Confucians, Eunuchs, and Valhalla
The search of objects such as The Ark of the Covenant, Merlin’s Wand, Excalibur, or mythical places like El Dorado, Shambhalla or Atlantis, has long encouraged all sorts of sincere and not-so-sincere truth-seekers and neo-gurus. There is nothing new about this; ever since humans were able to stand erect, or as Narcissus looked at his reflection in the pond to say “I Am”, there has been a search for meaning, for answers.
In the world of today’s turmoil, that is no secret. I will not refer to the COVID-19 pandemic, nor racism, nor the Floydian riots, nor the idiocy of political leaders here and there. Medium is already full of them. So, allow me to expound on this search of meaning for other purposes that will still be relevant once the fires, looting, peaceful and violent protesting, and yes, the horror of the beaten and the dead count stops.
In the year 1433 of the common era, Zheng He, a later eunuch born of a Muslim family from southern China, had died and his fleet had returned home due to the new and sudden imperial decision and strict policy forbidding his subjects from traveling abroad; that had been He’s seventh and last two-year voyage, accompanied by nothing more than 27,000 men he commanded over.
The good admiral had achieved to establish diplomatically — and for the Chinese, that has always meant “tributary” - relations with peoples ranging from Java to Makka, and all along the east coast of Africa. The “Indians”, Iranians, and Arabs could not understand how the most powerful naval force known to that day — and more than likely, second to none in world history — was deployed only for the purpose of exploration and seafaring.
How in the name of common sense would one prohibit such apparently peaceful ends? As always, trouble started at home. It was an old battle between Confucian bureaucrats and court eunuchs.
What should we learn, not from Admiral He himself but from the new Emperor’s attitude? So, if you are ready for the twist, read on.
Had Admiral He not been hindered, his vast fleet could have discovered the European continent, landing somewhere between Faro (Kingdom of Portugal) and Cadiz (Kingdom of Castile), both locations under Christian rule. What effect could that hypothetical case have had in the mind of Europeans? Then, in 1513, in turn, the Treaty of Tordesillas and Vasco Da Gama opened the way to navigate and discover China.
Is nowadays really a time to simply be pragmatic just as the centralized bureaucracy of Confucian scholars? Or perhaps become a scheming Lord Varys-like influencer? Shall we sit on our status quo-loving rear-ends or pursue the impossible (but without castration, please)?
One of the most cackled terms in business and economic affairs is Globalization; in politics, it is understood as geopolitics. The Chinese eunuchs tested their power quota by benchmarking other parts of the world, learning how to turn their trading into a tribute to honor their Emperor. This speedy adrenaline-hiking, adventure-hungry entrepreneurs did not know that “paradise” is not a royal court exclusive to tiānzĭ, but a common ground born of the individual’s search for meaning and the consensus to agglutinate and encompass them (Tiān and Dì).
I prefer another mythical location to describe the inherent process of finding answers to questions Zheng He, as well as all others of entrepreneurial spirit, ask themselves: its name is Valhalla. It can only be reached through noble goal-directed combat, not bureaucracy. I assume by now you have guessed my criticizing higher education, on the one hand, and to express the dire need to rationally limit the role of government, especially in the European Union.
So, Valhalla is to be found in the ethical and not impractical search for excellence in politics (yes, I know), in business and life. One must navigate the stormy seas through which we are obliged by the circumstances. The noble spirit of combat, of enterprise and industry, is to be found at the entrepreneur’s heart; it is to be translated into action through a well-defined strategy, the ability/skill to adapt, and intelligent management.
For about 20 years, the Chinese have been going in quite a different way as to when Zheng He was compelled to leave off. They had missed the opportunity, but they did not miss this one, taking advantage in their own way. Will our political leaders take heed? or will they become the new “Emperor”?
