What associations do you have when you hear the word "pirate"? A one-eyed man with a parrot on his shoulder and a wooden leg? Now turn your attention to KDPV - Zheng Shi, a Chinese sea robber who gained fame as one of the most successful pirates in history. Under her command was a fleet of 2,000 ships and more than 70,000 sailors. This short, fragile woman, leading the battle, held a fan in her hand instead of a saber. She was a contemporary of Napoleon and Admiral Nelson, but no one had heard of her in Europe. But on Far East, in the vastness of the South Chinese seas, her name was known to the very last poor man and the very first rich man. You probably thought that she inherited such “wealth” from a priest with one eye and a wooden leg? Well, this is partly true, but there is one “but”...
Zheng Shi was 26 years old when Chinese pirates took her from a brothel in Canton in 1801. The pirate leader Zheng Yi offered his hand and heart to the beauty, and she agreed, but, as the legend says, only on the condition that she would participate in both the management of operations and the division of the spoils. The pirate accepted the terms.
In six years, they together destroyed all competitors on the coast of the South China Sea, increasing their fleet to 400 ships. When Zheng Yi died in 1807, the widow, who went down in history under the name Zheng Shi (Widow Zheng), took the reins of power completely into her own hands.
The new captain introduced very strict laws and managed to turn the bandit army into a disciplined army. The pirates tried to rebel, but a series of spectacular executions forced them to reconcile, and seaside villages began en masse to come under the power of the sea robber (they lived quietly under her protection) and voluntarily supplied Zheng Shi’s fleet with everything necessary.
In January 1808, the entire Chinese imperial fleet was sent to fight the pirates. Lady Qing lured the squadron sent against her into a cunning trap she had invented, and... won the battle, capturing more than 60 ships. The admiral who commanded the squadron, unable to bear the shame, later committed suicide. Then China tried to set Western adventurers against the robber, but they were not successful either. Realizing that Zheng Shi could not be defeated, the authorities offered her a peace agreement, and in April 1810 it was accepted.
The pirates (according to various estimates, from 17,000 to 80,000 people) received a complete amnesty, retained the looted property and transferred to the imperial service. This was the end of piracy in Chinese waters.
Zheng Shi lived to be 69 years old, being the legal owner of a hotel (which had a gambling house and a brothel) and having perhaps the most brilliant pirate career in the entire history of mankind.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Chinese sea robber Zheng Shi gained fame as one of the most successful pirates in history. She commanded a fleet of two thousand ships and had more than 70 thousand sailors under her command. The emperor's squadrons were unable to cope with her huge flotilla, and the government was forced to declare an amnesty to all her pirates.
Flower of the East
For many centuries, Canton (now Guangzhou) was an open trading city in China, serving as a refuge for opponents of the authorities and rebels. This port was especially popular with pirates, who could hide from persecution in a huge bay and calmly repair ships in it. Here they spent their share of the plunder. The doors of port taverns and entertainment venues were open around the clock.
In 1801, a 16-year-old “Madame Jing” worked in one of the brothels in Canton, entertaining visitors and selling her body. She had no idea that her fate would soon change dramatically and she would become a legendary woman who would be feared by the emperor himself.
The famous pirate Zheng Yi, having heard about “ beautiful flower Canton,” decided to take possession of the girl by force and sent several of his sailors after her. After “Madame Jing” managed to fight them off, the pirate came for her himself and offered to become his wife.
The proud girl agreed, but set a condition - she should have half of the spoils. In addition, he wanted to participate in the management of operations. The pirate did not expect such insolence, but still accepted the conditions. After the wedding, "Madame Jing" received the new name Zheng Yi Xiao ("Zheng's wife").
Family business
Zheng Yi wanted to have a son to whom he could pass on his experience and ships. Zheng Yi Xiao could not have children, so the couple stole a 15-year-old boy named Zhang Baozai from the fishermen, whom they adopted.
