Xheng He commanded the “floating city”, a thiry-year period when China used a large fleet to conquer nearby regions. The first ruler was the Hongqwu emperor and after his death, the uncle fought his son and won, taking over the title. He attempted to annex a region and fight the Mongols, whilst also building Beijing. He appointed the eunich Zheng He (born near the Himalyas, son of a mongol official, Muslim, taken captive by the Chinese after conquering of their town, became a trusted confidant of the emperor). Nine mast vessels 450 feetx200 feet, watertight compartments, carried silks, porcelain, and gold. There were cooks, sailmakers, translators, soldiers, diplomats, etc. In 1405, the crew embarked on their first voyage and went down the Yangtze river, and were blown by monsoon winds to other regions. He used magnetic compasses and incense to measure time. They arrived in Calicut (27,000 crewmen) they gifted treasures to Malayams and they received pepper and other cultural gifts in return. After half a year they fell in with monsoon winds, they headed home with people from (Calicut, Quilon, Sumatra, and Malacca). Zheng He led pirates into a pirate ambush and they captured Xuyi after a month long chase. After he returned, he presented gifts to therulers and Zuyi was beheaded. The fleet then encountered Parameswara who took it under Ming possesion, meaning it would be left untouched for fear of angering them. In Ceylon, there was war with Hindu Tamils and among themselves, and a usurper. The ruler refused to pay tribute and Zheng he returned (after leaving) and started a small conflict. There was then a surprise assault on the treasure fleet, but Zheng he held a siege on their capital and captured Aleksvara. The fourth voyage was in 1430, into the Persian Gulf in Hormuz. They offered wealth in return for horses carpets precious metals, and pearls. Hormuz was a thriving trading port and animals were sold to the Chinese; people joined them on the ships to join them as envoys. In Malacca, Zheng He encountered a usurper who had overtaken the king, Zheng He sided with the previous king and helped him regain his throne. The Giraffe caused a stir among the Chinese people, thought to mark the sign of a great ruler. Then, he sailed beyond to Aden (modern Yemen) and gathered new animals. Then they went to Malindi and encountered citrus gardens and were received well by Swahilis. In 1424, the Yongle emperor died while on campaign against mongols. The son took the throne and died, so the Yongle grandson took the throne. On his final journey, Zheng He passed away in Calicut. The Ming court then disbanded the treasure fleet as an insult to traditional Confucian values, and hatred for the eunich faction. Economics was a likely reason for stopping the fleet, and Beijing and warfronts had costed them greatly. In 1529, the Jiajing emperor burned Zheng He’s logbooks to establish China as an isoloationist country. The treasure fleet also changed the ethnic matkeup of the region, the era following his voyages saw an increase in immigration. Mosques were also built throughout Asia.