In the early 1400s the Chinese Emperor sent out many diplomatic and trade missions across the Indian ocean, led by Zheng He. On one mission they ran into some traders/envoys from Malindi, a Kingdom in Modern day Kenya. The Malindi were allowed to proceed to the forbidden city and present the giraffe to the emperor. Emperor Yongle, was thrilled by the giraffe. Apparently giraffes resemble a mythical Chinese beast called a qilin.
Zheng He may have visited Malindi himself in a later expedition, possibly bringing back more giraffes and other animals. Some went as for to say that he traveled further south in Africa, possibly as far south as modern day Mozambique and South Africa.
Vexonte on
You also have the time a famously pious Muslim leader ordered a jew to handle the logistics of transporting an elephant across the Mediterranean as a gift to a famously pious Christian leader in the 9th century
2 Comments
In the early 1400s the Chinese Emperor sent out many diplomatic and trade missions across the Indian ocean, led by Zheng He. On one mission they ran into some traders/envoys from Malindi, a Kingdom in Modern day Kenya. The Malindi were allowed to proceed to the forbidden city and present the giraffe to the emperor. Emperor Yongle, was thrilled by the giraffe. Apparently giraffes resemble a mythical Chinese beast called a qilin.
Zheng He may have visited Malindi himself in a later expedition, possibly bringing back more giraffes and other animals. Some went as for to say that he traveled further south in Africa, possibly as far south as modern day Mozambique and South Africa.
You also have the time a famously pious Muslim leader ordered a jew to handle the logistics of transporting an elephant across the Mediterranean as a gift to a famously pious Christian leader in the 9th century