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Chzhen ShiA Chinese sea robber who gained fame as one of the most successful pirates in history.
Country:
 China |
Content:
Biography of Zheng Shi
Zheng Shi (1785-1844) was a Chinese pirate who gained fame as one of the most successful pirates in history. She commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships and had over 70,000 sailors under her command.
Early Life
Before becoming a pirate, Zheng Shi, also known as "Madam Ching," worked as a prostitute. It was during this time that she met Zheng Yi, the most famous Chinese pirate of his time. They married in 1801 and traveled to Vietnam, where a civil war was taking place. Unable to have children of her own, Zheng Shi and the pirates kidnapped and adopted a fifteen-year-old boy named Zhang Bao Zai, who later became Zheng Yi's lover and, after his death, Zheng Shi's lover.
Rise as a Pirate
After her husband died in a storm in 1807, Zheng Shi inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. She then married her stepson Zhang Bao, and together they led the pirates in attacking not only trading ships along the coast of China but also ventured into the estuaries, plundering coastal settlements. The Qing Emperor Jiaqing (1760-1820) was deeply disturbed by the rise of piracy and sent his fleet against Zheng Shi in January 1808. However, a series of armed conflicts with the authorities failed to undermine the strength of the pirate coalition.
Iron Disciple and Surrender
It is believed that Zheng Shi's key to success was the iron discipline she imposed on her ships. She introduced strict regulations that put an end to traditional pirate lawlessness. Robbing allied fishermen's villages and raping captured women were punishable by death, and any pirate who deserted the ship had their left ear cut off, which was then shown to the entire crew as a deterrent. Not everyone was satisfied with this change, and one of the pirate captains rebelled against Zheng Shi and surrendered to the authorities. Only when her fleet was weakened and her authority shaken did Zheng Shi seek peace with the emperor. Under the terms of the 1810 agreement, she switched sides and her spouse received a position in the Chinese government.
Later Life and Legacy
After retiring from piracy, Zheng Shi settled in Guangzhou, where she ran a brothel and a gambling den until her death at the age of 60. Her story has attracted the attention of writers, such as Jorge Luis Borges, who included her as a character in his story "The Widow Ching, Lady Pirate" (1935). According to an early script for the film "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," Zhang Bao, Zheng Shi's stepson and husband, served as the inspiration for one of the characters. Several romantic locations in Hong Kong are associated with Zhang Bao, including a cave where he allegedly hid his treasure. Fort Tung Chung on Lantau Island, a local landmark, is said to have been used by the pirate as a base for opium trading.
