7. Cheng I Sao and Her Son-Husband Terrorized the Waves
The scale of piratical activities carried out by Cheng I Sao and her son/ husband, Cheung, exceeded anything seen in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. At the height of her power, Cheng controlled over 300 sailing ships and commanded up to 80,000 pirates. To put that into perspective, the Caribbean Age of Piracy’s most notorious villain, Blackbeard, never commanded more than 4 ships and 300 men.
With her massive armada, Cheng dominated the shipping lanes around southern China, and held them for ransom. Her depredations finally compelled the Chinese authorities to launch a massive campaign to eradicate piracy and restore order. In 1810, seeing the writing on the wall, Cheng accepted a pardon. She abandoned piracy, turned her back on her son/ husband, and returned to her hometown. There, she opened a gambling den and whorehouse, and died peacefully in bed in 1844.