10 Most Violent Pirates In History

China's Ching Shih was a former prostitute who would go on to command the largest pirate fleet ever assembled.

While employed at a floating brothel, she met (and eventually wed) a powerful pirate by the name of Cheng I. The two were married from 1801 until Cheng I's death in 1807. Following her husband's passing, thanks to some savvy political maneuvering on her part, Shih was able to seize control of his enormous fleet. At the height of her power, she commanded around 300 ships and about 40,000 pirates, give or take.

The pirate queen used a particularly brutal method to keep her ships manned and her army at full strength. When she captured a rival crew, Shih would nail their feet to the deck of their ship and have them beaten. If the captive crew members agreed to join her Red Rag Fleet, they would be spared. However, those who weren't interested in working for Shih would be beaten to death. Unsurprisingly, this turned out to be an incredibly effective recruiting tactic.

Ching Shih is somewhat unique in that her violent ways never caught up with her. The most successful female pirate of all-time died in her bed in 1844, having lived 69 years.