The most important pirates. The most famous pirates There were many female pirates
Piracy appeared as soon as a person began to use watercraft to transport goods. IN different countries and in different eras, pirates were called filibusters, ushkuiniki, corsairs, privateers.
Most famous pirates they left a significant mark on history: during their lifetime they inspired fear, after death their adventures continue to arouse unflagging interest. Piracy has had big influence on culture: sea robbers have become the central figures of many famous literary works, modern films and TV series.
10 Jack Rackham
Jack Rackham, who lived in the 18th century, is one of the most famous pirates in history. He is interesting because there were two women in his team. For his love of Indian chintz (calico) shirts of bright colors, he received the nickname Calico Jack. In the fleet was in early age out of need. For a long time he served as a senior helmsman under the command of the famous pirate Charles Vane. After the latter tried to refuse a fight with a French warship pursuing a pirate ship, Rackham rebelled and was elected the new captain in accordance with the order of the pirate code. Calico Jack differed from other sea robbers in his gentle treatment of his victims, which, however, did not save him from the gallows. The pirate was executed on November 17, 1720 in Port Royal, and his body was hung out as a warning to the rest of the robbers at the entrance to the harbor.
9 William Kidd
The story of one of the most famous pirates in history, William Kidd, is still controversial among researchers of his life. Some historians are sure that he was not a pirate and acted strictly within the framework of a letter of marque. Nevertheless, he was found guilty of attacking 5 ships and murder. Despite trying to get his release in exchange for information about the location of the valuables, Kidd was sentenced to be hanged. After the execution, the body of the pirate and his accomplices was hung out for public viewing over the Thames, where it hung for 3 years.
The legend of Kidd's hidden treasures has long haunted the minds. The belief that the treasure really exists was supported by literary works that mentioned the pirate treasure. The hidden riches of Kidd were searched on many islands, but without success. The fact that the treasure is still not a myth is evidenced by the fact that in 2015, British divers found the wreckage of a pirate ship off the coast of Madagascar and under it a 50-kilogram ingot, which, according to experts, belonged to Captain Kidd.
8 Madame Shi
Madame Shi or Lady Zheng is one of the most famous female pirates in the world. After the death of her husband, she inherited his pirate flotilla and put sea robbery on a grand scale. Under her command were two thousand ships and seventy thousand people. The most severe discipline helped her to command the whole army. For example, for unauthorized absence from the ship, the offender lost his ear. Not all of Madame Shi's subordinates were happy with this state of affairs, and one of the captains once rebelled and went over to the side of the authorities. After the power of Madame Shi was weakened, she agreed to a truce with the emperor and subsequently lived to a ripe old age in freedom, managing a brothel.
7 Francis Drake
Francis Drake is one of the most famous pirates in the world. Actually, he was not a pirate, but a corsair who operated on the seas and oceans against enemy ships by special permission of Queen Elizabeth. Devastating the coasts of Central and South America, he became immensely rich. Drake accomplished many great deeds: he opened the strait, which he named after himself, under his command the British fleet defeated the Great Armada. Since then, one of the ships of the English navy has been named after the famous navigator and corsair Francis Drake.
6 Henry Morgan
The list of the most famous pirates would be incomplete without the name of Henry Morgan. Despite the fact that he was born into a wealthy family of an English landowner, from his youth Morgan connected his life with the sea. He was hired on one of the ships as a cabin boy and was soon sold into slavery in Barbados. He managed to get to Jamaica, where Morgan joined a gang of pirates. Several successful campaigns allowed him and his comrades to acquire a ship. Morgan was chosen as captain, and it was a good decision. A few years later, under his command there were 35 ships. With such a fleet, he managed to capture Panama in a day and burn the entire city. Since Morgan acted mainly against Spanish ships and pursued an active English colonial policy, after his arrest, the pirate was not executed. On the contrary, for the services rendered to Britain in the struggle against Spain, Henry Morgan received the post of Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. The famous corsair died at the age of 53 from cirrhosis of the liver.
5 Bartholomew Roberts
Bartholomew Roberts, aka Black Bart, is one of the most colorful pirates in history, although he is not as famous as Blackbeard or Henry Morgan. Black Bart became the most successful filibuster in the history of piracy. During his short pirate career (3 years), he captured 456 ships. Its production is estimated at 50 million pounds. It is believed that he created the famous "Pirate Code". He was killed in action with a British warship. The body of the pirate, according to his will, was thrown into the water, and the remains of one of the greatest pirates were never found.
