List of Tables and Figures – vii
Acknowledgments – ix
Conventions and Equivalencies – xii
1. Prelude: The Empress of Heaven saves Dianbai – 1
2. Waves of Piracy in Late Imperial China – 19
Piracy in Early Imperial China – 21
The Merchant-Pirates of the Mid-Ming – 22
Merchants, Rebels, and Pirates of the Ming-Qing Transition – 28
The Seafarer-Pirates of the Mid-Qing – 37
3. Prosperity and Poverty in Maritime South China – 54
Commercialization and Prosperity – 55
Hardship and Poverty – 71
4. Fishermen, Sailors, and Pirates – 82
Social Backgrounds of Pirates and Victims – 83
Becoming a Pirate ¬– 88
Professional Pirates – 91
Occasional Piracy – 94
Reluctant Pirates and Captives – 97
5. Pirate Brutality and Hegemony – 105
Pirate Modi Operandi – 106 Robbery, Kidnapping, and Rape – 112
Murder, Mutilation, and Dismemberment – 115
Protection Rackets – 118
6. Piracy and Seafaring Society – 122
Pirate Lairs and Black Markets – 122
Wicked People and Worthless Fellows – 129
Pirates, Bandits, and Brotherhoods – 135
Piracy and Local Economies – 137
7. The Cultural World of Seafarers and Pirates – 139
Habits and Lifestyles – 140
Violence and Vice – 144
Lecherous Men and Lewd Women – 147
Mastering the Natural Environment – 150
Worshipping Deities of the Sea – 152
Pirates and Human Sacrifice – 161
8. Conclusion: Maritime History from the Bottom Up – 164
Glossary –173
Bibliography – 176
Index – 194
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