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21 Sep 2024, 16:52
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The Ming treasure voyages were maritime expeditions undertaken by Ming China's treasure fleet between 1405 and 1433. The grand project resulted in seven far-reaching ocean voyages to the coastal territories and islands of the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. Admiral Zheng He was commissioned to command the fleet for the expeditions. The first three voyages reached up to Calicut on India's Malabar Coast, while the fourth voyage went as far as Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. In the last three voyages, the fleet traveled up to the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.
The Chinese expeditionary fleet was heavily militarized and carried great amounts of treasures, which served to project Chinese power and wealth to the known world. They brought back many foreign ambassadors whose kings and rulers were willing to declare themselves tributaries of China. Moreover, the Chinese restructured and established control over an expansive maritime network in which the region became interconnected on an economic and political level. The Chinese did not seek territory and were motivated primarily by political and economic control with domination over a vast network of ports and shipping lanes.
The trade still flourished long after the voyages had ceased. Chinese ships continued to control the Eastern Asian maritime trade. They also kept on trading with India and East Africa. However, the imperial tributary system over the foreign regions and state monopoly over the foreign trade gradually broke down as time progressed.
It is not exactly known why the Ming treasure voyages completely ended in 1433. Duyvendak suggests that the heavy costs partly contributed to the ending of the expeditions, but Ray, Finlay, and Dreyer note that the costs had not overburdened the Ming treasury. Ray adds that the voyages were a profitable enterprise and rejects the notion that the voyages were terminated because they were wasteful, costly, or uneconomic. Ray states that the cessation of the voyages happened as traders and bureaucrats, for reasons of economic self-interest and through their connections in Beijing, gradually collapsed the framework supporting both the state-controlled maritime enterprise and the strict regulation of private commerce with prohibitive policies.
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the passage?
A. To describe how the Ming treasure voyages expanded China’s territorial control over foreign regions.
B. To examine the impact of the Ming treasure voyages on global trade and political alliances.
C. To explore the reasons behind the cessation of the Ming treasure voyages, focusing on the debate surrounding their financial and political sustainability.
D. To highlight how Chinese military power during the Ming dynasty dominated maritime trade in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
E. To discuss the success of the Ming treasure fleet and examine the factors that led to the cessation of the voyages.
The Chinese expeditionary fleet was heavily militarized and carried great amounts of treasures, which served to project Chinese power and wealth to the known world. They brought back many foreign ambassadors whose kings and rulers were willing to declare themselves tributaries of China. Moreover, the Chinese restructured and established control over an expansive maritime network in which the region became interconnected on an economic and political level. The Chinese did not seek territory and were motivated primarily by political and economic control with domination over a vast network of ports and shipping lanes.
The trade still flourished long after the voyages had ceased. Chinese ships continued to control the Eastern Asian maritime trade. They also kept on trading with India and East Africa. However, the imperial tributary system over the foreign regions and state monopoly over the foreign trade gradually broke down as time progressed.
It is not exactly known why the Ming treasure voyages completely ended in 1433. Duyvendak suggests that the heavy costs partly contributed to the ending of the expeditions, but Ray, Finlay, and Dreyer note that the costs had not overburdened the Ming treasury. Ray adds that the voyages were a profitable enterprise and rejects the notion that the voyages were terminated because they were wasteful, costly, or uneconomic. Ray states that the cessation of the voyages happened as traders and bureaucrats, for reasons of economic self-interest and through their connections in Beijing, gradually collapsed the framework supporting both the state-controlled maritime enterprise and the strict regulation of private commerce with prohibitive policies.
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the passage?
A. To describe how the Ming treasure voyages expanded China’s territorial control over foreign regions.
B. To examine the impact of the Ming treasure voyages on global trade and political alliances.
C. To explore the reasons behind the cessation of the Ming treasure voyages, focusing on the debate surrounding their financial and political sustainability.
D. To highlight how Chinese military power during the Ming dynasty dominated maritime trade in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
E. To discuss the success of the Ming treasure fleet and examine the factors that led to the cessation of the voyages.
21 Sep 2024, 16:52
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Official Solution:
The Ming treasure voyages were maritime expeditions undertaken by Ming China's treasure fleet between 1405 and 1433. The grand project resulted in seven far-reaching ocean voyages to the coastal territories and islands of the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. Admiral Zheng He was commissioned to command the fleet for the expeditions. The first three voyages reached up to Calicut on India's Malabar Coast, while the fourth voyage went as far as Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. In the last three voyages, the fleet traveled up to the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.
The Chinese expeditionary fleet was heavily militarized and carried great amounts of treasures, which served to project Chinese power and wealth to the known world. They brought back many foreign ambassadors whose kings and rulers were willing to declare themselves tributaries of China. Moreover, the Chinese restructured and established control over an expansive maritime network in which the region became interconnected on an economic and political level. The Chinese did not seek territory and were motivated primarily by political and economic control with domination over a vast network of ports and shipping lanes.
The trade still flourished long after the voyages had ceased. Chinese ships continued to control the Eastern Asian maritime trade. They also kept on trading with India and East Africa. However, the imperial tributary system over the foreign regions and state monopoly over the foreign trade gradually broke down as time progressed.
It is not exactly known why the Ming treasure voyages completely ended in 1433. Duyvendak suggests that the heavy costs partly contributed to the ending of the expeditions, but Ray, Finlay, and Dreyer note that the costs had not overburdened the Ming treasury. Ray adds that the voyages were a profitable enterprise and rejects the notion that the voyages were terminated because they were wasteful, costly, or uneconomic. Ray states that the cessation of the voyages happened as traders and bureaucrats, for reasons of economic self-interest and through their connections in Beijing, gradually collapsed the framework supporting both the state-controlled maritime enterprise and the strict regulation of private commerce with prohibitive policies.
