Mrs. Ching

By Allison Heininger and Emily McCarter

Marriage of Mrs. Ching Married famous Chinese pirate Cheng She agreed to marry him on one condition:

-she would share equal power with him as a pirate

-help him secure more wealth Mr. Cheng was okay with the idea of this marriage She was born in Canton in 1775, which is north

of Hong Kong.

She was a prostitute until 1801 when she married Cheng. Mr Cheng died shortly after in 1807, and Mrs. Cheng took over the business of piracy.

Piracy and “the confederation”

Mr. and Mrs. Cheng formed a large confederation of pirates in the South China seas.

After Mr. Cheng died, Mrs. Cheng took over

She needed the support of fellow pirates to stay on top

Confederation Continued

She gained their support with help from her new lover and her husband’s dearest friend, Chang Pao.

Made him captain of her “Red Flag Fleet.”

Confederation is thought to have contained almost 50,000 pirates in its prime

Astonishing amount compared to the 5,000-6,000 in the Caribbean

Mrs. Ching in Real Life

This is one idea of what Mrs. Ching could have looked like.

Picture is from Pirates of the Caribbean

Watch the movie to see what else she might have done or how she acted

There are no real documented pictures of her

Her downfall

Ching withstood attack after attack from the Chinese navy, the Portuguese, and the British.

In 1810, “The Chinese government…offered her universal pirate amnesty in exchange for peace” according to CNN.com.

She accepted this offer A little over 100 of her men

were killed but all others, including herself, were set free and able to keep their loot

Downfall Continued

“Cheng I Sao retired with her loot and her new husband (former right-hand man, Chang Pao) opened a gambling house

She died peacefully in 1844, a 69-year-old grandmother” said CNN.com.

Although pictures depict her as ugly, she was supposedly very beautiful. Sculpture of Mrs. Ching

by Michael Brown

Any questions?

Ching Sao was different than any other infamous pirates

-set distinct rules for her pirates to follow

-allowed women to enter into her fleet

-If any of her men cheated on their wives she would cut their ear(s) off

-In charge of one of the biggest pirate confederations in history

She expanded piracy into “blackmail, extortion, and protection schemes” said CNN.com.

Thank you!- Allison and Emily