In a book describing Zheng He's voyages to the West, 142 1: China Discovers the World, gavin menzies, a retired British naval officer, reached the above conclusion based on his research and textual research on Zheng He's fleet for more than ten years.
These sensational conclusions were announced by menzies at a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society in London in March 2002, and the quiet venue became turbulent. More than 200 scholars and professors endured menzies's three-hour speech and debated with him about some details for nearly two hours. As a result of that discussion, menzies became a media celebrity. In the eyes of historians who tried to rewrite history, he was a "madman" and a "psycho".
After the publication of 142 1: China Discovers the World, it was criticized as worthless in the book review pages of British newspapers at that time. However, criticism did not stop it from becoming a best seller. This book has been translated into many languages before the simplified Chinese version was published. In 2002 10, ten thousand copies of 165438+ were first printed in Britain, and then 200 thousand copies were printed in the United States. In 66 countries and regions around the world, the total sales volume exceeded 1 10,000 sheets. With the publication of this book, menzies's paper has caused widespread controversy in the world.
In June, 2005, 68-year-old menzies was invited to China and signed books all over the country. In July, menzies frequently went to Beijing, Yunnan, Shanghai, Nanjing and other places to participate in a series of activities to commemorate the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's voyage to the West.
In Shanghai, menzies accepted an exclusive interview with our reporter.
Origin: ancient nautical charts
These days, menzies is very wronged and depressed.
At a symposium with scholars engaged in the study of Ming history and Zheng He in Nanjing, menzies once again experienced his experience in Beijing: his research results and theoretical basis were completely denied by domestic scholars and experts, and menzies's findings and conclusions were untenable, which was simply whimsical. While denying menzies's research achievements, domestic scholars expressed sympathy and affirmation for menzies's efforts in studying Zheng He for more than ten years.
This is not the first time for menzies. As early as March, 2002, at the press conference in London, menzies announced his research findings for the first time. When the Chinese drew the world chart for the first time, Zheng He's fleet arrived in America before Columbus, and Zheng He was the first person to sail around the world. He was not applauded, but booed.
As everyone who has taken a history class knows, Diaz left Portugal at 1487, becoming the first person to bypass the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. 10 years later, da gama followed Diaz's footsteps to the east coast of Africa and arrived in India through the Indian Ocean, opening up the first spice trade route; 1492 65438+February 12. Columbus went west from Europe and passed through the Bahamas, becoming the first person to "discover" the new continent in history. ...
Now, menzies wants to completely deny the historical contribution of these people, and rewrite the westerners who opened waterways in world history into the names of China people. Is this man crazy?
All menzies's conjectures originated from a nautical chart in the library of the University of Minnesota. "This map was drawn at 1424, with the signature of Venetian cartographer Zuane Pizzigano. This map depicts parts of Europe and Africa. Strangely, in addition to drawing the mainland, the map also draws four islands deep in the western Atlantic Ocean, which are named satana Zeiss, Andilla, Saiya Skirt and Imana. My interest was completely aroused. The map marked some places that Europeans had never been to at that time. According to our acknowledged historical knowledge, Europeans didn't explore there until 70 years later. After consulting the charts and documents in Map collection room and Archives for several months, I am convinced that satana Zeiss and Andilla are actually Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean Islands. "
Menzies said there was no doubt about the age of this map. In his view, this means that these islands were accurately explored about 70 years before Columbus arrived in the Caribbean.
In addition to the map of Pizgano, menzies also found that the Cape of Good Hope was clearly marked on the map of Famola in 1459, and Australia appeared on the chart drawn by Jean Roots in 1452. "When Columbus set out from Europe to look for the legendary' peanuts' in the East, he had already seen the map marked with the American continent before he set off. He knows that he can' discover' the new continent. "
Similarly, before Magellan began to sail around the world, he had already seen a map marked strait of magellan-"World Nautical Chart 1428". This map has been lost now, but some of its information is still preserved in the famous "15 13 Piri Reyes Chart". "When the crew of Magellan's fleet arrived in that dark and difficult-to-navigate area, the terrible storm once caused them panic, but Magellan told them in a firm tone that he saw a map clearly marked' There is a strait leading to the Pacific Ocean'."
