Cheng Sao, also known as Ching Shih, was a formidable pirate queen who terrorized the seas during the early 19th century. Born in China, she rose to prominence as the wife of infamous pirate Cheng I, inheriting his fleet upon his death. Known for her strategic brilliance and ruthlessness, Cheng Sao commanded a vast armada of ships and a crew of thousands, establishing a code of conduct that governed her pirate confederation with strict rules and severe punishments for violations. Her reighns.