Final answer:
Zheng He led seven expeditions between 1405 and 1433 across South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. These voyages were centered on trade, diplomacy, and exhibiting the Ming dynasty's influence rather than establishing colonies. After Zheng He's death and subsequent political changes, China ceased these maritime expeditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Zheng He's Voyages
Between 1405 and 1433, Admiral Zheng He led seven notable expeditions under the auspices of the Ming dynasty. His voyages expanded across South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. Notably, Zheng He's fleet was more interested in trade and in demonstrating the power of the Chinese Empire rather than colonizing. Gifts such as porcelain and silk were exchanged for ivory, spices, and exotic animals like giraffes and zebras. The delegations and trade goods he brought back played a significant role in the Ming dynasty's expansion of its tributary system.
During his final voyage, in 1431-1433, Zheng He continued his mission of diplomacy and tribute extraction, connecting with countries along the coastal regions of Asia and reaching as far as the east coast of Africa. The fleet's expansive journeys even touched Egypt in the quest for medicinal herbs to combat smallpox. The outstanding characteristic of these journeys was Zheng He's capacity to gather tribute and enforce the majesty of the Chinese emperor through diplomatic and sometimes coercive means. Following his death, China withdrew from these expansive maritime engagements.
These voyages, represented by the travails of the fleet and the treasures brought back, including the sendings from the Somali Ajuran Empire in Africa like the giraffe, illustrated the grandeur and the interconnectedness initiated by the Yongle emperor.