![]() ![]() Be My Matelotage! The Civil Union of 17th Century Pirates.The Intricate World of Pirates, Privateers, Buccaneers, and Corsairs.Because it appeared she could not be defeated, the Chinese offered amnesty to all pirates, hoping to eliminate the female pirate’s reign over the seas. Chinese, Portuguese, and British naval ships were all lost to Ching Shih’s fleet. Some claim that Ching Shih was an opium smuggler, while others claim that she stuck mainly to looting, robbing, and taxing the villages her pirates raided. ![]() Ching Shih was called "The Terror of South China," and she would cruelly punish those who resisted her by nailing their feet to her ship’s deck and beating them. These coastal villages stretched from Macau to Canton. Other punishments included flogging, quartering, and clapping the offenders in irons.Ĭhing Shih, the pirate queen of China ( Public Domain ) Ching Shih was "The Terror of South China", But She Knew When to End Her ReignĬhing Shih’s fleet took leadership over many coastal villages, sometimes even imposing levies and taxes on the villages. Deserters would be hunted down, and their ears were cut off when they were captured. Harsh capital punishment was common for pirates of the Red Flag Fleet who did not stick to the code. Unfaithfulness and rape were both offenses for which a pirate would be executed. A pirate who wished to take a beautiful female captive as their wife was free to do so, but they were bound to be faithful and to care for her. Female captives who were considered to be “ugly” were released, unharmed. Whichever ship captured the loot was entitled to retain 20% of its value, while the remaining 80% was placed into the fleet’s collective fund.Ĭhing Shih set forth very strict rules regarding the treatment of captured prisoners – female prisoners in particular. Any plunder that was seized had to first be presented to the fleet and registered before it could be distributed. The female pirate leader even went to great lengths to form an “ad hoc” government, under which her pirates were bound to and protected by laws and taxes. She focused on business and military strategy. Pirate fleets flew a red flag ( adventures in history land ) The Powerful Female Pirate had Strict Rules for Her FleetĬhing Shih was a strict and regimented pirate lord. The distinctive curve of a Chinese 'Junk Ship'. With Chang Pao’s support, Ching Shih took charge. However, Ching Shih craved the power and glory of being the leader of the Red Flag Fleet. Chang Pao had been adopted as a son by Zhèng Yi and Ching Shih. She could have simply stepped down from the organization, allowing Chang Pao, Zhèng Yi’s second in command, to take over. At the time of his death, the Red Flag Fleet included approximately 50,000 – 70,000 pirates.Ĭhing Shih, not wishing to go back to a life of prostitution, knew that this was her opportunity to rise to become a powerful female pirate lord. Zhèng Yi died in 1807, only 6 years after marrying Ching Shih. They formed the Cantonese Pirate Coalition with pirate Wu Shi’er. Their fleet was “color-coded,” with the lead fleet being Red, and the remaining fleets Black, White, Blue, Yellow, and Green. With Zhèng Yi and Ching Shih side-by-side, the Red Flag Fleet quickly grew from 200 ships to more than 600 ships, and eventually to 1700-1800 ships. While the accounts vary as to how they actually came to be together, Ching Shih and Zhèng Yi began to run the Red Flag Fleet together. She agreed to his proposal so long as she would have some power within his organization, and would receive an equal share of his plunder. The men did as they were ordered, and Zhèng Yi and Ching Shih were married.īy other accounts, Zhèng Yi simply asked Ching Shih to marry him. He asked that they bring him Ching Shih, his favorite prostitute. According to some, Zhèng Yi sent a raid and ordered them to plunder the brothel. There are varying accounts of how they actually came to be together. ![]() In 1801, Pirate Zhèng Yi, who commanded a fleet of ships called the “Red Flag Fleet,” noticed Ching Shih’s beauty, and wished to be with her. Ching Shih Gains Control of the Red Flag Fleet She became a prostitute who worked in a floating brothel in Canton. However it is known that she was born in the Guangdong province of China in 1775, and her birth name was ShiI Xiang Gu. Little is known about Ching Shih’s early life. Eventually, Ching Shih sought amnesty when offered by the Chinese government, but not without first negotiating to maintain the riches and power she earned as a pirate lord. The fleet grew under her command, with expanding reserves of loot, and an organized system of business. Ching Shih (or Zheng Shi) was a Chinese prostitute who became a powerful female pirate, controlling the infamous Red Flag Fleet. ![]()
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