Ching Shih, the Pirate Queen, China, early 19th century

The legendary Ching Shih, nicknamed "Queen of the Pirates", is no fictional character! Born in China in 1775, Ching Shih, whom legend has it was once a prostitute, was in fact the terror of merchant ships in the China Sea in the early 19th century. A true military genius, when her pirate husband died, she took command of 40,000 men, some say 80,000.Her insatiable thirst for power made her a formidable strategist. In this episode, we introduce you to a woman who was powerful in many ways, the owner of a large part of the China Sea, the head of all the city's gambling tables and, last but not least, a true pirate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.