Cheng Ho,or Zheng He,was a famous Chinese explorer who sailed throughout the Indian Ocean.He was born in southwest Ma He grew up in a poor Chinese Muslim family.His father passed away when he was a child.Ma He was captured by the chinese army that took control over the region,castrated and placed as a servant to Prince Zhu Di. The young Ma He became an exceptional servant as he developed his skills in languages.He spoke Chinese and Araibc.He also improved his knowledge in war,diplomacy and geography.Because of those capabilities,soon Ma He became an assistant to the prince.When Prince Zhu Di was crowned as Emperor Yong Le of the Ming Dynasty,Ma He was given a high position in the empire and awarded a surname Cheng. Later,the emperor appointed Cheng Ho admiral and ordered him to explore the seas surrounding China. He wanted the admiral to expand trade and diplomatic relations with other countries. Cheng Ho commanded a series of naval expeditions.He led seven fleets with more than 100 big ships and more than 25,000 men. Visiting more than thirty-five countries in Asia, Middle East and East Africa,Cheng Ho's trips to those countries opened the door for trade between China and them.Many of the Chinese moved abroad to sell Chinese goods. His expeditions also created diplomatic relations with all the countries he visited. He received tribute from most rulers who he met. Indeed, Cheng Ho's voyages not only established Chinese trade routes throughout Asia and Africa,but also made China become a powerful country in the known world. Cheng Ho died during his seventh voyage when he was on trip home from India in the 1430s. It ended his naval expeditions