Then, menzies saw the plane spherical map of the Indian Ocean and southern Africa drawn by 1459 in Venice. The Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa has been marked on this map. The Cape of Good Hope was not "discovered" by da Gama until 1497. On the floor plan, it was also marked in medieval Phoenician, saying that in 1420, someone sailed around the Cape of Good Hope to the Cape of Baird Island, next to a China galleon.
Then, menzies found a "map of all previous dynasties' capitals" in Japanese Gulong University. This map is printed on silk. In addition to China, North Korea, Japan and other countries, it also involves the east coast, south coast and west coast of Africa. "This map is so accurate that there is no doubt that it was drawn by people who bypassed the Cape of Good Hope. Because Europeans arrived in southern Africa 60 years later. "
On ancient maps, menzies found more and more. "I was surprised to find that Patagonia and the Andes in South America were already marked on the map 100 years before Europeans discovered it; About 400 years before Europeans arrived in Antarctica, Antarctica was accurately mapped. Another chart marked the east coast of Africa, and also marked the longitude very accurately. In the next three centuries, Europeans could not fully master this technology. There is also a map showing Australia, which is 300 years earlier than Captain Cook's discovery. Other charts show the coastlines of the Caribbean, Greenland, the Arctic, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Long before the arrival of Europeans, these places were drawn on charts with amazing accuracy. "
Who has been to these places and drawn them on the chart? Menzies visited more than 120 countries at his own expense, visited more than 900 museums, libraries and archives, visited ancient monuments, castles and seaports, and went deep into cape, coral reef, remote beaches and islands. ...
"My conclusion is that China people drew a map of the world from 142 1 to 1423, and completed their voyage around the world (editor's note:142/zheng he's fleet went to the western ocean for the sixth time), and they reached all places except the South Pole. Decades later, most of their records were destroyed and they gave up sailing around the world. But the knowledge of China people was spread to the early map makers in the West through the Portuguese and Italian traveler nicolo Dakong Di who participated in the voyage in China. "
Evidence: rooster and corn
According to his research, menzies is very confident. Menzies said in "142 1: China Discovers the World" that it was Zheng He's subordinate Hongbao Fleet, Zhouman Fleet, Zhou Wen Fleet and Qing Yang Fleet, not Zheng He himself, who completed this round-the-world voyage and discovered America, Australia, Africa and Antarctica. In order to prove his claim, menzies published his findings and evidence in the book. Besides maps, his evidence also includes sunken ships, plants and animals.
Menzies described his discovery process in the form of a novel. One morning in Peru, a crow broke menzies's sleep. "I immediately realized that these chickens were not European chickens. European chickens croak with a' goo-goo-goo' voice, and this kind of chicken croakes with a' cough-cough-cough' voice. " Menzies lived in Malaysia for a period of time, and he recalled that local chickens were called "Cough-Cough-Cough", just like Peruvian chickens.
Asian chickens and European chickens have different combs, feathers, claws and sounds, and they lay different eggs. In 1500, Asian chickens were everywhere on the American continent. It has always been thought that Columbus's fleet brought them there. Menzies believed that Zheng He's fleet had been to America as early as 142 1 to 1423, and they brought Asian chickens to the New World.
"These chickens were not brought to America by Europeans, because the first Europeans found them when they arrived in the New World." Magellan also described that he got a lot of chickens in America. "I changed six chickens for the locals with hooks or knives, and even worried that the locals were lying to me." These chickens are obviously different from European chickens. In a China book "Atlas of Exotic Regions" published by 1430, some strange animals that China people saw during their voyage were recorded. For example, elephants in India, giraffes in Africa and leopards in America. For example, an animal with a dog's head is very similar to the sloth drawn on the map of piris, and it is written that it took them two years to sail west from China to find this animal. The giant sloth is a unique animal in South America, which became extinct 300 years ago.
