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