For six years, Zheng Yi, together with his wife and son, destroyed all competitors on the coast of the South China Sea. Their fleet consisted of about 400 ships (junks) and was divided into six squadrons that sailed under the flags different colors: red, yellow, green, black, blue and white. Zheng Yi Xiao led the oldest squadron flying the red flag.
Feeling that wealth was flowing into her hands, Zheng Yi Xiao conspired with her adopted son to seize power over the entire flotilla. In 1807, before an approaching storm, she ordered her servants to serve her husband a dish of poisoned caterpillars with rice. When the typhoon hit, Zheng Yi Xiao easily covered up the traces of her crime by throwing the body of her dead husband into the water, and at the same time dealt with all the servants.
Having entered into a marriage alliance with her adopted son, Zheng Shi (“Zheng’s widow”) took upon herself all matters of tactics, strategy and general planning operations, and Zhang Baozai began to lead the fleet. The widow managed to increase the number of junks to 800 and add about 1000 more boats to them, on board which there were from 70 to 80 thousand people. The flagship junk Zheng Shi was armed with 38 cannons.
Under the joint command of Zheng Shi and her new husband, pirates not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also sailed far into river mouths, ravaging coastal settlements. The Qing Emperor Jiaqing (1760-1820) was so stung by the rise of piracy that in January 1808 he sent a huge fleet against Zheng Shi.
South Sea Thunderstorm
Thanks to an extensive network of spies, Zheng Shi learned about the emperor's plan and hid the main forces in an ambush behind the cape. After a fierce battle ensued and it seemed that the defeat of the pirates was close, the junks ambushed the enemy in the rear. Seeing this, the commander of the imperial squadron, Admiral Ku Lang, committed suicide.
The angry emperor sent a new squadron under the command of General Lin Fa to take revenge on the pirates for the destruction they had caused. Both fleets met near Olongapo (Olan Pei). Zheng Shi ordered an attack on the imperial ships, but at that moment the wind suddenly died down. And here the female captain showed herself to be an excellent tactician. She ordered thousands of pirates to jump into the water and swim to government ships. Lin Fa lost the battle and was killed.
In 1809, the emperor sent another squadron of 100 ships, led by Admiral Sun Mao, against the pirates. As a result of the heavy shelling, the rigging on the junks caught fire, and Zheng Shi ordered a retreat. Many pirates drowned, and most of those who remained were killed or captured.
Zheng Shi decided to take revenge and, teaming up with two other pirate gangs, counterattacked the imperial fleet on the way back. An eyewitness wrote: “Our squadron was scattered and scattered in complete disorder and was finally completely defeated. There was such a roar that it seemed like the sky was split..."
The next imperial squadron under the command of Admiral Ting Kei was also unlucky. Zheng Shi attacked him with a fleet of 200 junks and, after a fierce and bloody battle, was victorious. Ting Kei committed suicide, and all 25 imperial ships surrendered to the pirates.
After this, Zheng Shi's fleet of 500 junks made a daring raid on the city of Shao Tin and captured 400 men and women. The pirates cut off the heads of the dead and hung them by their braids on their necks, like beads.
Codex Madame Ching
Zheng Shi introduced a special code of conduct for her pirates, which provided for severe punishments for the slightest offenses. Chinese historians wrote about it like this.
"1. If anyone goes ashore without permission, he is subject to arrest and his ears are pierced in full view of the entire fleet. Anyone who commits unauthorized absence again is sentenced to death.
2. Nothing can be taken from captured loot until it has been fully accounted for. The loot is divided into 10 equal parts. Two parts are intended for distribution to teams, eight go to the repository as public property. Taking anything from the storage facility without asking is prohibited. Those caught doing this are punishable by death.
3. No one should bring captured women from villages onto the ship. You must first seek permission from the quartermaster, and then, having received permission, retire to a corner of the hold. Violence against a woman without the permission of the quartermaster is punishable by death."
