The Cause and Effect of the Opium Wars

The Cause and Effect of the Opium Wars

Introduction

The Opium Wars is also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, it has been divided into two separate wars from which the First Opium War occurred from 1839-1842 and the Second Opium War held from 1856-1860. The dispute over which this Opium War occurred was due to the trading issues and the diplomatic relations of China with other trading countries. The major problem was Opium, creating barriers in the trading of Opium, though it was previously used as for the purpose of medical healing and curing purpose. The practice of consuming Opium freely was restricted due to the illegal usage of its mixture with tobacco for smoking.

People have blamed corporate greed for many social and economic problems, such as the pollution of our resources, the unfair pay for the working class, major recessions, and many more. It seems that some people are unaware of how much influence corporations have when war is involved. Corporations have a heavy hand in war profiteering when it comes to oil, weapons, and even essential items such as water and food. The major causes and effects of the Opium wars will be seen in this assignment.

Discussion

Britain and China's First Encounter

The relationship between the Chinese and the British has been unstable from the beginning. Their first encounter resulted in an immediate attack on each other on the high seas. Nevertheless, on August sixth of 1793 a fleet of ships came to shore carrying an important passenger, the British Ambassador, Lord Macartney. The objective was to open trade between Britain and China. Lord Macartney brought with him many gifts for Emperor Chi'ien Lung that had been selected to represent the best that Britain had to trade. Lord Macartney met with Emperor Chi'ien Lung in a large horsehair tent chosen by the Emperor to show he was meeting with simple barbarians rather than equals. Foreigners are required to wear Chinese clothing and practice the Kowtow. The Kowtow is a ritual of respect where one bows three times and each time humbly knocking ones head against the ground. This was too extreme for Lord Macartney who made a point of only kneeling as was customary in the British courts.

Emperor Chi'ien Lung was impressed with Lord Macartney page, a servant boy, who delivered a letter directly from King George the 3rd. The page was a young boy named George Jr. who could speak fluent Mandarin. Emperor Chi'ien Lung's reply to King George's letter clearly indicated how confident he was in China's self-sustaining country.

“Our ways have no resemblance to yours, and even were your envoy competent to acquire some rudiments of them; he could not transplant them to your barbarous land… Strange and costly objects do not interest me. As your Ambassador can see for himself, we possess all things. I set no value on strange objects and ingenious, and have no use for your country's manufactures.” (Beeching 17)

Trading Begins

Trading in China was extremely profitable, for both foreign and ...