4 Edward Teach
Edward Teach, or Blackbeard, is one of the most famous pirates in the world. Almost everyone heard his name. Lived and engaged in sea robbery Tich in the heyday of the golden age of piracy. Entering the service at the age of 12, he gained valuable experience, which was then useful to him in the future. According to historians, Teach participated in the War of the Spanish Succession, and after it ended, he deliberately decided to become a pirate. The glory of the ruthless filibuster helped Blackbeard capture ships without the use of weapons - when he saw his flag, the victim surrendered without a fight. The cheerful life of a pirate did not last long - Tich died during a boarding battle with a British warship pursuing him.
3 Henry Avery
The most famous pirate in history is Henry Avery, nicknamed Lanky Ben. The father of the future famous buccaneer was a captain in the British Navy. Since childhood, Avery dreamed sea voyages. He began his career in the Navy as a cabin boy. Then Avery was appointed first mate on a corsair frigate. The ship's crew soon rebelled, and the first mate was proclaimed captain of the pirate ship. So Avery took the path of piracy. He became famous for capturing the ships of Indian pilgrims heading to Mecca. The booty of pirates was unheard of at that time: 600 thousand pounds and the daughter of the Great Mogul, whom Avery later officially married. How the life of the famous filibuster ended is unknown.
2 Amaro Pargo
Amaro Pargo is one of the most famous filibusters of the golden age of piracy. Pargo was engaged in the transportation of slaves and made a fortune on this. Wealth allowed him to do charity work. Lived to a respectable age.
1 Samuel Bellamy
Among the most famous sea robbers is Samuel Bellamy, known as Black Sam. Became a pirate in order to marry Maria Hallet. Bellamy was desperately short of funds to provide for his future family, and he joined Benjamin Hornigold's pirate crew. A year later, he became the captain of the robbers, allowing Hornigold to leave peacefully. Thanks to a network of informers and spies, Bellamy was able to capture one of the fastest ships of the time, the frigate Vaida. Bellamy died while sailing to his lover. The Vaida was caught in a storm, the ship was stranded and the crew, including Black Sam, perished. Bellamy's career as a pirate only lasted a year.
Exactly 293 years ago, on November 17, 1720, one of the most famous pirates, Jack Rackham, died. The collegium of the Admiralty, the filibuster, along with the entire team, was sentenced to hanging. The English Themis of that time did not know the word "pardon" and was not in the mood to forgive the sea robbers. Right on the seashore, in Port Royal, Jamaica, the sentence was carried out.
We decided to talk about the seven great pirates, whose fame surpassed the notoriety of Rackham.
Without a husband in the sea - not a foot. Alvilda of Gotha
She was the pirate queen. Alvilda robbed in the waters of Scandinavia during the period early medieval. According to legend, this princess, the daughter of a Gothic king (or a king from the island of Gotland), decided to become a "marine Amazon" in order to evade a marriage forced on her by Alf, the son of a powerful Danish king. Having gone on a pirate voyage with a team of young women dressed in men's clothes, she became the number one "star" among the sea robbers. Since the dashing raids of the “maiden with a sword” posed a serious threat to merchant shipping and the inhabitants of the coastal regions of Denmark, Prince Alf himself set off in pursuit of her, not realizing that his beloved was the object of his persecution. Having killed most of the sea robbers, he entered into a duel with their leader and forced him to surrender. How surprised the prince of Denmark was when the pirate leader took off his helmet and appeared before him in the guise of a young beauty, whom he dreamed of marrying! Alvilda appreciated the perseverance of the heir to the Danish crown and his ability to brandish a sword. They got married, and she vowed never to go to sea again... without her husband.
German Robin Hood. Klaus Störtebecker
According to one legend, Klaus Störtebeker got his name for his remarkable ability to drink (“Stürz den Becher” - “drink to the bottom”). But he didn't become famous for that. The famous pirate knight was a brave warrior and navigator who became part of German folklore, becoming something like the Baltic Robin Hood. Klaus was born in 1360 in Wismar or Rothenburg. He joined the community of Vitaliers - that was the name of the corporation of robbers that operated in the North and Baltic Seas, where the most important routes of the Hansa trade union passed. It was with the Hansa that Klaus quarreled. His intense activity in the pirate field almost caused the curtailment of all trade communications between cities, including, by the way, ancient Novgorod.