Zheng Shi forbade her pirates to use the word “robbery.” Instead, the expression “transshipment of goods” should have been used. It was also forbidden to rob the population in friendly territory, and it was required to pay in cash for wine, rice and food. Thus, the pirate queen provided herself with reliable rear support on the coast.
Chinese trick
Not all pirates were happy with such laws. They especially did not like being under the authority of a woman. After an unsuccessful attempt by two captains to kill her husband and woo her, Zheng Shi shot them both, which caused even greater hatred for herself.
In 1810, the Chinese government, realizing that it could not cope with the queen of sea robbers, offered an amnesty to all her pirates. The captains, dissatisfied with the woman's power, were the first to surrender. Zheng Shi herself used the opportunity as best she could. She was allowed to keep all the loot, and the captains loyal to her were offered military positions.
After the death of her second husband, Zheng Shi left for her native Canton, where she opened a brothel and casino. "Storm South China"lived the rest of her life in wealth and peace, leading an underground smuggling syndicate.
In our century, pirates have a place only in films with Johnny Depp, in bills on torrents and old news about Somalia. But few people would think to remember Chinese pirates - simply because few people even know about them. We fill this gap and talk about the pirates of the Qing Dynasty, no less legendary than Blackbeard or Henry Morgan.
Pirates have existed in China since time immemorial and often took part in hostilities as mercenaries. Their heyday came in the 18th-19th centuries, when Europeans became more active in the South China Sea. The British and Dutch East India Companies, their holds filled with riches, were so eager to enter the Chinese market that they undermined Chinese power with opium and unequal treaties.
Heroes of pirate dynasties
Chen Tianbao became a menace on the Cantonese shores at the end of the 18th century. He was born in the southern province of Guangdong in the family of a fisherman. One day, while fishing, his boat capsized, but Chen made it ashore in northern Vietnam and stayed there.
At this time, Vietnam was torn apart Civil War And peasant uprisings led by the Tyshawn brothers. They were provoked by recent land losses, unaffordable taxes and corruption. Chen joined the rebellion, and when it was discovered that he had knowledge of navigation, he was promoted to naval general. Coming to power eight years later, Taishon was given six war junks and two hundred men under his control. The Qing dynasty, not left behind, sent its fleet to Vietnam to help the deposed emperor, but the Chinese were unlucky to meet Chen.
By order of the Vietnamese, he repeatedly attacked and plundered the southern coast of China, and the Qing did not have enough strength to repel the pirate, whose fleet was becoming larger and larger. Seeing Chen's power, several other prominent pirates joined him - Mo Guanfu, Zheng Qi, as well as Liang Wenkeng and Fan Wencai. These five terrified the inhabitants of the southern provinces of China for a whole decade, but nothing lasts forever - the Tay Son brothers, who patronized Chen, were overthrown by the Nguyen dynasty in 1802.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Mo Guanfu, born into a lumberjack family in southern China, might have wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, but the guy was unlucky: he was kidnapped by pirates. There was nothing to pay the ransom to the family, so Mo had no choice but to stay with the pirates and work for them. He was later rescued from captivity by the Vietnamese, and he entered Chen's service, becoming one of his best officers. For this he received the title "Prince of the Eastern Seas."
In 1801, after defeat in a battle with the fleet of the Nguyen princes, who actually ruled the south of Vietnam, Mo Guanfu was captured along with Liang and Fan. All three were handed over to the Chinese government, after which they were executed in the city of Guangzhou.
But another representative of the legendary five, Zheng Qi, managed to escape. It is known that he was born in 1760 in the area of modern Hong Kong in the family of the pirate Zheng Lianfu, so it is not surprising that in 1788 the Taishon brothers hired him into their fleet. Three years after the defeat of the Nguyen, he fled to the north, not wanting to get involved in the war, but Chen convinced him to return and take part in the battle for the capital. Nothing good came of this. Zheng lost, and a year later, in 1802, he was caught and executed by the new Vietnamese government. Fearing a repeat of his friend's fate, Chen fled to China, where he received the forgiveness of the Chinese emperor and lived the rest of his life on land.
