User:Yokhi/Ching Shih

Marriage to Cheng 1
Cheng I was from a family of notorious pirates whose roots trace back to the mid-17th century. Sources differ on Cheng I's motivation for marriage: some argue that he became infatuated with Shih Heang Koo, while others argue that the union was purely as a business move intended to consolidate power. Either way, Shih Heang Koo is said to have agreed to lend her powers of intrigue, as it were, to her husband's endeavours by formal contract, which granted her a 50% control and share. Following their marriage, Shih "who participated fully in her husband's piracy," was known as Cheng I Sao (鄭一嫂; 'wife of Cheng I'). After the two married,they adopted one of Cheng 1's crewmen,Cheung Po,as their step-son and Cheng 1's legal heir. The two men were purportedly in a homosexual relationship. Cheng also bore two more sons: Cheng Ying Shih (鄭英石) and Cheng Heung Shih (鄭雄石). Cheng I used military assertion and his reputation to bind former rivalling Cantonese pirate fleets into an alliance.'''Cheng 1 and Ching Shih formed a massive coalition from unifying small gangs into a federation of 70,000 men and 400 junk ships. Their coalition consisted of six fleets known by the colors of blue, red, green, black, white, and yellow.' By 1804, this coalition was a formidable force, and one of the most powerful pirate fleets in all of China; by this time they were known as the Red Flag Fleet''.

Ascension to Leadership
On 16 November 1807, Cheng I died in Vietnam at 39. Ching Shih immediately began maneuvering her way into his leadership position. She started to cultivate personal relationships to get rivals to recognize her status and solidify her authority. She acted quickly to solidify the partnership with her adopted son Cheung Po with intimacy. In order to stop her rivals before open conflict erupted, she sought the support of the most powerful members of her husband's family: his nephew Ching Pao-yang and his cousin's son Ching Ch'i. Then she drew on the coalition formed by her husband by building upon some of the fleet captains' existing loyalties to her husband and making herself essential to the remaining captains.

'''In order to remain in control of the federation, Ching Shih seduced and later married her step-son Cheung Po. She chose him due to his loyalties and ties to Cheng 1, thus securing a leader who would be loyal to her and accepted by the lower ranking pirates'''.

Later Life and Death
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'''Upon being pardoned for her life as a pirate, Ching Shih negotiated for Cheung Po to retain several ships, including approximately 120 to be used for employment on the salt trade. She also arranged for Cheung Po and other pirates in the fleets to be given positions in the Chinese bureaucracy.'''

'''Ching Shih also requested that the government officially recognize her as the wife of Cheung Po in 1821. Despite the restrictions against widows remarrying, her request was granted as the wife of a government official.''' In 1813, Ching Shih gave birth to a son, Cheung Yu Lin. She would later have a daughter who was born at an unknown date.

After Cheung Po died at sea in 1822, Ching Shih moved the family to Macau and opened a gambling house and a brothel. She was also involved in the salt trade there.

In her later years, she even served as an advisor to Lin Zexu in battling the British Army during the First Opium War which broke out in 1839.

In 1844, she died in bed surrounded by her family in Macau, at the age of 69.