During the early 1400's, the Ming Chinese had a massive fleet of 'treasure ships' engaged in exploration, colonization, and diplomacy in the Indies, East Africa, India, and maybe even Australia. They were led, for the most part, by Zheng He, the so-called 'eunuch admiral'. In the 1430's, these expeditions were cut short, and China returned to an introverted world-view.
What if these expeditions had continued? Would the Chinese have run up against the Portugese in the Atlantic after they rounded the tip of Africa? Would the Catholic Church have viewed them as a scourge just as great as the Ottomans?
And more to the point of my AH, could they have discovered and colonized the Americas?
I think it is likely, if they first visited the then still-friendly Japanese, then sailed north, by the Aleutians, down the Pacific Coast, then to Mexico.
From my reading of the Chinese of that time, they were much more likely to make 'weaker', newly-discovered civilizations client states rather than crushing them outright.
Could a revitalized Aztec Empire, as a client state of Ming China, have held off the Spanish invasion, and remained a viable state?
What if these expeditions had continued? Would the Chinese have run up against the Portugese in the Atlantic after they rounded the tip of Africa? Would the Catholic Church have viewed them as a scourge just as great as the Ottomans?
And more to the point of my AH, could they have discovered and colonized the Americas?
I think it is likely, if they first visited the then still-friendly Japanese, then sailed north, by the Aleutians, down the Pacific Coast, then to Mexico.
From my reading of the Chinese of that time, they were much more likely to make 'weaker', newly-discovered civilizations client states rather than crushing them outright.
Could a revitalized Aztec Empire, as a client state of Ming China, have held off the Spanish invasion, and remained a viable state?