Corn is also considered as evidence of Zheng He's discovery of America. Before Zheng He's voyage to the West, China didn't know that corn originated in America. According to China's records, General Zheng He brought back some "grains with extremely large ears". People in China are used to eating a kind of rice with an ear size similar to that of barley. This' extra-large' spike grain can only be corn. The Portuguese discovered corn in Indonesia, the Philippines and China. On a gondola built in the 12th year of Yongle (A.D. 14 14), they also found a unique tool for grinding corn in South America. "
In his book, menzies listed a series of animals and plants that "followed Zheng He across the ocean and took root in different places", including pigs, dogs, horses, bananas, rice, cotton, yams and coconuts. There are also human diseases as evidence. "The DNA of American Indians and their diseases is very consistent with that of China and East Asians." A skin disease of Indians found in Mato Grosso, Brazil, duodenitis of Indians in Lungua, Paraguay, and roundworms in Peru and Mexico are said to be similar to those in China. "A large number of data show that the earliest European explorers have described the existence of Americans or Asians in the Indian Ocean, Africa, North China and the Atlantic coast, Australia and other places; Moreover, I have conducted DNA analysis on many people and things and found that the aborigines in America, Australia and other places have a special relationship with China people. "
Menzies, who visited more than 120 countries and almost exhausted his life savings, finally came to a surprising conclusion: "At that time, only one country had such financial resources, scientific knowledge, ships and navigation experience to make such a magnificent discovery journey-China. Many documents show that China people drew the earliest nautical charts, and China people seem to know more about the world at that time. "
Menzies is a liar?
In the special program of PBS in July, 2004, menzies admitted several times that he might have "misread" in the siege of experts, but he insisted that his conclusion was correct.
"How can a retired submarine captain find secrets that many scholars have not found? Although I am only an amateur history researcher, I also have advantages that others don't have: I have mastered systematic astronomical navigation and navigation knowledge in the Royal Navy, and I know ancient maps and nautical charts like the back of my hand, and I have rich navigation experience. I not only went to the library, but also explored on the spot. Besides, I don't stick to the rules and have no right to suppress my thoughts. These have become my keys to open this secret. "
Menzies laughed at those who criticized him, including scholars in China, who only read books but could not read maps. "A nautical layman, no matter how successful he is in other fields, can only see many contours when looking at maps or charts. When an experienced navigator looks at the same map, he can infer more clues: where did the cartographer who drew this map for the first time sail, in what direction, whether the speed was fast or slow, how far it was from the land, and how well he mastered the knowledge of latitude and longitude, even during the day or at night. The important information contained in the map can be seen by everyone, but it has slipped away from many outstanding China historians. They are not lacking in diligence as historians, but simply because they lack knowledge about astronomical navigation and the world's oceans. "
Over the past three years, menzies has visited China several times, collected historical materials of Zheng He and inspected Zheng He's imprint on the spot. When talking with China historians, menzies felt deep pain when faced with the questioning and distrustful eyes of China scholars. In menzies's expectation, scholars in China should treat him differently from western scholars.
"Why don't you believe me? I published thousands of evidences and findings. Different from other editions, in order to communicate with readers in China, I specially added nearly 65,438+000 pages to this book published in Chinese mainland. I hope that these newly discovered materials can be used by researchers in China to participate in the study of the great history of Zheng He's voyage to the West. "
However, according to some experts in China's Ming history, menzies's evidence can't be established at all. At various seminars, the vast majority of China scholars denied menzies's conclusion, and some scholars sharply criticized menzies for wasting time studying Zheng He for more than ten years, while menzies was an academic swindler who made malicious speculation in order to sell books.
"These maps mentioned by menzies in the book do not prove that Zheng He once sailed around the world." Mao Peiqi, deputy director of the History Department of Renmin University of China, told the reporter, "Domestic scholars have seen these maps. At the beginning of15th century, it was impossible for China people to draw such a map. It was not until16th century that a map with latitude and longitude appeared in China, which was one or two hundred years different from Zheng He's time. That may be a map drawn by Arabs. "
Ge Xiongjian, director of the Historical Geography Research Center of Fudan University, told reporters that although menzies published thousands of pieces of evidence, they were all unreliable. "Most of the arguments in this book are just guesses. He said only by faith that the technology did not exist in the West at that time, so it belonged to China people. This kind of assertion and speculation can't replace scientific argument. For example, menzies has published many maps, but he has no definite evidence to prove that those maps were 500 years ago. "
At present, menzies's research findings continue. In May this year, menzies announced in Beijing that some white architectural sites had been discovered in the northernmost part of Canada, which could be seen from far away from the shore. Menzies went to the scene, which he thought was Zheng He's camp.
Professor Mao Peiqi disagrees with menzies's conclusion. "I asked him if there was any archaeological excavation on the conclusion of this cultural relic, and if there was any archaeological basis? He said no. Much of the evidence he provided was specious. All the evidence he has is against him, and he distorts it to speak for his point of view. "