Chen Zuyi was a 14th-century Cantonese pirate, and was one of the most respected and feared pirates to ever infest the seas of Southeast Asia. He ruled the city of Palembang, and raided the Strait of Malacca

Strait of Malacca

The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511.-Extent:...

 to plunder shipping and prey on both native and foreign merchants for several years. He had 5,000 men and 10 ships under his command, and was the strongest pirate of Southeast Asia at the time. The city of Sumatra had a diverse ethnicity of people from different parts of Asia, including a large minority of Han Chinese population (mostly male migrants, traders and merchants), and as well as the majority Sumatrans. A Hui Chinese Shi Jin Qing reported the atrocities committed by the pirate chieftains, and requested assistance to help get rid of Chen Zuyi.

Defeat by Zheng He

According to Ming records his name is first recorded after 1400, when a Ming convoy was attacked by pirates commanded by Chen Zuyi.

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...

made the opening gambit, demanding Chen's surrender , and the pirate quickly signalled agreement—while preparing for a surprise pre-emptive strike. But details of his plan had been provided to Zheng by a local Chinese informant, and in the fierce battle that ensued, the Ming soldiers and Ming superior armada finally destroyed the pirate fleet and killed 5,000 of its men. Chen was captured and held for public execution in Nanjing in 1407. Peace was finally restored to strait of Malacca Shi Jin Qing was installed as Palembang's new ruler and incorporated into what would become a far-flung system of allies who acknowledged Ming supremacy in return for diplomatic recognition, military protection, and trading rights. By the end of the Yongle reign, the kings or ambassadors of more than 30 foreign states had paid official visits to the emperor bearing tribute. They were ferried to China in luxurious staterooms on the baochuan.

Popular culture

Chen Zuyi appears in the Chinese historical dramas related to the legendary navigator Zheng He. In 2009, China's CCTV released Zheng He Xia Xiyang, a television series specially produced in 2005 to mark the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's voyages. Gallen Lo starred as Zheng He. His defeat was considered the most famous of all Zheng He's military achievements.