Zheng Qi's fleet was inherited under the command of his elder cousin Zheng Yi, who became the new hegemon of the South China Sea. Zheng Yi also took part in the Vietnam War as a hired agent for China, but more is known about his battles on the personal front.
Zheng Yi was in love with a boy he had captured named Zhang Baozai. He was almost twenty years younger, and since they could not tie the knot, Zheng simply adopted his lover. This allowed them to legally establish the order of succession, and a little later Zhang, using the patronage of his captain, became one of the commanders in the pirate fleet and won everyone's respect.
Madame of the Six Pirate Squadrons
In 1801, Zheng had a fatal meeting with Madame Shi Yan. She was a prostitute and ran a brothel, and her girls, after intimate conversations with rich clients, told her everything, which also made it possible to trade information. Zheng Yi proposed to Shi Yan to enter into marriage for more fruitful cooperation, the far-sighted woman agreed - but on the condition that she would control half of his fleet and receive half of the spoils when divided.
Shi Yan turned out to be a skilled warrior and commander, and soon their family’s fleet numbered more than one and a half thousand ships, and one hundred and eighty thousand pirates served under their strict leadership. But Zheng Yi's happiness was short-lived, and in 1807 he “accidentally” fell overboard.
So the madam acquired a new name - Zheng Shi, the widow of Zheng - by which she is still known, and then she forcibly married her husband’s lover and her adopted son and single-handedly took possession of the entire fleet. She repeatedly proved her valor in battles with the fleet of the Qing dynasty, which could not catch her, and robbed the Portuguese and the British. For a long time she was the permanent captain of six pirate squadrons under the red flag.
Now that she had such a huge and powerful fleet under her command, she and her new husband began drawing up a unified pirate code and strictly controlled its implementation. First, anyone who gave orders that bypassed Madame Zheng or refused to obey was subject to beheading. Secondly, it was forbidden to steal from general supplies and rob civilians who provided support. Thirdly, the one who captured the wealth received 20%, and the rest was divided among the team, having previously examined and documented it. Fourthly, the money was given to the ship captains. They handed over a small part to the treasure hunter as gratitude, and used the rest to replenish supplies. If this rule was not followed, the captain was whipped, and if the money was withheld again, he was promised the death penalty. Deserters or those who left headquarters without permission had their ears cut off and put on public display.
Madame Zheng's rules contained special provisions regarding captives. The most beautiful pirates left as wives - in this case, the man was obliged to be faithful to his chosen one. The rest were released or given for ransom. A pirate who raped a captive woman was executed, but if the relationship was consensual, he was beheaded, and she was thrown overboard with a cannonball. The rules brought discipline and confidence to the ranks of the pirates, and they fought desperately for their leader, even when outnumbered.
But after a few years, Zheng Shi’s influence among pirates began to fade. Some captains were dissatisfied with the division of the spoils and were preparing a conspiracy, and she and her husband had to turn to the Chinese emperor with a request for pardon. Zheng Shi returned to brothel-keeping, gambling and opium trading and died in her sleep at the age of sixty-nine. Zhang Baozai received an official post from the emperor, joined the navy and spent the rest of his life fighting piracy and hunting those who once served under the command of the Zheng couple.
These images inspired many, and in 1973 Zhang Baozai was made into the film The Pirate, in which he was portrayed as the “Robin Hood of the seas.” More famous is the film "Pirates" Caribbean Sea", where the prototype of the Singaporean pirate Xiao Feng was also Zhang, and Madame Zheng appeared as the mistress of the Chinese pirates and one of the nine lords. The One Piece manga and anime character Scratchman Apu was also inspired by Zhang's personality. Since 2015, the series “Red Flag” has been filmed in Malaysia with Zheng Shi at the center of the story.
