Ching Shih: From Prostitute to Pirate

Ching Shih's Story:

Ching Shih was born in 1775 in the Guangdong province of China in the period of the Qing Dynasty. Her birth name was Shi Yang, although others say it was Shil Xiang Gu or Shil Gang Xu. She was a prostitute in a floating brothel in Canton (Guangzhou) in China. She became famous in her area for her impressive business skills, smarts, and trading in secret information. (2) In 1801, at the age of twenty-six, she caught the eye of the notorious pirate lord, Zheng Yi. (3) Some say he noticed her beauty and was infatuated by her. Other accounts claim he was impressed by her intelligence and business expertise and thought she would make a good companion to help rule his piracy empire. Shih agreed to marry Zheng Yi, but only if he agreed to treat her as an equal. She would get half of the control and share over her husband's piracy business. At the time Zheng Yi had about two hundred pirate ships, called the Red Flag Fleet, and was one of the major pirates of the region. (1)

After Zheng Yi's unexpected death, Ching Shih took up the mantle, taking control of the Red Flag Fleet. She would never go back to the life of a prostitute. According to myth, after her husband's death, she called upon the scattering fleet captains and announced: 

"Under the leadership of a man you have all chosen to flee. We shall see how you prove yourselves under the hand of a woman." (1)

Ching Shih was a strict and regimented pirate lord. Soon into her rule, she took a man named Chang Pao as her husband and appointed him as head of the fleet. This proved a savvy move for a number of reasons. Chang Pao had been her husband’s right hand man, and was widely respected among all the pirate fleets. She began her piracy career as the head of the largest pirate fleet of her times. (2) Her fleet consisted of about eighteen hundred ships of varying sizes and about eighty thousand men. Ching Shih set forth strict rules regarding the treatment of captured prisoners – female prisoners in particular. Female captives who were considered to be “ugly” were released, unharmed. A pirate who wished to take a female captive as their wife was free to do so, but they were bound to be faithful and to care for her. Unfaithfulness and rape were both offenses for which a pirate would be executed. In a short period of time Ching Shih and her Red Flag Fleet established its dominance over The South China Sea.(1)  In 1808, the Qing dynasty government of China launched a naval expedition against the Red Flag Fleet, but it was defeated. The Qing imperial government reportedly had only boats left for its naval use after this expedition as all their ships were captured by her. (2) Eventually, the government became too much of an annoyance for Shih. She decided to put up her swords. Yet not without securing amnesty and money. She once again showed her genius by negotiating with the government. The government gave over a big chunk of cash, cancelled all warrants for her, and made Chang Pao lieutenant in the Chinese navy. One of his first acts was using the government forces to destroy their old pirate rivals. According to most sources, she spent her final years as a business women. Running a brothel and gambling house. She died at age 69, a wealthy and widely-respected woman. (1)

The cultural values of China center around  harmony, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, honesty, loyalty, and filial piety. Although Shih was a pirate and stole and plundered and executed people I still believe, in her own way, she upheld these beliefs. She was never unnecessarily violent. If someone broke her laws or codes she would punish them. She never killed for the fun of it. She was wise in the way that she took control of the fleet as well as how she negotiated with the Chinese government. Righteousness, or justice, was very much her own idea of what is right and just. Yet, she never wavered in what she believed to be just. Such as the fact that she thought women should be treated more than just objects. She showed this by her codes that female captives who are "ugly" are released and unharmed. She may have had her own sense of what is right and wrong, but she stayed true to it. Her story and her life most definitely resonates with me and, I am sure, with others. I already had her in mind as a warrior women from another culture because I read a short tidbit about her once. I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, this women is awesome. How have I never heard about her and what she has done?" I think it is important that we learn about women's history and that we know that women are not always in the background in history. She is a women pirate who took control of her husband's fleet and thrived. She was strong, intelligent, powerful, and ruthless in a time when women like this were a rarity. She is a true warrior women pirate queen.

Fun Fact: Remember Mistress Ching, one of the pirate lords from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise? Well, she was inspired by none other than Ching Shih. Similar to the real-life pirate queen, Mistress Ching had close ties to a brothel (but she ran one) and was an astute and fierce leader. In addition, both women hailed from or eventually lived in Canton.

Works Cited

(1) “Ching Shih: Princess of the Chinese Seas.” Rejected Princesses, www.rejectedprincesses.com/princesses/ching-shih
(2) Mrreese. “Ching Shih – from Prostitute to Pirate Lord.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/ching-shih-prostitute-pirate-lord-002582.
(3) “Who Is Ching Shih? Everything You Need to Know.” Facts, Childhood, Family of Chinese Pirate, www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ching-shih-41396.php.