History Of Yesterday: July 11
ADMIRALZHENG HE'S FIRST PLACE OF THE MING DYNASTY AROUND THE WORLD
July 11, 1405
Even before the ships of Vasco da Gama, Bartholomew Diaz, Cristobal Colombo, and Fernando Magallanes sailed over the sea, there was a Chinese who first crossed the vast sea to new lands - Admiral Zheng He of the dynasty. Ming of China.
On this day in 1405, from the port of Suzhou, China Admiral Zheng He led the voyage of 317 ships and 28,000 of its crew to new lands, on behalf of Emperor Yunglo of the Ming dynasty. The purpose of this expedition was to open up trade outside China at any port they could find. The expedition also included 62 treasure ships containing Chinese treasures, from porcelain, embroidered silks and gold utensils to be gifted to the kings of the kingdoms they would visit in exchange for their trade with China.
Zheng He's fleet sailed westward, and they reached the wealthy kingdoms of Vietnam or formerly Champa, the sultanates of Brunei, Malacca and Java in Indonesia, and they reached the Andaman islands in the Indian Ocean and Ceylon or present -day Sri Lanka. . This journey ended on the southern coast of India at Kozhikode and Cochin. Zheng He returned to China with the offerings of the kingdoms they visited and the good news of the opening of their trade with China.
From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He traveled back and forth westward, carrying the wealth of China and their aim to open trade to the west. The Admiral did this seven times until his fleet reached the land of Arabia, at Hormuz in the Persian gulf. He sent fleets to explore lands beyond Arabia, and they reached the Red Sea and the land of Africa on Zheng He's fourth and fifth voyages. The Chinese fleet arrived in present -day Kenya and Somalia in Africa. Zheng He brought home gifts of the lands they had visited in Africa, including animals that were strange to their sight, including the giraffe. In 1433 Zheng He died on the seventh voyage, and at Kozhikode, India the great Admiral and diplomat of the Ming dynasty was buried.
These Chinese voyages and expeditions led by Zheng He were important because apart from the opening of trade between China and the West, Chinese culture flowed through the places they passed through. This expedition was not repeated after the death of Emperor Yunglo.
This trip by Admiral Zheng He was one of the topics covered by then Associate Justice Antonio Carpio in connection with the Chinese claim to the West Philippine Sea. Carpio in 2018 refuted Chinese President Xi Jinping's statement that Admiral Zheng He visited and traded with the Philippines, and Carpio also refuted statements by Chinese historians that Zheng He interacted with our ancestors. , and the Chan Cheng recorded in the journals of those who joined that expedition refers to an Indo-Malay kingdom and not our country.
References:
Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.). Zheng He's achievements. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/summary/Zheng-Hes-Achievements
Esmaquel, P. R. (2018 November 20). Carpio fact-checks Xi Jinping on 14th-century Chinese explorer. Retrieved from Rappler: https: //www.rappler.com /.../ antonio-carpio-fact-check-xi ...
DR. PIO VALENZUELA WAS BORN
July 11, 1869
Today is the 152nd birthday of doctor and Katipunerong Dr. Pio Valenzuela y Alejandrino, who was born in 1869 in the town of Polo, formerly part of the province of Bulacan. He is the third of four children of Francisco Valenzuela and Lorenza Alejandrino and one of the wealthy families in Polo.
After studying with a private tutor, he studied in Manila, at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and at the University of Santo Tomas in 1888, where he took a medical course. He used the courses he completed in the provinces of Bulacan and Manila, which once provided free medical services to the poor.
At the age of 23, Pio Valenzuela was one of the first members of the Katipunan, and a close ally of the Supreme Andres Bonifacio. He held a high position in the Katipunan, when he was appointed Physician General, and chief founder of the Katipunan's official periodical, Ang Kalayaan.