To this day, several places in Hong Kong bear the name of Zhang Baozai, such as the Baozai Cave on Cheng Chau Island, where the pirate kept his treasure. He was also superstitious and erected several statues in honor of Tian-hou Mazu, the patron goddess of sailors. Sailors on the southern coast of China still believe in it.
The illustrations were drawn especially for ATIME by pavlinypls. You can support her by ordering your portrait, a portrait of your dog, or any other illustration from her.
She was a contemporary of Napoleon and Admiral Nelson, but Europe did not know about her. But in the Far East, her name was known to everyone. She went down in history under the name “Mistress Jing” - the uncrowned queen of Chinese pirates at the turn of the 18th - early 19th centuries.
Chinese woman Zheng Shi gained fame as one of the most successful pirates in history. She commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships and had more than 70,000 sailors under her command. For comparison, the famous pirate Edward Teach, nicknamed Blackbeard, commanded 4 ships and 300 pirates.
“Lady Jing,” as she was also known, worked as a prostitute before meeting Zheng Yi, the most famous Chinese pirate of the 19th century. They married in 1801 and went to Vietnam, where the civil war was in full swing. After marriage, the girl received a new name Zheng Yi Xiao (“Zheng’s wife”). Zheng did not have any children of her own, so the pirates kidnapped and adopted fifteen-year-old Zhang Baozai from the fishermen, who later became the lover of first Zheng Yi, and after his death, Zheng Shi.
After her husband died in a storm in 1807, Zheng Shi ("Zheng's widow") inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. Soon she married her stepson Zhang Bao. Under their joint command, pirates not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also sailed far into the mouths of rivers, ravaging coastal settlements.
The ascent to the pinnacle of power passed quite quickly for Mrs. Jing. It is believed that there was still an opposition, and its leaders had already begun to fight among themselves for supremacy when Jing appeared on the scene.
With the determination that has always distinguished her, she told the rebels that in memory of her beloved husband she was taking command of the fleet. Anyone who does not agree with this can go anywhere. Moreover, everyone who decides to leave the fleet will receive a junk and four sailors from Mrs. Jing. Their ships will remain part of the squadrons, because she will not allow anyone to weaken the power of the fleet.
It is unknown whether the new pirate mistress had to defend her position by force, but the fact remains that her supremacy was recognized by everyone.
It is believed that the key to success was the iron discipline that reigned on its ships. Jing introduced strict regulations that put an end to traditional pirate freedom. Robbery of fishing villages allied to pirates and rape of prisoners was punishable death penalty. For unauthorized absence from the ship, the pirate's left ear was cut off, which was then presented to the entire crew for intimidation.
The innovation was met with hostility, but Mrs. Jing did not think of retreating from the reforms: on her orders, those who disobeyed the first time were simply pierced in the ears, and for repeated violations they were executed. So effective measure gave quick results.
There were six squadrons, the core of the fleet was the “family squadron” of the Jins, whichcarried red pennants on their masts. The remaining squadrons had black, white, blue, yellow and green identification colors, which helped guide the operation during battles.
View of chinese city Canton in 1800, where Zheng Shi lived.
Jing then decided that any concealment of loot should be punishable by death.And finally, robbery of the local population, which made the residents hostile to pirates, was strictly prohibited. Now the pirates paid for everything that was confiscated from the population from their own pockets.
Of course, in this case, there was some discontent and even disobedience, but the consistency in the actions of the Jing reformer, and most importantly the inevitability of punishment for failure to comply with the order, forced even the most malicious violators and marauders to submit.
The importance of the reforms was confirmed in the very first battle with government troops, or rather, with the government fleet, which took place in the summer of 1808.
The Qing Emperor Chia-ching was so deeply hurt by the rise of piracy that in January 1808 he sent his fleet against Lady Ching. And the lady showed herself not only to be a talented organizer, but also an excellent naval commander. Having pushed forward a small part of her ships, she and the rest hid in ambush behind the nearest cape. The government squadron, having decided to surround the pirate detachment, upset its ranks, which is what Mrs. Jing wanted. She struck from an ambush, confusing all the plans of the government admirals. However, they offered worthy resistance to the pirates. The battle lasted the whole day and ended in complete victory for the pirates.
