In the XIX century, China pursued a policy of isolation from the West. As a result, trade between East and West declined sharply. China was guided by the intention to get rid of the negative influence of Western ideas on the inhabitants of the East. Until 1830, only the port of Guangzhou remained open to foreign ships, and the Chinese traded only silver. In this situation, the British merchants, trying to correct the trade imbalance, decided to import opium, a product that the Chinese did not have, but they really wanted to have. Until 1828, China was enriched with silver due to its exotic goods, which were bought by merchants from Europe.
The law of the Chinese Empire prohibited the use of drugs with the exception of medical purposes. But despite this, British Hong Kong purchased opium, which was produced by the provinces of Bengal and Malva under the auspices of the British East India Company. Because of this, the flow of opium to China has more than quadrupled. In 1833, the British government removed the monopoly of the East India Company, and opium surged into the Chinese market, and silver rushed to the West. This became the basic premise on the basis of which the Opium Wars erupted.
Soon, 90% of Chinese men under 40 had opium addiction. By 1837, China had paid 4.5 million silver dollars for opium, accounting for 57% of the country's total imports. The confiscator of Emperor Lao Lin Jie-hee found that in 1839 the Chinese spent 100 million taels on opium. Of these, he concluded that if opium addiction continues to spread throughout the country, then soon China will not only have nothing to defend, but nothing. It is where the Opium Wars begin. Illegal import of opium into China was punishable by death, but from 1821 to 1837 it increased fivefold. The port of Guangzhou, where bribery, vice and disrespect for the authorities flourished, became a clash of interests between the two countries.
First Opium War
In 1839, Emperor Emperor Tao Lin Jiexuu took prompt action against foreign merchants and their Chinese accomplices. 1600 people were arrested and 11,000 pounds of opium were confiscated. This was the first of the Opium Wars.
In June of that year, 2,000 opium boxes were seized, and foreign merchants involved in them were detained. These merchants were detained until they issued 9 million opium. Money was burned publicly. Opium wars were brewing more clearly.
By order of Lin Jiexu, the port was closed to foreign ships. In response, Charles Elliot blocked the Pearl River. This was followed by a naval battle. Chinese propagandists called it victorious, but it was followed by the operation of the Royal Navy, which destroyed a large number of Chinese ships.
In January 1841, Fort Bogwe was taken. As a result, England gained control of the elevation of the port. A little later, the British took over and on land. The imperial troops were poorly prepared for military operations, and the British defeated them in Ningbo and Chinhai. Soon, the control of England was South China and Zhenjiang.
Peace at all costs
In 1841, the port was sold to England. By mid-1840, the Chinese government was forced to sign a series of treaties under which the British gained control of the western coast of China. Under an 1842 treaty, China ceded to Britain Hong Kong, opened five ports for British merchants, accepted English terms of trade, and paid compensation to merchants for the damage. English merchants henceforth did not obey Chinese laws and could behave freely in China.
Selling opium at bargain prices began even before the end of the peace negotiations. All restrictions on drug trafficking were erased by 1858. As a result, China began an independent cultivation of poppy seeds, and by the beginning of 1900 annually provided itself with 22,000 tons of opium.
Second Opium War
However, new clashes were inevitable in the current circumstances. The opium wars in China did not end with the adoption of a peace treaty. In 1854, Great Britain demanded the opening of all ports of China for trade, legalization of the import of opium, exemption of British goods from duties, as well as permission to establish an embassy in Beijing.
In 1856, the Arrow ship was detained by Chinese authorities. He was suspected of smuggling and piracy. The British authorities insisted that this ship was not under the rule of Chinese laws, and demanded the release of the sailors.
In 1857, British troops were sent to Canton. At that time America, Russia, and France fought against China. But Great Britain and France seized the port of Canton without the knowledge of other countries. In 1858, the port of Taku was taken. After that, military operations ceased. The result was the opening of 11 ports for trade with the West. Western missionaries could freely convert the people of China to the Christian faith. China was obliged to pay compensation to France and the United Kingdom in the amount of 10 million taels and put the port of Kowloon under British control. In addition, China was forced to export cheap labor to North America, which led to the rapid and cheap construction of the US railroad. The opium wars in China led to the division of the country by Western countries, the erosion of religious values and the fall of the ruling dynasty.