On April 22, 1401, the Hamburg fleet defeated the Vitalier squadron. And six months later, the captured Stertebecker was executed along with the team on Hamburg Square. It is not clear why, but in German folklore he forever remained in the form of a "noble robber."
A strait in honor of yourself, a loved one. Francis Drake
The name of this man at one time thundered on the seas and coasts of Europe and the New World. A strait was even named after him, which, to give credit to the pirate, he discovered, passing between Antarctica and the southern tip of Latin America. Drake was not actually a pirate, but rather a corsair - a man acting on the communications of hostile powers by special permission. Drake received such permission from Queen Elizabeth herself.
Needless to say, having equipped his ship "Golden Doe", Drake thoroughly gutted the coasts of Central and South America, returning to his foggy homeland, as they would say now - an oligarch ...
The following expeditions only increased his wealth. The apotheosis of Drake's service was the battle of Gravelines - the British fleet under his command utterly defeated the Spanish Grand Armada, battered by the storm. Since then, in the English navy, one of the ships has always been named after Francis Drake.
Henry Morgan, nicknamed "The Cruel"
Henry Morgan was born in Wales to Robert Morgan, a landowner. Even in his youth, Henry was hired as a cabin boy on a ship going to the island of Barbados. Upon the arrival of the ship at its destination, the boy, as was often the case then, was sold into slavery. Without hesitating, Morgan got out of the situation and moved to Jamaica, where he joined a pirate gang. For three or four campaigns, he accumulated a small capital and, on shares with several comrades, bought a ship.
Morgan was chosen as a captain, and the very first independent trip to the shores of Spanish America brought him the glory of a successful leader, after which other pirate ships began to adjoin him. On January 18, 1671, Morgan set out for Panama. He had thirty-five ships and thirty-two canoes, in which there were one thousand two hundred men. The garrison of Panama was about 2,500 people, including cavalry and artillery units, but by evening the pirates took possession of the city and exterminated all those who resisted. By order of Morgan, the pirates set fire to the plundered city, and since most of the two thousand houses were wooden, Panama turned into a heap of ash.
Shortly after returning to Jamaica, Morgan was arrested (during his campaign, England and Spain signed a peace treaty) and, together with the recalled governor Thomas Modyford, who actively contributed to his predatory campaigns, was sent to England.
Everyone thought that the royal court would hang the pirate on the gallows for all the sins, but the court could not forget the services rendered to him. After a staged trial, a decision was made: "Guilty has not been proven." Morgan was sent back to Jamaica as lieutenant governor and commander in chief of her naval forces.
Henry Morgan died on August 25, 1688, and was solemnly, with ceremonies befitting his dignity, was buried in Port Royal in the church of St. Catherine. A few years later, on June 7, 1692, there was a strong earthquake, and the grave of Sir Henry Morgan disappeared into the depths of the sea.
Eaten by savages. François Holone
The most cruel of the pirates, Francois Olone, was born in France, presumably in 1630. At the age of twenty, the guy was hired as a soldier in the West India Company, to see the world, to show himself. Soon he decided to change his occupation - on Tortuga, in this pirate nest, Olone was able to enlist the support of the governor and get a ship.
The most famous operation of the brave pirate is the capture of the Spanish colony of Maracaibo. At the end of April 1666, Olone and his flotilla of five ships and 400 crew members left Tortuga. Maracaibo is located on the shores of the lake of the same name, connected to the sea by a narrow strait, at the entrance to which there were two islands - forts. Being well-armed, after a three-hour assault, the pirates captured the fortress, after which the ships calmly entered the lake and captured the city. A lot of booty was taken - chased silver for 80 thousand piastres, linen - for 32 thousand livres.
Here Francois became famous for his cruelty. Even among his sailors, he was considered the most terrible of pirates - a monster of the human race. Olone tortured and killed his victims sadistically, for example, by inserting wicks between their toes. Fate took revenge on the brave but bloodthirsty Frenchman. An unsuccessful campaign in Nicaragua soon followed. The pirates were shipwrecked near Cartagena.