Of course, Beijing could not accept defeat, and Admiral Lin-Fa was instructed to gather all the naval forces of the empire to oppose Lady Jing. Lin-Fa began to carry out the order, but at the decisive moment, when both fleets had already converged for battle, the admiral lost all courage and turned back without a fight.
Lady Jing gave the command to pursue the enemy, but when the pirates caught up with his ships, the wind died down on the sea. The sails hung helplessly on the masts, and the warring parties, being in sight of each other, could only quarrel and show their fists to the enemy, but Mrs. Jing found a way out of the situation. And the solution, I must say, was brilliant - she put her people in sampan boats and sent them to board. The commanders of the government ships did not expect the attack, and the Beijing squadron was defeated.
The Beijing rulers took revenge for this massacre only a year later, when the third fleet was built. Cong Mengxing was appointed his new admiral. Once upon a time he, too, was a pirate, but then he switched to public service and showed himself to be a zealous pursuer of his former comrades.
The very first clash with Cong Mengxing ended sadly for Mrs. Jing. Her fleet suffered a severe defeat, and only the devotion of the pirates of the “red squadron”, who literally shielded their leader with their breasts, saved her from shameful captivity.
Striving to capture the enemy at all costs, Cong Mengxing day and nightpursued her, but the help provided to her by the population (that’s when the results of Madam Jing’s far-sighted policy were felt!) destroyed all his plans.
Knowing perfectly well all the shallows and safe passages of the sea, all its secluded, deserted islands and islets, coastal fishermen hid Mrs. Jing on them until the authorities stopped searching for her.
She did not forget the lesson she learned and soon took revenge on her winners with interest. Gathering the remnants of her fleet, Lady Jing teamed up with two unsubordinate pirate fleets and attacked Tsung Mengxing's fleet as it headed toward the mouth of the Yellow River to dock. Cong Mengxing and his closest assistants were going to leave from there for Beijing to receive rewards for the victory over the pirates.
Cong Mengxing never managed to decorate his chest with them. Not thinking about attacking anyone, the fleet commander lost all caution and paid dearly for it. Lady Jing's squadrons suddenly attacked Cong Mengxing's ships and sank most of them. And in total this was the third government fleet destroyed by pirates.
Beijing did not have new forces to immediately oppose Lady Jing, and then the emperor’s administration resorted to a trick. She sent the leader of the pirates an official invitation to come to the capital of the Celestial Empire, promising her the title of imperial equerry.
The capital's officials hoped that Lady Jing would not be able to overcome the temptation to become the emperor's close associate and would come to Beijing. And there they will find a way to get rid of the hated woman forever, but Mrs. Qing did not believeofficials. The invitation from Beijing amused her. And, of course, it flattered my vanity.
Convinced that their expectations were deceived, the authorities began an attack on the adventurer from the other side. They sent their envoys to the pirates' headquarters. There was no hope for negotiations, but the emperor's envoys brought with them precious gifts to present to Mrs. Jing's closest associates.
The bureaucrats, experienced in such matters, knew: such gifts would not leave anyone indifferent, would make the harsh pirates softer and more approachable, and if, in addition, they were invited to public service, promised amnesty and ranks, then a split would be introduced into the pirate environment without any doubt.
Beijing was not mistaken in its calculations. Before the envoys had time to leave, the “black flag” squadron, commanded by Ono-Tae, separated from Lady Qing’s fleet. He had at his disposal one hundred and sixty large and small ships and eight thousand sailors.
