Fei Xin
Encyclopedia
Fei Xin was a member of the military personnel of the fleet of the Ming dynasty
admiral Zheng He
, known as the author of a book about the countries visited by Chinese ships.
, in today's Jiangsu
Province. Based on other dates mentioned by him, it is likely that he was born in the 17th year of the Hongwu era
(1385), although some authors' calculation give 1388 as the date of his birth. He taught himself the Arabic language.
According to what Fei Xin says in the preface to his book, his family was poor. His older brother was called up to serve at the nearby Taicang
garrison, but soon died, and young Fei Xin took his place, in or after 1398. J.J.L. Duyvendak speculated that the Fei brothers had been conscripted as a punishment for some political or other offense of their father or grandfather; there is no actual proof of that, but Fei Xin's later biographer, Roderich Ptak, thought that that wasn't impossible.
While a soldier, he managed to find time for study. Taicang
being the lower-Yangtze base of the Zheng He fleet, Fei Xin ended up sailing with the fleet to the South-East Asia and the Indian Ocean four times.
Fei Xin is primarily known as the author of the book Description of the Starry Raft
, in which he recorded what he had seen on his 4 voyages to the southern seas. There are no known mentions of his activities at later dates than 1436, and there is no information about the actual date of his death either.
According to Ptak, there is no reliable information about Fei Xin's religion. Ptak believes that it's unlikely that Fei Xin was a Muslim
, like Ma Huan or Zheng He himself. Fei Xin did conclude his book with the description of Mecca
, but this may have been just an emulation of Ma Huan book's layout.
Fei Xin's book exists in a number of different Ming-era editions. It has been studied by many Chinese and foreign historians. The first English translation of his book was made by William Woodville Rockhill
, and published in the T'oung Pao
in 1914-1915. The most recent translation, based on a draft by J.V.G. Mills, was edited and annotated by Roderich Ptak (1996).
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
admiral Zheng He
Zheng He
Zheng He , also known as Ma Sanbao and Hajji Mahmud Shamsuddin was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the Voyages of Zheng He or Voyages of Cheng Ho from...
, known as the author of a book about the countries visited by Chinese ships.
Biography
Little is known about Fei Xin's biography. His family originates from KunshanKunshan
Kunshan is a satellite city in the greater Suzhou region. Administratively, it is a county-level city within the prefecture-level city of Suzhou. It is located in southeastearn part of Jiangsu Province, China, adjacent to Jiangsu's border with the Shanghai Municipality.The total area of Kunshan...
, in today's Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
Province. Based on other dates mentioned by him, it is likely that he was born in the 17th year of the Hongwu era
Hongwu Emperor
The Hongwu Emperor , known variably by his given name Zhu Yuanzhang and by his temple name Taizu of Ming , was the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China...
(1385), although some authors' calculation give 1388 as the date of his birth. He taught himself the Arabic language.
According to what Fei Xin says in the preface to his book, his family was poor. His older brother was called up to serve at the nearby Taicang
Taicang
Taicang is a coastal city in Jiangsu Province of People's Republic of China. It is approximately to the northwest of Shanghai, and to the east of Suzhou. It is a county level city under jurisdiction of Suzhou prefecture level city. In 2008, the registered population was at 466,300, and total GDP...
garrison, but soon died, and young Fei Xin took his place, in or after 1398. J.J.L. Duyvendak speculated that the Fei brothers had been conscripted as a punishment for some political or other offense of their father or grandfather; there is no actual proof of that, but Fei Xin's later biographer, Roderich Ptak, thought that that wasn't impossible.
While a soldier, he managed to find time for study. Taicang
Taicang
Taicang is a coastal city in Jiangsu Province of People's Republic of China. It is approximately to the northwest of Shanghai, and to the east of Suzhou. It is a county level city under jurisdiction of Suzhou prefecture level city. In 2008, the registered population was at 466,300, and total GDP...
being the lower-Yangtze base of the Zheng He fleet, Fei Xin ended up sailing with the fleet to the South-East Asia and the Indian Ocean four times.
Fei Xin is primarily known as the author of the book Description of the Starry Raft
Description of the Starry Raft
Description of the Starry Raft is written in year 1436 by Fei Xin, who had participated in thethird, fifth, and seventh of expeditions of the Ming fleets to the Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean commanded by the eunuch Zheng He.The book contains descriptions of places, peoples, cultures, etc.,...
, in which he recorded what he had seen on his 4 voyages to the southern seas. There are no known mentions of his activities at later dates than 1436, and there is no information about the actual date of his death either.
According to Ptak, there is no reliable information about Fei Xin's religion. Ptak believes that it's unlikely that Fei Xin was a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, like Ma Huan or Zheng He himself. Fei Xin did conclude his book with the description of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, but this may have been just an emulation of Ma Huan book's layout.
Fei Xin's book exists in a number of different Ming-era editions. It has been studied by many Chinese and foreign historians. The first English translation of his book was made by William Woodville Rockhill
William Woodville Rockhill
William Woodville Rockhill was a United States diplomat, best known as the author of the U.S.'s Open Door Policy for China and as the first American to learn to speak Tibetan and therefore as the father of modern U.S...
, and published in the T'oung Pao
T'oung Pao
T’oung Pao , founded in 1890, is the first international journal of sinology.It was originally named T’oung Pao ou Archives pour servir à l’étude de l’histoire, des langues, la geographie et l’ethnographie de l’Asie Orientale . It is published by the Leiden publisher E. J...
in 1914-1915. The most recent translation, based on a draft by J.V.G. Mills, was edited and annotated by Roderich Ptak (1996).