Ma Huan
Ma Huan ( Chinese 马 欢 , majority name ( zì ) Zōngdào ( 宗 道 ), born in Huiji County ( 会稽 ), today Shaoxing , in Zhejiang Province ) was a Muslim traveler and translator, whom Admiral Zheng He on three of his seven trips to accompanied the Western Oceans (on the 4th, 6th and 7th voyages).
On the expedition of 1413-1415 he visited Champa , Java , Sumatra , Palembang , Siam , Kochi and Hormus .
On the expedition from 1421-1422 he visited Malacca , Sumatra, Ceylon , Kochi , Calicut , Dhofar and Hormus.
On the expedition of 1431-1433 he visited Bengal , Chittagong , Sonargaon , Gaur and Calicut. From Calicut he was sent to Mecca as an emissary by Admiral Zheng He (also a Muslim) .
During his expeditions, Ma Huan took note of geography, politics, weather, the environment, the economy, local customs and traditions, and even methods of punishment for criminals. After returning from the first voyage, he began to write a book about his expedition, the first draft of which was ready around 1416. He expanded and changed his design during his later expeditions, the final version being ready around 1451. The title of the book is Yingyai shenglan ( 瀛 涯 胜 览 ) (in Mills' English translation: The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores, freely translated: The wonders of the seas).
In the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty , the work was widely printed, and there were also handwritten copies. The last authentic text of the printed edition was published by the Chinese historian Feng Chengjun ( 冯承钧 ). A newer edition, based on handwritten editions from the Ming Dynasty, was recently published by the Ocean Publishing House in China. There is an English translation by JVG Mills for the Hakluyt Society in 1970, reprinted in 1997 by The White Lotus Press in Bangkok. Mills' translation was based on the edition by Feng Chengjun.
The Yingyai shenglan is regarded by sinologists around the world as a fundamental source for the history of the Ming Age maritime research expeditions, the history of Southeast Asia and the history of India .
The following scholars have researched Ma Huan: Jan JL Duyvendak , Friedrich Hirth , Paul Pelliot , Feng Chengjun, Xiang Da (向 达).
One of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea is named after him.
Chinese prints and editions
- Jilu huibian 纪录 汇编
- Feng Chengjun ( 冯承钧 ): Yingyai shenglan jiaozhu ( 瀛 涯 胜 览 校 注 ), Zhonghua shuju ( 中华书局 ) 1955
annotation
- ↑ See the entry Yingyai shenglan at zh.wikipedia.
- ↑ See the entry Yingyai shenglan at zh.wikipedia.
literature
- Ying-yai Sheng-lan, The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores 1433 by Ma Huan, translated by JVG Mills, with foreword and preface, Hakluty Society, London 1970; reprinted by the White Lotus Press 1997 ISBN 974-8496-78-3 ( limited online version in the Google book search)
- Paul Pelliot : Les grands voyages maritimes chinois au début du 15ème siècle
- Jan JL Duyvendak : Ma Huan re-examined. Amsterdam: Noord-Hollandsche 1933
- Jan JL Duyvendak : China's Discovery of Africa, Probsthain, 1949.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ma, Huan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ma, Zongdao; 马 欢 (Chinese); 宗 道 (Chinese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Muslim admiral and discoverer of the Chinese Ming Dynasty |
| DATE OF BIRTH | between 1350 and 1400 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | District Huiji , today Shaoxing |
| DATE OF DEATH | after 1451 |