But trouble does not come alone - the filibusters who landed on the shore were attacked by the Indians. The few survivors after that were able to tell that those whom the Indians did not kill in battle (including the captain) were torn to pieces and eaten by savages.
Pirate by no means. Captain Kidd
Captain Kidd is known as the thunder of the seven seas. But is he a pirate? The results of the trial of the sailor are disputed to this day - many historians agree that he acted strictly within the framework of a letter of marque issued to him by the New England government ...
As a young sailor, Kidd ends up in Haiti after a shipwreck, where he joins a gang of French pirates. During one of the raids, the filibusters were smart enough to leave the ship guarded by 12 British and 8 French. The former massacred the latter and slowly weighed anchor. Kidd was elected captain.
Soon the sailor settles in New York. Funds for equipping a new expedition against the pirates and the French (with them there was a war) were allocated to Kidd by the most senior statesmen of New England. Soon, Kidd's frigate "Courageous" came to the Cape of Good Hope. The enterprise turned out to be unprofitable, the team rebelled, they had to gut any merchants they met on the way.
Soon, luck turned away from Kidd - he met at sea the ship of another pirate captain - Culliford, his old friend, former chief mate. The crew again started a riot and betrayed the captain, who had to flee with a few trusted people on a newly captured merchant ship. At a nearby port, Kidd learned that England now considered him a pirate. William Kidd voluntarily surrendered to justice, hoping for the protection of the lords-employees and the patent of marque, which no one canceled. All in vain. "Pirate involuntarily" was hanged in London in 1701.
Interestingly, his posthumous fame surpassed his lifetime. He is still revered in the US as one of the first North American sailors...
70 thousand pirates Madame Shi
This pirate is the most formidable and lucky in history. In her youth, she worked in a brothel, where she met her future husband - one of the pirate leaders. After the death of her beloved husband in 1807, the lady inherited his business and his flotilla. The robbery was put on a grand scale, and there was no shortage of victims.
Judge for yourself - Madame Shi's pirate squadron consisted of two thousand ships, seventy thousand fighters were on her salary, but sea traffic in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam was such that they all had enough work. On her ships, Madame Shi introduced draconian discipline. For example, an ear was cut off for leaving the ship, and for robbery in fishing villages allied with pirates, death was as painful as it could be for the sophisticated and inventive Chinese.
According to legend, the Chinese bogdykhan, having heard about the sea robber, sent a whole fleet against her. However, the battle did not take place on the first day - the imperial and pirate ships maneuvered for so long to choose the best attack position that by the evening they were completely calm. Two armadas froze opposite each other at a distance of no more than a kilometer. When Madame Shi ordered the attack, discipline did not allow the pirates to disobey her. Tens of thousands of corsairs, holding long knives in their teeth, rushed into the sea and swam to the enemy ships. A fierce boarding battle ended in victory. The losses were great, but the trophies were also great - two and a half thousand magnificent warships.
The gentlemen of the sea for many centuries inspired fear in people with their names. For example, Jack Sparrow, Captain Flint and John Silver. Their list of names could go on and on. Cunning and treacherous, people without honor have always been adventurers.
There lived a pirate from 1680 to 1718. It is he who begins our selection of ratings. Despite the fact that the name is a fictional character, which was created by the thought of the Scottish writer Robert Stevenson, his mention is worthy of being in the selection. Flint has always been a merciless man. Confirmation of this should be called the famous pirate song. It contains the words: Fifteen people for a dead man's chest, yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum. It was 15 people who became unwitting witnesses to the places where the pirate buried his treasures. This is how he signed his own death warrant.
Henry was a pirate from 1635 to 1688. The name of this character is known to many from the film "Hearts of Three". It was based on the Jack London novel of the same name. Only, unlike the previous participant in our rating, Henry really existed. He was both a pirate and a man who helped England gain control of the entire Caribbean region. For these actions, he received the rank of Governor of Jamaica. Unfortunately, the sea could not part with its favorite. So because of the earthquake, the cemetery where the pirate was buried went under water. But the cause of death of a pirate should be called liver disease, which is caused by a large consumption of rum.
