Question 1:
The purpose of the trips sponsored by the Yongle emperor were several. First of all, the emperor wanted to establish a Chinese presence in the surrounding regions, and to impose control over the trade in the Indian Ocean. He also wanted to get to know the people of other regions and impress them with the developments and riches of the Chinese empire, along with extending the tributary system.
Some authors, like Deng (2005), believe that the voyages were also a “manhunt” designed to capture the emperor’s escaped predecessor.
Question 2:
These voyages turned out to be extremely successful expeditions. Zheng He’s fleet visited the Swahili, from which he got presents such as ostriches, zebras, camels and ivory. He also visited Brunei, Java, Thailand, India, the Horn of Africa and Arabia. After his fourth voyage, he brought envoys from thirty states to pay their respects at the Ming Court. This effectively contributed to expanding the influence of China in the region.
