Description
In the history – Shing Shih –Sailing the seas was never a professional fit for women, at least in the minds of most pre-modern societies. In fact, to have women aboard a ship was considered bad luck back then. Yet in actual history many women defied this unjust norm, becoming able sailors and competent naval commander. This included examples in the not so respectful profession of piracy. Ching Shih and her pirate fleet weren’t just a menace of the seas but an actual power in conflict with the likes of Qing dynasty officials, the Portuguese navy, and the East India Company. At the height of her power, she commanded a fleet of over 60,000 pirates. Her hegemony extended beyond the seas to many coastal settlements in China and Southeast Asia. Her most notable achievement, however, was issuing a standard code of laws, enforcing discipline into her subordinates and turning her pirate fleet into a formidable force.