The Opium Wars

The Opium Wars Dispute between Great Britain and China

Growth of Opium Trade Europeans bought silk, tea, porcelain, and spices from China Chinese would only trade goods for silver Drain on European finances

Opium Trade Opium manufactured in China since 15th century for medical purposes Opium then mixed with tobacco so it could be smoked Dutch were first to begin trade of opium English soon followed Chinese government banned smoking and trade of opium in 1729 due to health and social issues

English East India Company Held monopoly on production and export of opium in India Peasant cultivators often coerced and paid in advance for cultivation of poppies Sold in Calcutta for a profit of 400%

East India Company Buy tea on credit in Canton Sell opium at auctions in Calcutta, India Then it was smuggled into China through India and Bengal 1797 began direct trade of opium into China Chinese government had hard time controlling trade in South

Napier Affair Lord Napier tried to circumvent the Canton Trade laws to reinstitute East India’s monopoly Governor of Macao closed trade with Britain September 2, 1834 British resumed trade under old restrictions

First Opium War 1834 - 1843 1838 Chinese instituted death penalty for native traffickers of opium March 1839 – new commissioner to control opium trade – Lin Zexu Lin imposed embargo on Britain unless they permanently ended the trade trade

First Opium War March 27, 1839 – British Superintendent of Trade – Charles Elliot demanded all British subjects turn over opium to him Opium amounting to a year’s worth of trade was given to Commissioner Lin Trade resumed with Britain and no drugs were smuggled

First Opium War Lin demanded British merchants to sign a bond promising not to deal opium under penalty of death Lin disposed of the opium – dissolving it in the ocean Did not realize the impact of this action!

First Opium War British merchants and government regarded this as destruction of private property Responded by sending warships, soldiers, and the British India Army into China June 1840 Had superior military force – attacked coastal cities, defeated Qing forces easily

End of the War British took Canton and sailed up the Yangtze River Took Tax Barges, cut revenue of imperial court of Beijing 1842 Qing sued for peace Ended with Treaty of Nanjing

Treaty of Nanjing Referred to as the Unequal Treaties – accepted 1843 China – Ceded Hong Kong to the British – Opened ports to British – Canton, Amoy, Fuzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai

Treaty of Nanjing Great Britain received – 21 million ounces of silver – Fixed tariffs – Extraterritoriality for British citizens on Chinese soil – Most favored nation status – Allowed missionaries into interior of China – Allowed British merchants sphere of influence in and around British ports

Treaty of Nanjing Unresolved Issues – Status of opium trade with China – Equivalent American treaty forbade opium trade with China – However, both Americans and British were subject only to the legal trade of their consuls

Second Opium War 1856 - 1860 Also known as Arrow War Followed incident when Chinese bordered British registered, Chinese owned ship – the Arrow Crew was accused of piracy and smuggling – Were arrested

Second Opium War British claimed ship was flying British flag and was protected under the Treaty of Nanjing War delayed by Taiping Rebellion and Indian Mutiny British attacked Guangzhou one year later Aided by allies of United States, Russia, and France

Second Opium War Treaty of Tientsin was created in July 1858 – was not ratified by China until 2 years later Hostilities broke out in 1859 when China refused the establishment of British Embassy in Beijing Fighting erupted in Hong Kong and Beijing – British burned the Summer and Old Summer Palace and looted the city

Treaty of Tientsin 1860 ratified the treaty at the Convention of Peking – Britain, France, Russia and the United States would have the right to station legations in Beijing (a closed city at the time) – Ten more Chinese ports would be opened for foreign trade, including Niuzhuang, Danshui, Hankou and Nanjing – The right of foreign vessels including warships to navigate freely on the Yangtze River

Treaty of Tientsin – The right of foreigners to travel in the internal regions of China for the purpose of travel, trade or missionary activities – China was to pay an indemnity to Britain and France in 2 million taels of silver respectively, and compensation to British merchants in 2 million taels of silver. – The Chinese are to be banned from referring to Westerners by the character "yi" (barbarian). – Legalized the import of Opium