Admiral Cheng Ho, Discovered America First ...About 70 years before Columbus put the flag on the American mainland, Admiral Zheng He had already come to it. The participants of the seminar organized by the Royal Geographical Society in London some time ago created stunned. Was a submarine expert and historian named Gavin Menzies in his presentation and then received great attention.
Appear confident, Menzies explained his theory about the famous voyages of sailors mahsyur from China, Admiral Zheng He (we know him Ceng Ho-ed). Together with the evidence found from the historical record, he then concluded that the sailors and skilful navigator of the Ming period was the early inventors of the Americas, and instead of Columbus.
Even thought, Zheng He 'beat' Columbus with a range of approximately 70 years. What was raised Menzies certainly create excitement for the world community because it knows that Columbus was the discoverer of the Americas at about the 15th century. Menzies' statement was corroborated by a number of historical evidence. Is a map made in the period before Columbus started his expedition complete with pictures of the Americas as well as an astronomical map of Zheng He who dosodorkannya as evidence that. Menzies became so convinced after examining the accuracy of historic objects.
Admiral Cheng Ho's ship
Laksana''this is what should be awarded the title as the first discoverer of the Americas,''he said. Menzies reviewed for more than 14 years. This includes the study of ancient maps, evidence of artifacts and also the development of modern astronomy technology through software programs such as Starry Night.
From the key evidence that could alter the flow of history, Menzies says that most of the maps and written sources of ancient Chinese navigation during the voyage of Admiral Zheng He's. Exploration to reach the American continent took the time between 1421 and 1423. Previously, Zheng He's fleet sailed along the southern route across Africa and to South America.
Description of Zheng He's voyages astronomy roughly call, late at night when the stars look south around the date March 18, 1421, the location is at the southern tip of South America. It is then reconstructed using Starry Night software by comparing the map of Zheng He's voyages.
"I am programmed to time in Starry Night 1421 and the world are estimated to have sailed the expedition," said Menzies who is also expert navigation and former submarine commander British navy. From here, he finally found two different locations thanks to the record of this voyage astronomy (star) Zheng He's expeditions.
Then there is movement on these stars, according to the earth's rotation and orientation in space. Due to the less perfect the earth's rotation makes the earth's axis as if carved circles in the sky every 26 thousand years. This phenomenon, called precision, means that each point of the polar targeting different stars during the running time. Menzies uses software to reconstruct the position of the stars like in the year 1421.
"We already have a map of ancient Chinese star but still need a calendar map," said Menzies. While puzzling over this problem, suddenly discovered the solution. "With incredible luck, one of the goals that they went through, ie, between Sumatra and Dondra Head, Sri Lanka, heading west."
Part of the voyage was apparently very close to the equator in the Indian Ocean. The Polaris, the north star, and the southern star Canopus, which is close to the southern polar latitudes, listed in the map. "From there, we managed to determine the direction and the position of Polaris. So then we can ensure the future of the map was the year 1421, plus or minus 30 years."
Above findings, Philip Sadler, navigation experts from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said the estimate by using ancient maps based on star positions is very possible. He also agreed that the estimated period of 30 years, as in Menzies' view, too reasonable.
The explorers accomplishedSo far, the people of the world knows gait explorer Zheng He as a master. He was born in Kunyang, a city located in southwestern Yunnan Province, in the year 1371. His family named Ma, were part of minority residents stew. They came from Central Asia and embraced Islam. His father and grandfather Zheng He's been known to make the pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Mecca. While Zheng He himself grew up with a lot of traveling to a number of areas. He is a devout Muslim.
Yunnan is one of the last areas of defense of the Mongols, which existed long before the Ming Dynasty. At Sun troop master Yunan year 1382, Zheng He's also taken prisoner and brought to Nanjing. At the time he was 11 years old. Zheng He was used as a waitress crown prince who later became emperor named Yong Le. Now this emperor who gave the name of Zheng He's up to the end he became one of the most famous sea captains in the world.
