Admiral of China's treasure fleet
Chinese Muslim admiral (1371-1433) of the Ming dynasty.
Born a Yunnan eunuch, he rose to command seven epic voyages across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa — ships so massive they dwarfed Columbus's fleet by five times. He projected Ming power across the world before abruptly being ordered home, his fleet destroyed by bureaucrats who feared foreign trade.
Zheng He is one of the historical characters you can play as in Rubicon, a trivia game where you answer in your own words and an AI judge reads what you meant. Zheng He is filed under Geography & Places, and is strongest at Geography & Places, History & Civilization and Technology & Engineering.