Zheng He belongs to the Ming dynasty.
The threat to patrician wealth was too great and the Republic eventually agreed to their equality.
This was the Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT), also sometimes called an "amphtrack" or "amtrac" -- short for "amphibious tractor."
The LVT was used in World War II, notably in the Battle of Tarawa. Tarawa is an atoll, or ring-shaped coral reef, successfully getting soldiers transported across the reef and through shallow waters.
The answer is mercantilism.