10 questions · Society & Everyday
Zheng Yi Sao, born around 1775, grows up in humble circumstances in southern China. Little is known for certain about her youth, but her rise is one of the most astonishing in the history of piracy. She marries the powerful pirate captain Zheng Yi (her name means, roughly, "wife of Zheng Yi") and becomes his equal partner in commanding a growing pirate fleet. When her husband dies in 1807, Zheng Yi Sao seizes power herself. With great skill she secures the loyalty of the captains and takes supreme command. Under her leadership the fleet grows into one of the largest in all history: by some estimates she commands, at its height, many hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of men and women: a floating force far superior to the Chinese empire's. Zheng Yi Sao is not only a warrior but also a shrewd organiser. She gives her fleet a strict code of conduct with clear rules, for instance on the handling of loot and prisoners, and rules the coastal waters like a realm of her own. For years the imperial navy is helpless against her. Most remarkable of all, though, is her end: instead of being hunted down and executed like most pirates, in 1810 she negotiates an amnesty with the authorities. She is allowed to keep much of her loot and lives from then on as a free, wealthy woman. Zheng Yi Sao dies peacefully at a great age: one of the most successful and powerful female pirates who ever lived.
Practise for freePurFact brings every card back right before you would forget it. That's how knowledge sticks.
pirate / pirate leader
By some estimates she commanded many hundreds of ships.
💡 Did you know? In the early 19th century Zheng Yi Sao commanded tens of thousands of pirates and is considered one of the most powerful pirate leaders in history.
southern China
She lived from around 1775 into the first half of the 19th century.
💡 Did you know? Off the coast of southern China her fleet terrorised the sea: merchant ships and even the emperor's navy feared her.
tens of thousands
Her fleet comprised hundreds of ships and was stronger than some navies.
💡 Did you know? China’s imperial navy could not defeat her.
took command after her husband's death
Her name means, roughly, "wife of Zheng Yi".
💡 Did you know? After the death of her husband, a pirate chief, Zheng Yi Sao shrewdly took command of the huge fleet herself.
a strict code of conduct
The rules covered things like the handling of loot and prisoners.
💡 Did you know? With a strict code of conduct (including protection for captured women) she held her vast fleet in disciplined order.
negotiated an amnesty
Unlike most pirates, Zheng Yi Sao did not end on the gallows: she negotiated an amnesty with the emperor for herself and her men.
💡 Did you know? She was allowed to keep much of her loot and lived on as a free, wealthy woman.
died peacefully at a great age
Unusual for a pirate, whose trade usually ended violently.
💡 Did you know? Zheng Yi Sao died peacefully in old age: a wealthy woman who ran a gambling house.
Foto: Unbekannt · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Zheng Yi Sao
Zheng Yi Sao (c. 1775 to 1844) was a Chinese pirate who commanded one of the largest pirate fleets in history.
💡 Did you know? Zheng Yi Sao was so powerful that the Chinese empire could not defeat her and finally offered her an amnesty: a unique end for a pirate.
1775
Born: c. 1775 in China
1844
Died: 1844, aged about 69
Society & Everyday: all topics →
Home · All topics · Legal notice · Privacy · Terms · Contact