Years of piracy from 1540 to 1596. Francis was born in the family of a priest. Despite this, he was never an exemplary Christian. This was facilitated by the blessing of the Queen of England. She was ready to do anything to keep the Spaniards from becoming the world's leading power. Drake became the captain of a pirate ship at the age of 18. He plundered and destroyed the property of Spain. In 15772, Drake took part in the capture of the Spanish Silver Caravan. Thanks to these actions, the pirate brought 30,000 kilograms of silver to the treasury. Francis was also seen participating in a secret voyage to South America. Thanks to this, the treasury of England also received income. Over time, Drake was knighted.
Years of reign on ships from 1645 to 1701. His fate became a reminder to all pirates of imminent punishment. William was executed by court order. But his body was placed on display in a metal cage in London for more than 23 years. The reason for this was Kidd's pirate antics. It was considered a real disaster not only for the French, but also for the British.
In the annals of piracy - this name was entered for life. Grace was a pirate from 1530 to 1603. The life of this lady should be called a continuous series of love-adventurous adventures. From the very beginning, the pirate was with her father. When he died, Grace became the leader of the Owen clan. With loose curls and with a saber in her hands, she made her enemies tremble. Only such actions did not prevent her from loving and being loved. Grace gave birth to 4 children, even at a middle age. And then she ran. Moreover, the lady rejected the proposal of the Queen of England to enter the service of Her Royal Majesty.
One of the most famous pirates. France was his home. Vasser did not take a direct part in the pirate raids that were directed against the Spaniards and the British. However, he received his lion's share of all booty. And the reason for this was the island of Tortuga. Today it is called Haiti. A talented engineer turned the island into an impregnable fortress. It has become a haven for all the pirates of the world. There is also a legend that over the years of managing the island, Vasser saved up more than 235 million pounds. Only now the bad character played a cruel joke with the pirate. In general, the pirate has become food for sharks.
Although piracy was William Damir's main occupation, he is also considered the father of modern oceanography. This can be explained by the fact that he not only engaged in piracy, but also described all his travels and what was connected with them. The result of these actions was a book called A New Journey Around the World.
Zheng has been a nocturnal butterfly since the beginning. After that, she was the wife, and after the already widow of the popular pirate Zheng Yi, the girl inherited more than 400 ships after the death of her husband, which were a thunderstorm for the Chinese merchant fleet. The strictest discipline was present on the courts, which put an end to such piracy antics as rape of prisoners and robbery of allies. Zheng, among other things, is known in history as the owner of brothels, as well as the patroness of gambling.
Potter's son. The guy's homeland was the island of Lesvos. Most likely, Uruj did not find his love there. Also, the island was captured by the Turks. Therefore, a guy at the age of 16 decides to become a pirate. After 4 years, he signed an agreement with the Tunisian authorities. The agreement showed the creation by a pirate on one of the islands of his base. In return, Arouj gives a percentage of the profits to Tunisia. A little later, the pirate became the Sultan of Algeria. However, his reign did not last long. Due to a clash with the Spaniards, he was killed. The successor was a younger brother known as Barbaross II.
His name frightened the French and British governments. Teach, thanks to his cruelty and courage, soon became one of the most terrible pirates in the Jamaican area. In 1718, Tich was pulled up on a yardarm. This was done by the English lieutenant Maynardt.
Video: Top 10 most famous pirates
Sea robbers, "trying their luck." These are them, desperate lovers of adventure and sea battles, with an indomitable will in character and a bottle of rum in their hands, everyone imagines at the mere mention of the word "pirates". The best writers of the world wrote about them, the world's most talented directors and actors created bright masterpieces of cinematography about the difficult and, at the same time, enchanting life of recalcitrant pirates. Seas and oceans, ships and captains, treasure maps and treasure chests - that's it, their life. But each of them had their own special life path, its colorful and complex fate.
"Cruel" Henry Morgan
Living in the seventeenth century, Henry became the most famous pirate in world history. The Englishman, who was born into a wealthy family of landowners, was a restless child from childhood, had no interest in continuing his parental work, and in his early youth he was hired to serve as a cabin boy on a ship. When the ship landed on the island of Barbados, Henry was successfully sold into slavery. After working there for several years and paying the owner a ransom, Henry moved to the island of Jamaica, where he made a gang of thugs and a small capital, bought his first ship, on which he was unanimously chosen as the captain. First, the pirates robbed the ships of Spain, the enemy state. Then a brilliant idea comes to Morgan's head - to attack coastal cities. The very first such attack brought him unprecedented fame as a leader, other pirate ships began to join his team. Having such a flotilla with several hundred pirates, Morgan no longer enjoyed plundering single ships at sea.
