th

year of the Yongle Emperor (c. 1415)

The Gangnido (Kangnido) Map ("Map of Integrated Lands and Regions

of Historical Countries and Capitals”)

• Second Asian Map of known World (Centered on China)

• Made in Korea in 1402 CE

• Based on previous map (c. 1320’s)

The Great Ming Amalgamated Map (“Da Ming Hun Yi Tu”)

• Earliest Asian Map of known World (Centered on China)

• Made in China circa 1320’s CE

• Based on input from Chinese and

Islamic Geographers

Henry the Navigator (1394 - 1460 )

• Prince Henry was the third son of King John I

• Learned about the Trans-Sahara trade routes from

merchants in Morocco

• Was intrigued about Africa and the legend Prester John

Legendary King of Ethiopia

• Father granted him land at tip of Portugal

known as Sagres Point

• Prince Henry built his “Villa de Infante” to

include a palace, chapel and observatory

• Sponsored scientific work in map making,

ship building, and numerous explorations

• Employed Arab & Jewish mathematicians,

Italian mapmakers, and Portuguese sailors

Henry the Navigator (1394 - 1460 )

• His Patronage sponsored numerous early explorers

Joao Zarco’s discovery of Medeira Islands (1420)

Gil Eannes rounding Cape Bajador in 1434

Nuno Tristao sailing to Cape Blanc in 1441

Alvisa Cadamosto reaching the Gambia River by 1456

Diego Gomes sailing to Cape Palmas in 1459 - 1460

Caravel

• Developed under sponsorship of

Prince Henry “the Navigator”

• Tonnage of 50 to 160 Tons with 1 to 3

masts and triangular “Lateen” sails

• Sallow draft and keel allowed it to sail

up rivers and in shallow coastal waters

• Lighter weight, sleeker design, and use

of Lateen sails made it fast and agile

• Limited capacity for cargo and crew

were major drawbacks

• Its economy, speed, agility and power

made it very popular with sailors

Carrack

Ferdinand Magellan’s Victoria

Christopher Columbus’ Santa Maria

• Larger version of the popular Caravel

• Developed in 15th Century Europe by

the Spanish and Portuguese

• Designed as ocean going vessels for

exploration and trade on the Atlantic

• Large enough to be stable on high seas

and roomy enough to carry provisions

• New design had a high rounded stern

with bow and large fore and aft castles

• Usually had three to four masts with

large square mainsails & smaller lateens

Fra Mauro Map

• Created by the Venetian

monk Fra Mauro (c. 1450)

• Assisted by Andrea Bianco

(sailor-cartographer)

• Commissioned by King

Afonso V of Portugal

• Circular portolan planisphere

(orientation w/ South at top)

• Includes numerous notes

and inscriptions concerning

locations and navigation

• Mentions a Chinese ship

sailing around the tip of

Africa (circa 1420 CE)

The Gangnido (Kangnido) Map ("Map of Integrated Lands and Regions

of Historical Countries and Capitals”)

(circa 1402)

Fra Mauro Map

(circa 1450)

Different Perspectives and Points of View

“Jerusalem is indeed the center

of the inhabited world”

Fra Mauro Map Inscription

China is identified as the center

of the known world on the Gangnido

Map

Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506)

• Italian born explorer commissioned by Spanish Monarchy

• Inspired by the Travels of Marco Polo

• Sailed west in 1492 to find shorter route to India

• Discovered an Island in the Bahamas that he called San Salvador (The Savior)

• Initial voyage was followed by three consecutive voyages to the new world

Treaty of Tordesillas (7 June 1494)

• Intended to solve the dispute between Spain and Portugal over new lands

• Divided the globe between Eastern (Portugal) and Western (Spain) Hemispheres

• Violated when the Portuguese discovered and claimed Brazil in 1500

• Second agreement (Treaty of Saragossa) signed in 1529 to resolve misunderstandings

• Joint rule of Spain and Portugal between 1580 – 1640 made treaty meaningless

Portuguese lead the way to the East

Bartolomeu Dias (1457 – 1500)

