Zheng Yi Sao

Zheng Yi Sao, known as Ching Shih, was a Chinese pirate leader who took command of a massive pirate confederation, the Red Flag Fleet, following the death of her husband Zheng Yi in 1807, commanding an estimated 1,800 ships and up to 80,000 pirates at its height. She imposed a strict code of conduct on her fleet and successfully resisted Qing, Portuguese, and British naval forces. She negotiated a favorable surrender in 1810, retaining her wealth, and lived the rest of her life in Guangzhou.