(1775 - 1844)
Ching Shih, born as Shi Yang and also known as Zheng Yi Sao, was one of the most powerful and feared pirates in history. Born in 1775 in Guangdong Province, China, she began her life in poverty. Her early years were spent working in a floating brothel, where she caught the eye of Zheng Yi, a pirate commander. They married in 1801, and Ching Shih quickly rose to prominence, negotiating an equal share in leadership and profits. Upon Zheng Yi's death in 1807, Ching Shih took over command of the Red Flag Fleet, a massive pirate confederation. Under her leadership, the fleet grew to over 1,800 ships manned by approximately 80,000 pirates. She was known for her strict code of conduct and ruthless tactics, which included beheading anyone who disobeyed her orders.
Despite her fierce reputation, Ching Shih was also a shrewd strategist and negotiator. She commanded her fleet with such skill that she became a significant challenge to the Qing Dynasty's navy and even managed to resist the incursions of the Portuguese and British navies. In 1810, realizing that the tides were changing, Ching Shih negotiated a pardon for herself and her fleet from the Chinese government. However, instead of retiring from piracy, she took her ill-gotten treasure and whomever wished to remain, sailing south towards Australia.
Ching Shih's forces invaded Farenday early in 1811, forming a libertarian statelet which mixed traditions from Oceanykan, European and Chinese pirates; the Farenday Pirates, now known as the Farenday Pirate Syndicate, were an enormous nuisance to the British Empire and could never be wholly suppressed, even when they were eventually integrated into the Australian colonies. It is here that her moniker as the Pirate Queen spread far and wide. Farenday fared much better than most of the continent by virtue of playing both sides during the last stages of the Revolutionary Wars, allowing an otherwise unassuming outlaw enclave to evolve into the regional power that it is today. She is considered the First Mastmaster of the Farenday Pirates, though this title did not exist during her lifetime. She peacefully passed in 1844, after 33 years of reign.