Author: guo zhongli
Date: 10-24-02 18:51
Many people do not know yet that like many Chinese Muslims, Zheng He has a Muslim name Muhammad and that besides the various appellations used to address him as has been mentioned in this rubrique, he also has an Arabic title "Sayid Ajal". Now why should a Chinese Muslim have an Arabic title, this may be baffling to some but let me explain.
Zheng He or Ma Sanbao, son of Ma Haji, has a Turkic-Arabic bloodline in his family. One of his ancestors Sayidina Syafii alias Suo Feier (his sinicised name) moved from Central Asia to China during the northern Song period where he served the emperor, it is interesting to note that the epithetic titles sayid or sayidina or only reserved for the male descendants of prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).
At the mosque located at the southern gates of the old walled city of Kunming, Yunnan province, there is a stone inscription Hanyang Wangfu Diangong (contributions of the Ruler of Hanyang in guarding Yunnan province) and a preface written by scholars Liu Faxiang and Sun Renlong in 1684. According to the inscription Sayidina Syafii alisa Suo Feier as the Ruler of Hanyang is actually a 25th generation of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.Z). In the third year of Xi Ning (1070 AD) during the northern Song period, Syafii sought political asylum in Song China togethere with his younger sister Ailisa as well as children and grandchildren of his due to invasion of his home country Uzbekistan by the Mongols.
He paid tribute to the Song Emperor and Syafii was then appointed by the Emperor as a high ranking government official. Syafii made many great contributions while carrying out his duties guarding the borders at Yunnan and wherefore he was very much honoured by the Song Emperor Shen Zong. The generations of his progeny that ensued are as follows: (Sayidina Syafii/Suo Feier)--->Suo Saiyan/Laigong/Na--->Suo Zusha--->Kanmading ( )--->Mahamu ( )--->Sayidina Syamsuddin ( )--->Nasulading ( )--->Suo Baiyan. Suo Baiyan is Ma Haji's grandfather from his maternal side, and Ma Haji is Ma Sanbao's (Zheng He) father. Such as is described on the gravestone of H. Ma Haji at Kunyang, Yunnan province.
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