Their departure greatly weakened the pirate fleet, and most importantly, sowed discord among Mrs. Qing’s commanders. Many of them said that they were ready to follow the example of Ono-Tae, who became an important person at the Qing court (China was then ruled by the Qing dynasty). Lady Qing realized that this was the end of her reign. People left her, and punitive measures were taken against those who persisted.Those who did not want to give up their criminal activities were caught during raids and sent to Beijing. Show executions were carried out there in order to discourage the population from any desire to rebel and commit robbery.
And Lady Jing agreed to a truce with the emperor. According to the agreement of 1810, she went over to the side of the authorities, and her husband received a sinecure in the Chinese government. As a result of the agreement, each pirate who decided to give up his craft received one pig, a barrel of wine and a sufficient amount of money to start a new life.
Having retired from pirate affairs, Lady Jing, who again began to be called Zheng Shi, settled in Guangzhou, where she ran a brothel and a brothel for gambling until his death at the age of 60.
Thus, the most powerful pirate movement in Chinese history was broken. Of the fleet, numbering hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of sailors, only pitiful remnants remained, which, huddled in the most remote corners, subsisted in the robbery of coastal villages and petty smuggling. Gold opened doors where power could not pass.
The character of the influential Lady Jing, one of the nine pirate lords in the film Pirates of the Caribbean, was created in her honor.
Zheng Shi(Chinese, cant. Chin Xi, 1785-1844) - a Chinese sea robber who gained fame as one of the most successful pirates in history. She commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships and had more than 70,000 sailors under her command.
“Madame Jing,” as she was also known, was a prostitute before meeting Zheng Yi, the most famous Chinese pirate of her time. They married in 1801 and went to Vietnam, where the civil war was in full swing. After marriage, the girl received a new name Zheng Yi Xiao(“Zheng’s wife”). Madame Zheng did not have any children of her own, so the pirates kidnapped and adopted fifteen-year-old Zhang Baozai from the fishermen, who later became the lover of first Zheng Yi, and after his death, Madame Zheng. According to other sources, the boy was adopted by a pirate even before his marriage to Zheng Yi Xiao.
After her husband died in a storm in 1807, Zheng Shi ("Zheng's widow") inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. Soon she married her stepson Zhang Bao. Under their joint command, pirates not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also sailed far into the mouths of rivers, ravaging coastal settlements. The Qing Emperor Jiaqing (1760-1820) was so stung by the rise of piracy that in January 1808 he sent his fleet against Zheng Shi, but a number of armed clashes with the authorities could not undermine the forces of the pirate coalition.
It is believed that the key to Zheng Shi's success was the iron discipline that reigned on her ships. She introduced strict regulations that put an end to the traditional pirate freedom. The robbery of fishing villages allied to the pirates and the rape of captive women were punishable by death. For unauthorized absence from the ship, the pirate's left ear was cut off, which was then presented to the entire crew for intimidation.
Not everyone was happy with this turn of events. One of the pirate captains rebelled against Madame Zheng and surrendered to the mercy of the authorities. Only when her fleet was weakened and her authority was shaken did Madame Zheng agree to a truce with the emperor. According to the agreement of 1810, she went over to the side of the authorities, and her husband received a sinecure in the Chinese government. After retiring from pirate affairs, Madame Zheng settled in Guangzhou, where she ran a brothel and gambling den until her death at the age of 60.
The story of Madame Zheng has repeatedly attracted the attention of writers. She is the heroine of the Jorge Luis Borges story "The Widow of Ching, the Pirate" (1935). Based on Borges' story, a film was made that lost all connection with real events, “The Legend of Vengeance” (2003). According to the preliminary script for the film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Zhang Bao, Madame Zheng's stepson-husband, became the prototype for one of the characters in this film. Zhang Bao's name is also associated with several romantic places in Hong Kong, where they even show the cave where he allegedly hid his treasures. It is said that one of the local attractions, the Tunzhong Fort on Lantau Island, was used by a pirate as a staging post for the opium trade.
Literature
- Murray, Dian H. Pirates of the South China Coast. 1790-1810. - Stanford University Press, 1987. - ISBN 0-8047-1376-6.
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