The fact that Ching Shih operated in the South China Sea doesn’t belittle the achievement of the pirate, as Ching Shih brought together a fleet more powerful than most nations. Ching Shih indeed became one of the most feared of all pirates, and what is more Ching Shih was a female pirate.
It is of course not unknown for female pirates to prosper in what is seen as a male domain, Anne Bonney and Mary Read where themselves famous and successful. Ching Shih though is unique in the size of her pirate fleet.
 |
| Ching Shih - History of the Pirates of all Nations 1836 - PD-life-70 |
There are conflicting stories about how Zheng Yi came to marry Shih Yang. Zheng Yi was obviously in love with the beautiful prostitute. Some tales say that Shih Yang though was either determined to stay in the brothel, or else she saw piracy as a way out of the brothel. Either way within a year Zheng Yo and Shih Yang was married, and Shih Yang took the name Zheng Yi Sao (or Cheng I Sao), meaning wife of Zheng Yi.
Female pirates were common in Chinese waters, and Zheng Yi and Zheng Yi Sao, soon became a formidable team. Zheng Yi Sao was known to take an equal role with that of her husband in the fighting. Together they managed to bring together a number of ships and pirates under a loose alliance. Zheng Yi and Zheng Yi Sao took their growing fleet to Annam (current day Vietnam) to fight in the Tay-Son rebellion. The couple’s time in the Vietnamese waters was short-lived as their side was defeated in 1802.
Zheng Yi and Zheng Yi Sao returned to Cantonese waters, and started to build up their pirating force. The Red Flag Fleet was born, as the Zheng’s joined forces with Wu Shi’er, another pirate. The Zheng’s brought 200 junks and other ships into the fleet, and using force and the promise of riches, brought all the other local pirates in the Cantonese Pirate Coalition. A force of 600 ships was soon conducting their piracy business all along the South China Sea coast, as far south as Malaysia.
By 1807 the Red Flag Fleet had grown to 1,500 vessels although this included many smaller fishing and river boats. There were an estimated 70,000 pirates operating under the Zheng’s flags. On the 16th November 1807, Zheng Yi died during a severe gale.
It was normal in Chinese society for a widow to withdraw from her husband’s business; piracy though was not a normal business. Zheng Yi Sao took over from her husband. As a widow, Zheng Yi Sao took on the name Ching Shih (or Zheng Shi) meaning widow of Zheng. Ching Shih had bigger things on her mind than traditional piracy, and she went about organising the Red Flag Fleet into a business.
Ching Shih left the naval operations of the fleet to her second-in-command, Zhang Pao, as Captain of the Fleet. Zhang Pao had previously been Zheng’s deputy, as well as adopted son. Zhang Pao had been kidnapped at the age of 15 from his fishing village, but Zhang Pao soon won his place in the fleet as he became known as an intelligent leader and extremely brave when faced with danger. Zhang Pao would become a lover and husband to Ching Shih.
Ching Shih ensured that as ruler, that she gained from any venture. Any pirate within the fleet would have to have a piracy expedition agreed by Ching Shih. Ching Shih would then take the entire haul, and then pay the pirate a fee based on the haul. Ching Shih would have her own purser determine the worth of any haul.
The Red Flag Fleet expanded from piracy on the high seas. The shallow hulled ships of the fleet would travel up rivers to extort money from villages, often demanding the payment of taxes as well as protection money. The most profitable exploits though came about with the extortion of money from local salt merchants. Every ship departing from Canton ports would have to pay a protection fee, which freed them from any threat of attack.
The success of the fleet ensured that Ching Shih could pay for an extensive spy network throughout Canton. The Red Flag Fleet also had financial offices in every major port along the coast of the South China Sea. All in all Ching Shih controlled the whole economy of Guangdong province.
Keeping 70,000 pirates in check was no easy matter, and so Ching Shih instigated a series of rules which all of her fleet were expected to abide by. Discipline was expected and any flouting of the rules was harshly dealt with, normally with beheading. Beheading could be given out if any rules were disobeyed. It was also the punishment for taking money from the loot haul, taking shore leave without permission or raping women unless permission had been given by the squadron leader. Deserters from the fleet, if caught would have their ears removed.
The most famous of Ching Shih’s rules were all about women captives. Any ugly women were promptly set free, whilst the most beautiful were purchased by a member of the pirate crew. Once purchased the pirate and woman were said to be a married couple. If any pirate cheated on his wife he was said to have contravened Ching Shih’s rules and would be decapitated.
With a whole navy behind her, Ching Shih was able to command the whole South China Sea. Ching Shih and Zhang Pao brought together hundreds of ships whenever there was a threat of an engagement. The Chinese government did allow piracy to go on without attempting to stop it. Every attempt at physically stopping the Red Flag Fleet ended in disaster.
In January 1808 the Chinese government sent their navy into the waters of Kwangtung. The ensuing battle though ended in defeat, as instead of depriving Ching Shih of her navy only added 60 government ships to her fleet. There were other attempts by the Chinese navy, and Portuguese and British privateers to stop the navy, without success. The Chinese government even asked the British East India Company to send the British navy to their aide. This request though was turned down, as the British Navy was occupied in blockading France and Spain at the time.
In 1810 Ching Shih brought about an end to her piracy career. Ching Shih was faced with problems of keeping the Red Flag Fleet together; cracks were appearing in the coalition. One of her squadron leaders, O-po-tae, fought an open battle with Zhang Poa’s squadron of ships. Realising that it would be almost impossible to keep 80,000 pirates happy for ever, Ching Shih took up the chance of a government amnesty.
The Chinese government were looking for peace and so a meeting was arranged between Ching Shih and a local official. Ching Shih was in a prime position and in return for the surrender of all of her direct 226 vessels and 17,318 men, Ching Shih arranged many benefits. Out of all of her men only 126 were executed for their crimes and only 250 more received any other sort of punishment. All other pirates were pardoned and offered roles within the Chinese military.
Zhang Pao was given a role as a lieutenant in the Chinese army, and allowed to keep 20 of his finest vessels. Zhang Pao was also given money to ensure that pirates were settled in mainland towns, and would never take up their former career.
Ching Shih also negotiated a rank for herself, against Chinese laws, and she was also allowed to keep all of the loot she had gained. With all of her acquired wealth still intact, Ching Shih retired from the piracy business. With Zhang Pao at her side, she established a brothel and gambling house in Guangzhou, Canton. It was a quite life compared with her previous existence, and with her husband she had at least one son. Ching Shih passed away peacefully in 1844, a grandmother and aged 69. How many other pirates managed such a peaceful end to their lives?
Ching Shih’s life is a remarkable tale of a woman succeeding in a man’s world, becoming so powerful that she could negotiate a deal in her favour with a country’s government. It is a pirate tale that deserves to be mentioned alongside the most famous of privateers, from Blackbeard or Jean Lafitte.
No comments:
Post a Comment