I grew up thinking that only men could be pirates.
I was clearly wrong. History has all but forgotten the legendary Ching Shih (also known as Zheng Yi Sao), but I am here to remind you that general badassery has been the preserve of women as well as men for many a century.
You might be thinking: when would I ever teach about an obscure female pirate from China? I have no idea; what I do know is that knowing about her dispels some common myths about piracy, and female agency. She might be a ‘did you know?’ moment in a lesson. You might teach a module on naval history, or the role of buccaneers throughout time (you might!).
Imagine this. The South China sea is the battle ground, and it is little known that Chinese pirates often took on the might of the East India Company, the Portuguese Empire and, domestically, the Great Qing. The South China seas in the late 1700s are anything but quiet.
In this, a pirate named Zheng Yi marries a girl from a humble background, born Shi Yang. Shi Yang doesn’t stay an innocent. By the time she marries a pirate, it is said that she leads one of the most famous floating brothels on the South China Sea. The definition of her as a madame is debated though. In any case, she is fierce even before she marries a notorious pirate.
It is not easy living the pirate life. If anything, it is fractious. Her husband falls out with many people and Ching Shih is often called to mediate. It is said that her diplomatic skills are excellent and she ends up co-founding a federation of pirates. If in doubt, organise, right? And while you are organising thousands of pirates, give birth to two healthy sons.
Zheng Yi doesn’t last much longer. He doesn’t die a gallant, swashbuckling death, but is instead swept overboard by a gale, which I imagine is not a noble death for a man committed to life on the ocean. His fleet, the largest of the confederation, needs a leader. Who better than the woman advising him politically and personally for the years of their marriage?
There follows a period of piracy that is bloody and full of victory and defeat. Ching Shih is there, at the helm, leading her men in battle and in raids against the Qing and the Portuguese navy. She is commanding up to 500 ships at a time.
She is also engaging in a quasi-relationship with a charming fellow called Zhang Bao. Now for the icky bit. He is her adopted son. As pirate life becomes more fraught, they stick together and eventually she is given permission to marry him. I told you it was icky.
Zhang Mao also dies young (suspicious much?). Does she lead a quieter life after her second husband also dies? Well, somewhat quieter. She ends up running a gambling house until her death at 68. A grand old life. Imagine what stories she can tell her grandchildren.
There isn’t a Disney movie about her, because, I suspect Disney would have to sanitise quite a few details to make the story palatable (removing sexual escapades, plundering and murder being just three inconvenient details). But, she is remarkable in many ways. Her political command is successful for a long time. She is able to lead 70,000 men and 1800 ships in a confederation of pirates through many an endeavour and most of all, she is respected.
She is known as China’s pirate queen.
You might add this snippet in:
To show that women are as capable of militaristic command as men (and you don’t just have to reference Queen Elizabeth I and the Armada - or you can talk about them both).
To illustrate the colonial and domestic conflicts on the South China Seas as a meanwhile elsewhere for the late 1700s.
To throw in another contender for fierce women on International Women's Day.
To find out more, check out:
Article: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ching-shih-chinese-female-pirate
A fictionalised account of her life: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/30/books/review/deep-as-the-sky-red-as-the-sea-rita-chang-eppig.html
Feminist or renegade? https://thegsaljournal.com/2019/12/10/was-ching-shih-a-brutal-renegade-or-a-visionary-feminist/