Led the first European expedition

around the Cape of Good Hope

in 1488 (Storm knocked him off course)

Vasco da Gama (1460 – 1524)

First European to sail to India

and back between 1497 - 1499

Pedro Alvares Cabral

(1467 – 1520)

First European to sight Brazil in

1500 and claim it for Portugal

(Actually spotted by Amerigo Vespucci)

Portuguese lead the way to the East

Diago Dias (1462 – 1515)

First European to sail to the island

of Madagascar (in 1500)

Alfonso de Albuquerque (1460

– 1524)

Sailed to the Spice Islands to

coordinate trade (1507 – 1511)

Ferdinand Magellan (1480 – 1521)

First European to lead expedition

around the world (1519 – 1522)

(Died in 1522 in the Philippines)

Spain starts claiming the West

Panfilo de Narvaez (1470 – 1528)

Spanish conquistador who helped

conquer Cuba

Vasco de Balboa (1475 – 1519)

Spanish conquistador who was the

first to see the Pacific (1513) by

crossing the Isthmus of Panama

Juan Ponce de Leon (1460 – 1521)

Spanish Conquistador who was the

first to set foot in Florida (1513)

(Suppose to be in search of the legendary

Fountain of Youth)

Spain starts claiming the West

Hernando de Soto (1500 – 1542)

Spanish conquistador who was the

first to explore Southeast North

America (1524)

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

(1510 – 1554)

Spanish conquistador who was the

first to explore Southwest North

America (1540 – 1542)

Hernan Cortes (1485 – 1547)

Spanish Conquistador who

conquered the Aztecs (1519 -1522)

Francisco Pizarro (1478 – 1541)

Spanish Conquistador who

conquered the Incas (1532 -1533)

The Rest of Europe joins the Search

Jacques Cartier (1491 – 1557)

French explorer who sailed up

the St. Lawrence River &

named Canada in 1541

Giovanni de Varrazzano

(1485 – 1528)

Italian born French explorer to

sail the East Coast of North

America in 1524

Giovanni Caboto (1450 – 1499)

Italian born English Explorer sailed

to Newfoundland & Canada in 1497

The Rest of Europe joins the Search

Sir Walter Raleigh (1554 - 1618)

English Explorer who established

colony in Virginia in 1585

Sir Humphrey Gilbert

(1539 - 1583)

English explorer who established

colony in Newfoundland in 1583

Sir Francis Drake (1545 – 1596)

English explorer who sailed around

the world from 1577 - 1580

Piri Reis Map (c. 1513)

• Compiled by Ottoman-Turkish

Admiral and Cartographer Piri Reis

• Based on naval military intelligence

acquired from various maps

• Included information from Arabian,

Indian, and Portuguese sources

• Discovered in 1929 by German

Historian Gustav Adolf Deissmann

• Initially believed to be the earliest

known map to accurately depict

the East Coast of South America

Piri Reis Map (c. 1513)

Disputes on Authenticity

• Charles Hapgood (1904-1982)

American Professor

Verified Global Exploration

Advanced Mathematics

Surpassed Instrumentation

• Gregory C. Mcintosh Historian of Cartography

Author of The Piri Reis Map

Use of Columbus’ lost maps

Errors due to multiple sources

• Gavin Menzies Amateur Historican

Author of 1421: The Year

China Discovered America

Claims Chinese maps were

partial sources used

The tip of Brazil is easy to place (A-a).

To the west (b) we have a large river flowing into a

broad recess. This can only be the Amazon (B).

The sharp southern recess in the coast of Brazil (C-c) is

easy to see on both maps.

A large river with a big delta flowing out of a convex

coastline (d), and a big island offshore (e). It's a nearly

perfect match for the Orinoco (D) and the island is

Trinidad (E).

One of the two rivers at g is almost

certainly the Magdalena (G).

The coastal bend north of Panama is

fairly clear (F-f).

Coastal features like points and bays

are accurately rendered, then south of

the smoothly curving coast at I-i there

must be a cusp on the coast (j-J).

The next prominent point k could be the

point beyond the Rio de la Plata (K).