1405

1405 was a year in the 15th century CE. It is notable for two developments that influenced Eurasian geopolitics in the ensuing decades: the death of Timur (Tamerlane) and the initiation of the Ming dynasty maritime expeditions led by Zheng He.

Timur died in 1405 during a campaign in Central Asia. His death precipitated the fragmentation of the Timurid Empire into rival successor states, contributing to decades of interregional dynastic conflict within the Timurid realm.

In China, the Yongle Emperor, Zhu Di, supported a program of oceanic expeditions under Zheng He. The first voyage departed in 1405, beginning a series of seven major voyages that would take the fleet to ports across Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, and the East African coast. The expeditions aimed to project imperial prestige, secure tribute and trade relationships, and demonstrate the reach of Ming power.

These developments occurred against a background of ongoing dynastic and regional politics in Europe and Asia. The year thus marks a point of transition: the Timurid succession crisis reshaped Central Asian power dynamics, while the Ming maritime program expanded China’s outward influence and highlighted the era’s growing global maritime connectivity.