The Chinese Origin of the Age of Discovery
For hundreds of years the Age of Discovery has enjoyed the status as one of the most spectacular chapters in European history. The miraculous achievements in discovering new lands—not just lands, but entire continents—led to the glorious flowering of European cultures and the ultimate domination of the world. Yet the curious aspect of this history is that nobody seems to know what brought on such an unlikely explosion of brilliance. The records of the period, especially concerning seafaring, are, to say the least, sketchy. What made Christopher Columbus desire to travel west by sea to Asia (as it is said) whereas everybody else was going east, implying that he knew the Earth was round at a time when Europeans generally thought the world was flat? And why did the Portuguese, the first to venture out of continental Europe, go east? Indeed, what prompted them to go at all?
A close and detailed examination of extant European documents of the period offers up a logical, almost humdrum explanation: the Chinese had documented the lands of the world and the Europeans inherited the knowledge. European maps from the period, from late 14th c. to 16th c. showed the lands of the whole world before the European explorers had visited them; before they knew such lands existed. The lands included all the continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and yes, Australia, and the poles. Islands such as Greenland and Iceland were also prominently and unmistakably depicted. Mapmakers were not supposed to be able to represent geography without data. The fact that they did without firsthand experience of survey indicates that they had copied the maps from a source that had. This conclusion is inevitable. The maps in question are not Chinese but European maps, and they are preserved in national archives and institutions.
Further examination of these same documents shows that the mapmakers not only copied their oceans and landmasses, they also copied the geographical characteristics of their sources; they had Chinese names on their maps. For instance, these Chinese names were found on the American continents alongside native names, informing us that the European mapmakers had no real knowledge of what they were working on, and they were unaware of the state of confusion they were in.
Not only are these names found in unlikely places Chinese names, they are unquestionably Mongol-Yuan Dynasty era nomenclature. Thus we know Europeans had obtained Chinese knowledge documented during the 13th to 14th c.
It is important to note that during the reign of the Chinese Ming Dynasty emperor Chengzu at the beginning of the 15th c. a series of naval expeditions were launched sending huge ships into the Indian Ocean and beyond. The mission was headed by a court eunuch named Zheng He. The proliferation of Chinese geographical knowledge on European documents did not begin until early the 15th c.; that is, the time of Admiral Zheng He’s epic voyages, and soon thereafter. Admiral Zheng He’s fleets sailed between 1405 and 1433. Right at this time Chinese geographical data began showing up on European documents.
The Portuguese explorers and Christopher Columbus sailed some half a century later. Their having benefited from Chinese geographical knowledge is beyond doubt. Indeed, the antique maps scrutinized in the research show that the map sketches attributed to Christopher Columbus contain Chinese signature features.
Unlike official conveyance of properties between nations, knowledge transfer is generally undocumented. It is also largely opportunistic. Such majestic ships as the Ming treasure ships sailing the high seas and making calls at ports around the world cannot be totally unseen, and indeed they were. European documents at the time, as uncovered in this research, explicitly documented such sightings.
The complete research with evidence and analyses is contained in the book The Chinese Origin of the Age of discovery, and more information can be found at www.diogenesresearch.org.
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A close and detailed examination of extant European documents of the period offers up a logical, almost humdrum explanation: the Chinese had documented the lands of the world and the Europeans inherited the knowledge. European maps from the period, from late 14th c. to 16th c. showed the lands of the whole world before the European explorers had visited them; before they knew such lands existed. The lands included all the continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and yes, Australia, and the poles. Islands such as Greenland and Iceland were also prominently and unmistakably depicted. Mapmakers were not supposed to be able to represent geography without data. The fact that they did without firsthand experience of survey indicates that they had copied the maps from a source that had. This conclusion is inevitable. The maps in question are not Chinese but European maps, and they are preserved in national archives and institutions.
Further examination of these same documents shows that the mapmakers not only copied their oceans and landmasses, they also copied the geographical characteristics of their sources; they had Chinese names on their maps. For instance, these Chinese names were found on the American continents alongside native names, informing us that the European mapmakers had no real knowledge of what they were working on, and they were unaware of the state of confusion they were in.
Not only are these names found in unlikely places Chinese names, they are unquestionably Mongol-Yuan Dynasty era nomenclature. Thus we know Europeans had obtained Chinese knowledge documented during the 13th to 14th c.
It is important to note that during the reign of the Chinese Ming Dynasty emperor Chengzu at the beginning of the 15th c. a series of naval expeditions were launched sending huge ships into the Indian Ocean and beyond. The mission was headed by a court eunuch named Zheng He. The proliferation of Chinese geographical knowledge on European documents did not begin until early the 15th c.; that is, the time of Admiral Zheng He’s epic voyages, and soon thereafter. Admiral Zheng He’s fleets sailed between 1405 and 1433. Right at this time Chinese geographical data began showing up on European documents.
The Portuguese explorers and Christopher Columbus sailed some half a century later. Their having benefited from Chinese geographical knowledge is beyond doubt. Indeed, the antique maps scrutinized in the research show that the map sketches attributed to Christopher Columbus contain Chinese signature features.
Unlike official conveyance of properties between nations, knowledge transfer is generally undocumented. It is also largely opportunistic. Such majestic ships as the Ming treasure ships sailing the high seas and making calls at ports around the world cannot be totally unseen, and indeed they were. European documents at the time, as uncovered in this research, explicitly documented such sightings.
The complete research with evidence and analyses is contained in the book The Chinese Origin of the Age of discovery, and more information can be found at www.diogenesresearch.org.
