Women Who Defied Traditional Gender Roles
Ching Shih
China, 1775 - 1844
Born into poverty, Ching Shih kept herself afloat by working in a brothel. However, by the age of 26, she grabbed the attention of pirate leader Zheng Yi. After marrying the pirate, Shih not only lent her brilliant mind to her husband's business, but participated in his endeavors fully, sharing both control and profits evenly.
Six years into their marriage, Zheng Yi died, leaving Shih room to rise to a position of complete leadership.
Soon, Shih was leading almost 2,000 ships and the 70,000 outlaws that sailed on them. However, this massive force was seen as a threat to the Qing dynastyโand for good reason. A fleet was banded to destroy the pirates, and though Shih's ranks suffered some losses,
she not only won victory in the confrontation, but sailed away from it with an even larger fleet after pressing some of the rival crews into her own service. In response to this insulting defeat, the emperor ordered the Chinese navy to attack the pirates, alongside British and Portuguese naval allies.
After a dangerous two-year-long battle, Shih knew how to escape unscathed. She accepted amnesty from the Chinese government for both herself and the members of her crew, allowing them to walk away from a life of piracy free from punishmentโand they were even allowed to keep their loot.