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the passage?
A. To describe how the Ming treasure voyages expanded China’s territorial control over foreign regions.
B. To examine the impact of the Ming treasure voyages on global trade and political alliances.
C. To explore the reasons behind the cessation of the Ming treasure voyages, focusing on the debate surrounding their financial and political sustainability.
D. To highlight how Chinese military power during the Ming dynasty dominated maritime trade in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
E. To discuss the success of the Ming treasure fleet and examine the factors that led to the cessation of the voyages.
A. Incorrect. This option incorrectly emphasizes territorial expansion, which the passage states was not a goal of the Ming treasure voyages. The Chinese were not seeking territorial control but rather political and economic dominance through the tribute system and trade networks. As the passage highlights their non-expansionist motives, this option misrepresents the main focus.
B. Incorrect. The passage does not really analyze voyages' impact on global trade or alliances. The passage is more focused on the reasons the voyages stopped, particularly the debate about financial and political sustainability, making this option an incomplete representation of the passage’s main point.
C. Incorrect. This option is close but not fully accurate because it emphasizes the debate about why the voyages ended while neglecting the discussion of the fleet’s success. The passage balances both the success of the voyages and the reasons they ceased, so this option doesn’t fully capture the dual focus of the passage.
D. Incorrect. This option places too much emphasis on military power, which is not the central theme of the passage. While the fleet was militarized, the passage focuses on political and economic control, not military dominance over maritime trade or territories. Therefore, this option misrepresents the passage’s main point.
E. Correct Answer. This option accurately captures the primary purpose of the passage, which is twofold: it discusses the success of the Ming treasure fleet in projecting Chinese power and restructuring trade networks, and it examines the reasons for the cessation of the voyages, including the debate among scholars about financial and political factors. This option best reflects the passage’s discussion of both the voyages' achievements and the reasons for their end.
Answer: E
The Ming treasure voyages were maritime expeditions undertaken by Ming China's treasure fleet between 1405 and 1433. The grand project resulted in seven far-reaching ocean voyages to the coastal territories and islands of the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. Admiral Zheng He was commissioned to command the fleet for the expeditions. The first three voyages reached up to Calicut on India's Malabar Coast, while the fourth voyage went as far as Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. In the last three voyages, the fleet traveled up to the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.
The Chinese expeditionary fleet was heavily militarized and carried great amounts of treasures, which served to project Chinese power and wealth to the known world. They brought back many foreign ambassadors whose kings and rulers were willing to declare themselves tributaries of China. Moreover, the Chinese restructured and established control over an expansive maritime network in which the region became interconnected on an economic and political level. The Chinese did not seek territory and were motivated primarily by political and economic control with domination over a vast network of ports and shipping lanes.
The trade still flourished long after the voyages had ceased. Chinese ships continued to control the Eastern Asian maritime trade. They also kept on trading with India and East Africa. However, the imperial tributary system over the foreign regions and state monopoly over the foreign trade gradually broke down as time progressed.
It is not exactly known why the Ming treasure voyages completely ended in 1433. Duyvendak suggests that the heavy costs partly contributed to the ending of the expeditions, but Ray, Finlay, and Dreyer note that the costs had not overburdened the Ming treasury. Ray adds that the voyages were a profitable enterprise and rejects the notion that the voyages were terminated because they were wasteful, costly, or uneconomic. Ray states that the cessation of the voyages happened as traders and bureaucrats, for reasons of economic self-interest and through their connections in Beijing, gradually collapsed the framework supporting both the state-controlled maritime enterprise and the strict regulation of private commerce with prohibitive policies.
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the passage?
A. To describe how the Ming treasure voyages expanded China’s territorial control over foreign regions.
B. To examine the impact of the Ming treasure voyages on global trade and political alliances.
C. To explore the reasons behind the cessation of the Ming treasure voyages, focusing on the debate surrounding their financial and political sustainability.
D. To highlight how Chinese military power during the Ming dynasty dominated maritime trade in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
E. To discuss the success of the Ming treasure fleet and examine the factors that led to the cessation of the voyages.
A. Incorrect. This option incorrectly emphasizes territorial expansion, which the passage states was not a goal of the Ming treasure voyages. The Chinese were not seeking territorial control but rather political and economic dominance through the tribute system and trade networks. As the passage highlights their non-expansionist motives, this option misrepresents the main focus.
B. Incorrect. The passage does not really analyze voyages' impact on global trade or alliances. The passage is more focused on the reasons the voyages stopped, particularly the debate about financial and political sustainability, making this option an incomplete representation of the passage’s main point.
C. Incorrect. This option is close but not fully accurate because it emphasizes the debate about why the voyages ended while neglecting the discussion of the fleet’s success. The passage balances both the success of the voyages and the reasons they ceased, so this option doesn’t fully capture the dual focus of the passage.
D. Incorrect. This option places too much emphasis on military power, which is not the central theme of the passage. While the fleet was militarized, the passage focuses on political and economic control, not military dominance over maritime trade or territories. Therefore, this option misrepresents the passage’s main point.
E. Correct Answer. This option accurately captures the primary purpose of the passage, which is twofold: it discusses the success of the Ming treasure fleet in projecting Chinese power and restructuring trade networks, and it examines the reasons for the cessation of the voyages, including the debate among scholars about financial and political factors. This option best reflects the passage’s discussion of both the voyages' achievements and the reasons for their end.
Answer: E
31 Aug 2025, 08:35
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bb
In option E - Author has presented two different theories but has not presented his view or conclusion of these two theories. Should "examining" the theories not have proper conclusion..?? In absence of any conclusion shouldn't these theories be considered as "describing/ description/ presenting or analysis"..? Pls. explain..