The capture of cities began, which gave a significant profit to the treasury of the extracted treasures. However, this treasury both replenished and descended instantly. Returning from raids on Jamaica, the pirates spent days and nights, staggering from tavern to tavern, drinking and eating from golden dishes, having fun with the most expensive courtesans. And then they again went to sea, in new raids.
Pirate Admiral Henry Morgan managed to combine not only success in the corsair craft, but also the talent of a military leader, commander in chief navy Jamaica, and the wisdom of a politician, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. With his help, England gained control of everything. by the caribbean. Morgan's whole life was filled with bright victories, no one could defeat him, except for his beloved rum and, as a result, cirrhosis of the liver, from which Henry died. Henry Morgan was buried as a nobleman. However, the sea soon reminded the world that he was, is and remains a gentleman of the sea. After the earthquake, the grave of the Cruel Admiral plunged into the depths of the sea.
Spooky Fiend Edward Teach
Another Englishman who did not know the joys of childhood. Very early, Edward had to become an adult and start serving as a cabin boy on a warship. Life in the Navy gave him intelligence and insight, the talent of a navigator, but at the same time an unbridled character, a terrible temper and a love of alcohol. Edward Teach pushed away from him more and more, people did not want to sail with him on the same ship. Thus ended the naval career of Edward Teach and the independent life of the formidable robber Blackbeard began. His beard grew from the very eyes and was an eerie blue-black color. He liked to inspire horror from his appearance, for this he braided ignition wicks into his beard, set them on fire and appeared in front of his enemies in clouds of smoke, like Satan from the underworld.
The robbers, led by Blackbeard, robbed every ship they came across, they were extremely cruel, for which they were soon hunted down and very big money was promised for the head of Edward Tich. The lieutenant of the English fleet sent Tich to the other world during a boarding battle, firing five bullets at him and inflicting twenty stab wounds. Blackbeard's head was cut off, his body hung on a yardarm, and so ended the short career of the pirate Edward Teach.
Fortune's Favorite Francis Drake
Francis was born into a family of a priest, but instead of becoming an exemplary Christian, at the young age of eighteen he became the captain of a pirate ship. His crew ruthlessly plundered Spanish ships, the most famous capture of the Silver Caravan, which brought 30,000 kilograms of silver, he was in charge. But Francis was more interested in robberies in those places in the world where no human foot had ever set foot.
Drake was always attracted to unknown countries and it is not surprising that he went on a secret journey to South America, thanks to which the British recognized and tasted an exotic potato vegetable. After such a voyage, England received for its treasury an income that was three times the annual budget. For this, Drake was knighted and given the rank of admiral right on board the ship. History has no analogues of such a case. All his life, fortune was next to Drake and only once turned away. During the next trip to the shores of America, he so absurdly picked up a tropical fever, which is why he died.
Pirate Woman Mary Reid
And even sea corsairs cannot boast that there have never been women among them. Even though the woman on the ship is Bad sign, among the fair sex there were desperate pirates who, along with men, are rightfully included in the most famous in the world.
The girl Mary was born later than her deceased brother. The mother was never able to come to terms with the loss of her son, so she saw only him in her daughter, since childhood, Mary did not know dresses and bows, she was always dressed in boyish clothes. Therefore, it is not surprising that from the age of fifteen the young girl served in the army, took part in the hostilities in the cavalry regiment and then, dressed in men's clothes, went on a ship to serve as a sailor. This ship fell into the hands of the pirates and Mary went over to their side, becoming the captain's traveling wife. But this did not give her absolutely any indulgences and privileges, she participated in battles on an equal basis with men, always wore men's attire and weapons. Once in the life of a girl there was a stormy romance with an artisan who helped the pirates. She even thought for a moment about women's happiness, family and a child, she wanted to formalize the marriage with her beloved and break with piracy forever. But the pregnant Mary Read was caught by the authorities. They did not hang a woman in this position, and she was waiting for her shameful death in a prison in Jamaica. But a strong fever dealt with the beauty earlier, not giving her a chance to be hanged and become a mother even for a moment.
