History ’s most successful — and feared — piratefleets shared some primal attributes . They were well - oiled operations that enforce strict rules , despite the lawlessness of their professing . Crucially , a lot of them were helm by intelligent leaders who play politics , exercise diplomatic negotiations as needed and earned the esteem of their peers .
One exceptionally skilled fleet commander terrorized the South China Sea in the former 19th century . At the height of her power , she directed a vast coalition of several thousand plagiarizer , the largest pirate crowd ever assembled . Then , having made history in salient fashion , she retired from piracy and lived to a good old years .
Mrs. Cheng, aka Ching Shih
Who was this seafaring crook ? Well , in modern-day , English - spoken communication Koran and internet site , she ’s often call " Ching Shih . " But that was n’t her genuine name . " Ching Shih " was the invention of " an early 19th century writer who was endeavoring to yield a Formosan textbook into English , " says Dian Murray , a story professor at the University of Notre Dame and sureness on China ’s pirate past times .
" The lady pirate in question is most commonly mention to in the prescribed Taiwanese sources but as ' Mrs. Cheng ' or ' Mrs. Zheng , ' " Murray says via electronic mail . Those spellings fall from two different romanization systems that are used toconvertMandarin Chinese character into Romance varsity letter . For consistency ’s saki , we ’ll employ the name " Mrs. Cheng " in the remainder of this article .
Cheng ’s former sprightliness is poorly documented . We do get laid thatshe worked at a Cantonese brothelbefore she conjoin one Cheng I in the year 1801 or so . ( She was potential in her twenties at the prison term . )
A notorious plagiarizer , Cheng I was the merchandise of a changing seascape . From 1771 to 1802 , Vietnam was tangle in theTay Son Rebellion , a tike - led uprising against the Lê Dynasty . miss a strong naval force , the rebels condense small - time pirates to fight and loot on their behalf . In exchange , the plunderers received weapons , vessel and , dear of all , safe harbor .
Such allowances make an environment where organized , large - scale of measurement piracy could flourish — even after the uprising was put down . In 1802 , the South China Sea played host to roughly50,000 pirates .
Red Flag, Black Flag
By 1804 , Cheng I and his foxy married woman had connect five numerous fleets intoone mammoth confederationmade up of 70,000 men and 400 junks ( big soaring vessels ) . The alignment was broken up into half a dozensemi - autonomous squadronswhose leader were answerable to the Chengs . Each unit bear the name of a dark-skinned flag : There was a Red Flag Fleet , a Black Flag Fleet and so on .
One of leghorn in this mighty deplorable family was Chang Pao , a teenager who ’d been captured by Cheng I. " After recognizing his potential for leadership , Cheng I initiate Chang Pao into the pirate ranks by agency of a homosexual liaison , " Murray says .
before long enough , Cheng I put the spring chicken in command of his own junk and even take in him as his own minor .
But it was Mrs. Cheng who held the confederation together after Cheng I ’s abrupt dying in November 1807 . take cathexis of the enterprisingness , she put through a newcode of behaviour . Under these rules , pirates in her fleet would get decapitated if they steal good from a communal fund that was meant to gain everyone . Likewise , tap a imprisoned adult female was punishable by execution .
The formula were co - authored by Chang Pao , who ’d assumed a powerful new role within the getup . " [ Mrs. Cheng ] realized that she needed a lieutenant to assist her control the 300 junks and 20,000 - 40,000 men of what had previously been her married man ’s Red Flag Fleet , " tell Murray . Chang Pao took the job , becoming Mrs. Cheng ’s lover and later her 2d spouse .
Going Out on Top
For eld , Mrs. Cheng exert good relationships with the leaders of every fleet in the coalition . She ran a tight ship ( so to speak ) andoversaw everythingfrom monetary dealing to religious ceremony .
On her watch , the pirate alliance expanded like crazy . Of the 270 government - owned ships stationed at Tien - Pai , 266 fell under her control . By demanding even condescension from seafaring merchant , Mrs. Cheng ’s sailors profited off Canton ’s remunerative common salt craft . As a thing of fact , the outlaw extracted so much revenue across their knowledge base that Mrs. Cheng found it necessary to establish a internet of country - based financial office .
Her strategical mind was well - suit to warfare . Mrs. Cheng ’s fleets regularly embarrassed the navies of southern China . They grew notorious for kidnapping Chinese officials , blockading river and rout just about anybody who counterbalance their will . But that was to change .
In 1809 , China ’s increasingly agitated regime borrow well - arm vessels from the British East India Company and the Lusitanian Navy . At the same time , it also offer amnesty to plagiarizer who surrender .
" The crack was tantalizing to the loss leader of the Black Flag Fleet , who then forced a showdown with the Red Flag Fleet , " Murray pronounce . While negotiating with the government , he turned over the captives from that inter - squadron battle as a gesture of goodwill . Before farseeing , other units were desert from Mrs. Cheng ’s confederation .
She could read the composition on the wall . Blackbeard and other career pirates who kept plunder until the caustic end usually fulfill horrible deaths , whether on the high seas or at the gallows . Mrs. Cheng decide to go a different itinerary .
On April 8 , 1810 — after an earlier round of heartsease talks failed — she took a delegation of 17 sea rover wives and youngster to the regulator - general ’s place in Canton . in spite of appearance , Mrs. Cheng brokered a favorable pardon heap . " [ Chang Pao ] was tolerate to retain between 20 - 30 of his vessels for purpose in the salt trade and received an appointment in the Chinese water forces , " Murray tells us . Most of the pirate ship who ’d answer under her weregranted pardonsas well .
Chang Pao passed away in 1822 at 36 . He was subsist by his brilliant wife , who cash in one’s chips peacefully in 1844 at the age of 69 .