The Chinese Origin of the Age of Discovery
For hundreds of years the Age of Discovery has enjoyed the status as one of the most spectacular chapters in European history. The miraculous achievements in discovering new lands—not just lands, but entire continents—led to the glorious flowering of European cultures and the ultimate domination of the world. Yet the curious aspect of this history is that nobody seems to know what brought on such an unlikely explosion of brilliance. The records of the period, especially concerning seafaring, are, to say the least, sketchy. What made Christopher Columbus desire to travel west by sea to Asia (as it is said) whereas everybody else was going east, implying that he knew the Earth was round at a time when Europeans generally thought the world was flat? And why did the Portuguese, the first to venture out of continental Europe, go east? Indeed, what prompted them to go at all?
A close and detailed examination of extant European documents of the period offers up a logical, almost humdrum explanation: the Chinese had documented the lands of the world and the Europeans inherited the knowledge. European maps from the period, from late 14th c. to 16th c. showed the lands of the whole world before the European explorers had visited them; before they knew such lands existed. The lands included all the continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and yes, Australia, and the poles. Islands such as Greenland and Iceland were also prominently and unmistakably depicted. Mapmakers were not supposed to be able to represent geography without data. The fact that they did without firsthand experience of survey indicates that they had copied the maps from a source that had. This conclusion is inevitable. The maps in question are not Chinese but European maps, and they are preserved in national archives and institutions.
Further examination of these same documents shows that the mapmakers not only copied their oceans and landmasses, they also copied the geographical characteristics of their sources; they had Chinese names on their maps. For instance, these Chinese names were found on the American continents alongside native names, informing us that the European mapmakers had no real knowledge of what they were working on, and they were unaware of the state of confusion they were in.
Not only are these names found in unlikely places Chinese names, they are unquestionably Mongol-Yuan Dynasty era nomenclature. Thus we know Europeans had obtained Chinese knowledge documented during the 13th to 14th c.
It is important to note that during the reign of the Chinese Ming Dynasty emperor Chengzu at the beginning of the 15th c. a series of naval expeditions were launched sending huge ships into the Indian Ocean and beyond. The mission was headed by a court eunuch named Zheng He. The proliferation of Chinese geographical knowledge on European documents did not begin until early the 15th c.; that is, the time of Admiral Zheng He’s epic voyages, and soon thereafter. Admiral Zheng He’s fleets sailed between 1405 and 1433. Right at this time Chinese geographical data began showing up on European documents.
The Portuguese explorers and Christopher Columbus sailed some half a century later. Their having benefited from Chinese geographical knowledge is beyond doubt. Indeed, the antique maps scrutinized in the research show that the map sketches attributed to Christopher Columbus contain Chinese signature features.
Unlike official conveyance of properties between nations, knowledge transfer is generally undocumented. It is also largely opportunistic. Such majestic ships as the Ming treasure ships sailing the high seas and making calls at ports around the world cannot be totally unseen, and indeed they were. European documents at the time, as uncovered in this research, explicitly documented such sightings.
The complete research with evidence and analyses is contained in the book The Chinese Origin of the Age of discovery, and more information can be found at www.diogenesresearch.org.
A close and detailed examination of extant European documents of the period offers up a logical, almost humdrum explanation: the Chinese had documented the lands of the world and the Europeans inherited the knowledge. European maps from the period, from late 14th c. to 16th c. showed the lands of the whole world before the European explorers had visited them; before they knew such lands existed. The lands included all the continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and yes, Australia, and the poles. Islands such as Greenland and Iceland were also prominently and unmistakably depicted. Mapmakers were not supposed to be able to represent geography without data. The fact that they did without firsthand experience of survey indicates that they had copied the maps from a source that had. This conclusion is inevitable. The maps in question are not Chinese but European maps, and they are preserved in national archives and institutions.
Further examination of these same documents shows that the mapmakers not only copied their oceans and landmasses, they also copied the geographical characteristics of their sources; they had Chinese names on their maps. For instance, these Chinese names were found on the American continents alongside native names, informing us that the European mapmakers had no real knowledge of what they were working on, and they were unaware of the state of confusion they were in.
Not only are these names found in unlikely places Chinese names, they are unquestionably Mongol-Yuan Dynasty era nomenclature. Thus we know Europeans had obtained Chinese knowledge documented during the 13th to 14th c.
It is important to note that during the reign of the Chinese Ming Dynasty emperor Chengzu at the beginning of the 15th c. a series of naval expeditions were launched sending huge ships into the Indian Ocean and beyond. The mission was headed by a court eunuch named Zheng He. The proliferation of Chinese geographical knowledge on European documents did not begin until early the 15th c.; that is, the time of Admiral Zheng He’s epic voyages, and soon thereafter. Admiral Zheng He’s fleets sailed between 1405 and 1433. Right at this time Chinese geographical data began showing up on European documents.
The Portuguese explorers and Christopher Columbus sailed some half a century later. Their having benefited from Chinese geographical knowledge is beyond doubt. Indeed, the antique maps scrutinized in the research show that the map sketches attributed to Christopher Columbus contain Chinese signature features.
Unlike official conveyance of properties between nations, knowledge transfer is generally undocumented. It is also largely opportunistic. Such majestic ships as the Ming treasure ships sailing the high seas and making calls at ports around the world cannot be totally unseen, and indeed they were. European documents at the time, as uncovered in this research, explicitly documented such sightings.
The complete research with evidence and analyses is contained in the book The Chinese Origin of the Age of discovery, and more information can be found at www.diogenesresearch.org.
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The Chinese Origin of the Age of Discovery
The Chinese Origin of the Age of Discovery
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940012790675 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Diogenes Research |
| Publication date: | 07/12/2011 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 5 MB |
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