Pirates, "gentlemen of fortune" at all times terrified the population of coastal cities. They were feared, raided, executed, but interest in their adventures never weakened.
Madame Jin is the wife of her son
Madame Jing, or Zheng Shi, was the most famous "sea robber" of her time. An army of pirates under her command terrified the coastal cities of East and Southeast China in the early 19th century. Under its command there were about 2,000 ships and 70,000 people, who could not even be defeated by the large fleet of the Qing emperor Jia-qing (1760-1820), sent in 1807 to defeat the masterful pirates and capture the powerful Jin.
Zheng Shi's youth was unenviable - she had to engage in prostitution: she was ready to sell her body for hard cash. At the age of fifteen, she was kidnapped by a pirate named Zheng Yi, who, like a real gentleman, took her as his wife (after marriage, she received the name Zheng Shi, which means "Zheng's wife"). After the wedding, they went to the shores of Vietnam, where the newly-made couple and their pirates, having attacked one of the coastal villages, kidnapped a boy (the same age as Zheng Shi) - Zhang Baozai, whom Zheng Yi and Zheng Shi adopted, since the latter could not have children. Zhang Baozai became Zheng Yi's lover, which, apparently, did not bother the young wife at all. When her husband died in a storm in 1807, Madame Jin inherited a fleet of 400 ships. With her, there was iron discipline in the flotilla, nobility was not alien to her, if this quality can even be correlated with piracy. Madame Jin betrayed the perpetrators for plundering fishing villages and raping captive women death penalty. For unauthorized absence from the ship, the guilty person was cut off his left ear, which was then presented to the entire team for intimidation.
Zheng Shi married her stepson, placing her in command of her fleet. But not everyone in Madame Jin's team was satisfied with the woman's power (especially after the unsuccessful attempt of two captains to woo her, one of whom Zheng Shi shot dead). The dissatisfied revolted and surrendered to the mercy of the authorities. This undermined the authority of Madame Jin, which forced her to negotiate with the representatives of the emperor. As a result, under the agreement of 1810, she went over to the side of the authorities, and her husband received a sinecure (a position that did not give any real powers) in the Chinese government. Retiring from piracy, Madame Zheng settled in Guangzhou, where she maintained a brothel and gambling den until her death at the age of 60.
Aruj Barbarossa - Sultan of Algeria
This pirate, who terrified the cities and villages of the Mediterranean, was a cunning and dodgy warrior. He was born in 1473 in the family of a Greek potter who converted to Islam, and from a young age, together with his brother Atzor, began to engage in piracy. Aruj passed through captivity and slavery on galleys belonging to the Ionite knights, from which his brother ransomed him. The time spent in slavery embittered Aruj, the ships belonging to the Christian kings, he plundered with particular cruelty. So in 1504, Aruj attacked galleys loaded with valuable cargo, which belonged to Pope Julius II. He managed to capture one of the two galleys, the second tried to flee. Arunj went to the trick: he ordered some of his sailors to put on the uniform of soldiers from the captured galley. Then the pirates went to the galley and took their own ship in tow, thus simulating the complete victory of the papal soldiers. Soon a lagging galley appeared. The sight of a pirate ship in tow caused a surge of enthusiasm among the Christians, and the ship approached the side of the "trophy" without any fear. At this moment, Aruj gave a sign, after which the pirate team began to kill the fugitives with cruelty. This event greatly increased Uruj's prestige among the Muslim Arabs of North Africa.
In 1516, in the wake of the Arab uprising against the Spanish troops settled in Algeria, Aruj proclaimed himself a sultan under the name of Barbarossa (Red-bearded), after which he began to rob the cities of southern Spain, France, Italy with even greater zeal and cruelty, accumulating enormous wealth. Against him, the Spaniards sent a large expeditionary force (about 10,000 people), led by the Marquis de Comares. He managed to defeat the army of Aruj, and the latter began to retreat, taking with him the accumulated wealth over the years. And, as the legend says, along the entire retreat, Aruj, in order to delay the pursuers, scattered silver and gold. But this did not help, and Aruj died, he was cut off his head along with the pirates loyal to him.
