How Pirates Shaped The World: The Pirate Queen
26Zheng Yi Sao was one of the most successful pirates in history. She was born as Shi Yang in 1775 in Guangdong, China, and worked as a prostitute on a floating brothel. In 1801, she married Zheng Yi, a pirate leader who commanded a huge confederation of 300 ships and 30,000 pirates. After his death in 1807, she took over his fleet. She fought against the Qing dynasty, the British Empire, and the Portuguese Empire, and terrorized the South China Sea for three years. She was known for her strict code of conduct, her cunning strategies, and her ruthless tactics. In 1810, she negotiated a surrender with the Qing authorities that allowed her to keep most of her wealth and avoid prosecution. She retired from piracy and became a gambling house owner in Guangzhou. She died in 1844 at the age of about 68.
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