Aside from Emilio Jacinto, Valenzuela also wrote his own article for the newspaper. Later, Valenzuela was given an important mission, to talk to his fellow doctor in Dapitan, Dr. Jose Rizal, who they then recognized as the Honorary President of the Katipunan, to ask for Rizal's opinion on the planned revolution. During the talks between Valenzuela and Rizal, Rizal refused to support the revolution due to its lack of timing, lack of weapons, funds and wealthy personalities who would help organize the revolution. Finally, it was recommended to Valenzuela to take Antonio Luna as the leader of the revolution in case they continue the rebellion. Valenzuela also proposed to take weapons from Japan, something that did not happen due to Rizal's disapproval.
He was one of the participants in the Sigaw sa Pugadlawin on August 23, 1896, but later, Valenzuela tried to flee. Because of the offer of amnesty to the surrendering revolutionaries, Valenzuela surrendered to the authorities on the first day of September, and said that on the condition that he be granted amnesty, he denounced the activities of the Katipunan and its members and also testified against Rizal, something that left a deep stain on the issue of Valenzuela’s patriotism. Valenzuela was imprisoned in Barcelona, Spain and exiled to a penal colony in northern Africa for two years.
He returned to the Philippines in April 1899, but was still considered a threat to the Americans so he was imprisoned again in September of the same year. Upon his release, Valenzuela served in the civil government when he was mayor of Polo until 1901, and from 1919 to 1925 he was Governor of Bulacan.
Valenzuela has dedicated her private life to her husband Marciana Castro and their seven children. He returned to his profession, as he wrote his memoirs about the ensuing revolt against Spain, which have been questioned by some historians because of its volatile narratives. He died at the age of 86 on April 6, 1956 in his hometown.
In 1960 when the town where he was born was named after him, and an elementary school, streets were named after him. In 1995, the local government of the city of Valenzuela formed Dr. Pio Valenzuela Scholarship Program for deserving students in the said city.
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GENERAL PIO DEL PILAR WAS BORN
July 11, 1860
Today is the 161st birthday of General Pio del Pilar y Castañeda, who was born on this day in 1860 in the town of San Pedro Macati (now Makati city, Metro Manila). He was the son of Isidro Del Pilar, a farmer, and Antonia Castañeda, a seamstress.
He studied with private tutors twice, but was forced to stop to help with his father's farming.
He formed a family early at the age of 17, and enlisted in the Spanish army because his parents had no money to bribe the authorities. He was assigned to Mindanao for a year, and in 1890 he served as cabeza de barangay, and while in Manila he met Dr. Jose Rizal and he helped smuggle his novels throughout Manila.
It was May 1896 when he joined the Katipunan movement, and he became known for making one of the Katipunan flags which he called "Bandila ng Matagumpay", which was his own flag. He was tortured by Spanish authorities when he was captured when the revolution broke out, but he refused to name other comrades until he was released. He joined the battles of Mandaluyong, Binakayan in 1896, and was promoted to colonel when he led the defense of Bacoor and Las Piñas from the Spaniards in February 1897.
At the time of the Tejeros Convention, General Pio del Pilar, a brigadier general on Andres Bonifacio's side, was also among the signatories to the Naic Military Agreement in April 1897 that invalidated the convention election results. When General Emilio Aguinaldo discovered what General del Pilar and General Mariano Noriel had done, they sided with General Aguinaldo's Magdalo faction and insisted that Bonifacio had just deceived him. He was one of those who advised General Aguinaldo to reinstate the death penalty for the brothers Andres and Procopio Bonifacio from simple exile.
General del Pilar was one of General Aguinaldo's right-hand men, and was among those who went to Hong Kong in December 1897 as part of the Treaty of Biak-na-Bato.
Until the Filipino-American War, General del Pilar also fought the new occupiers, where he was defeated and captured by the Americans in a battle in Morong (now Rizal). He was exiled along with Apolinario Mabini, Artemio Ricarte and others to the island of Guam when he refused to swear allegiance to America, but also returned when he was granted an executive pardon by Governor William Howard Taft.
In the last years of his life he supported the Jones Law of 1916, which was for the preparation of our country to govern itself.
Pio del Pilar died at the age of 70 on June 21, 1931 and was among those laid to rest in the Musoleo del Veteranos de la Revolucion in Manila North Cemetery. A barangay in Makati City was named after him.
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Published by MarkyDaily at Read.Cash