Forced to be a man
One of the famous pirates who lived at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, Mary Reed, was forced to hide her gender all her life. Even in childhood, her parents prepared her fate - to "take the place" of her brother, who died shortly before Mary was born. She was an illegitimate child. To hide the shame, the mother, having given birth to a girl, gave her to her rich mother-in-law, dressing her daughter in advance in the clothes of her dead son. Mary was a "grandchild" in the eyes of her unsuspecting grandmother, and all the while the girl was growing up, her mother dressed and raised her like a boy. At the age of 15, Mary left for Flanders and entered the infantry regiment as a cadet (still disguised as a man, under the name Mark). According to the memoirs of contemporaries, she was a brave fighter, but still could not advance in the service and joined the cavalry. There, the floor took its toll - Mary met a man with whom she fell passionately in love. Only she revealed to him that she was a woman, and soon they got married. After the wedding, they rented a house near the castle in Breda (Holland) and equipped the Three Horseshoes tavern there.
But fate was not favorable, soon Mary's husband died, and she, again disguised as a man, went to the West Indies. The ship on which she sailed was captured by English pirates. Here a fateful meeting took place: she met the famous pirate Ann Bonnie (the same as she, a woman dressed as a man) and her lover John Rackham. Mary joined them. Moreover, she, along with Ann, began to cohabit with Rackham, forming a bizarre "love triangle". The personal courage and courage of this trio made them famous throughout Europe.
Learned Pirate
William Dampier, who was born into an ordinary peasant family and lost his parents early, had to make his own way in life. He began by becoming a cabin boy on a ship, then he took up fishing. A special place in his work was occupied by a passion for research: he studied new lands, to which fate threw him, their flora, fauna, climatic features, participated in an expedition to explore the coast of New Holland (Australia), discovered a group of islands - the Dampira archipelago. In 1703 he went to the Pacific Ocean on a pirate hunt. On the island of Juan Fernandez, Dampier (according to another version, Stradling, the captain of another ship) landed the sailing master (according to another version of the boatswain) Alexander Selkirk. The story of Selkirk's stay on a desert island formed the basis of the famous book by Daniel Defoe "Robinson Crusoe".
Bald Greine
Grace O'Malle or, as she was also called, Bald Greine, is one of the controversial figures in English history. She was always ready to defend her rights, no matter what. She got acquainted with navigation thanks to her father, who took his little daughter on long-distance trading voyages. Her first husband was a match for Grace. About the clan O "Flagerty, to which he belonged, they said:" Cruel people who most arrogantly rob and kill their fellow citizens. slain, Grace returned to her family and took charge of her father's fleet, thus wielding a truly formidable force with which to keep the entire West Coast of Ireland in check.
Grace allowed herself to lead so freely, even in the presence of the Queen. After all, she was also called the "queen", only the pirate one. When Elizabeth I handed her lace handkerchief to Grace for her to wipe her nose after sniffing tobacco, Grace, using it, said: “Do you need it? In my area they are not used more than once!” - and threw a handkerchief to the retinue. According to historical sources, two longtime opponents - and Grace managed to send a dozen English ships - were able to agree. The queen granted the pirate, who at that time was already about 60 years old, forgiveness and immunity.
black beard
Thanks to his courage and cruelty, Edward Teach became one of the most feared pirates operating in the Jamaica area. By 1718, more than 300 men were fighting under him. The enemies were horrified by Tich's face, almost completely covered with a black beard, in which the wicks woven into it smoked. In November 1718, Teach was overtaken by the English lieutenant Maynardt and, after a short trial, was hung up on a yardarm. It was he who became the prototype of the legendary Jetrow Flint, from Treasure Island.
Pirate President
Murat Reis Jr., whose real name is Jan Janson (Dutch), converted to Islam in order to avoid captivity and slavery in Algeria. After that, he began to cooperate and actively participate in the pirate raids of such pirates as Suleiman Reis and Simon the Dancer, also, like him, the Dutch who converted to Islam. Jan Janson in 1619 moved to the Moroccan city of Sale, which lived off piracy. Shortly after Janson's arrival there, he declared his independence. A pirate republic was created there, the first head of which was Janson. He married in Sale, his children followed in the footsteps of their father, becoming pirates, but then joined the Dutch colonists who founded the city of New Amsterdam (now New York).
