Ching Shih is known by many different names. She is known for being a pirate who assembled one of the largest fleets in history and by the end of her life lived in peace and comfort.
Not much is known about Ching Shih’s early life, she was born 1775, in the Chinese Xinhui province, on a floating brothel of Guangdong.
She rose through the ranks of the brothel and although there are different versions of how this happened, she eventually came into contact with the pirate Zheng Yi.
Zheng kidnapped Ching Shih and married her, which is thought to have been a common practice at that time. Because of this, Shing Shih subsequently became a part of Zheng Yi’s fleet, and over the next 6 years, learnt more and more about pirate life.
Ching (or Madame Zheng, as she was now referred to as) was now well familiar with pirate life, so when her husband drowned she was well prepared and quick to take charge.
Zheng had an adopted son Pao, who also would have been next in line to take charge of the fleets. To make sure Ching’s position was not taken from under her she married Pao and continued to be in charge.
Ching and Pao made a great team, with Ching in charge of the confederation and Pao in charge of day-to-day business. They enacted a strict set of rules amongst the fleet, and if they were broken the punishments could be anything from losing your ears to having a weight tied to your foot and being thrown overboard. Throughout the rest of her time as a pirate Ching Shih constantly battled government forces trying to take down her fleet, but each time she came out on top. In 1810 Emperor Jiaqing was looking for reinforcement from the British to help take down Ching Shih. Ching was weary of the British because their forces could carry over 100 guns on a single ship.
Ching decided to quit while she was ahead and the emperor offered her generous terms, the pirates would give up their junks (Chinese ships) and weapons but could keep their loot.
In her retirement she opened a gambling house and had a child and later grandchildren.
That’s how Ching Shih was able to live a successful life ruling the sea and retired in comfort, peace and wealth.
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