Chapter 6, The Strange Kingdoms of Malacca and Ceylon Summary and Analysis

The third voyage of the treasure fleet was set to sail for the Indian Ocean in the fall of 1409. Their first destination was the kingdom of Malacca. The Malaccan ruler was Parameswara who had been driven out of Sumatra for his rebellious actions against the Javanese overlord of Palembang. Malacca's survival was dependent upon an aggressive trade policy. From China's point of view, the principal reason to nurture a relationship with Malacca was to bring stability to the region. Parameswara was having new problems having recently challenged Siamese authority. Nonetheless, Zheng He who was the commander of this mission, was able to establish trade relations with the fledgling empire.

After stops on the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, the fleet made its way to the island of Ceylon...