The Opium War, Also Called the Anglo-Chines Essay Example

and, within two months, completely immune to bribery and corruption, he took action against Chinese merchants and Western traders, effectively ending all opium trafficking. He eradicated all existing opium stocks and, victorious in his fight against opium, he wrote a letter to Queen Victoria of England urging the British to halt all opium trade. In his letter, he argued that since Britain had made opium trade and consumption illegal in England due to its harmful effects, it should not inflict that harm on other nations.

According to Lin, trade should only involve beneficial objects. If the only issue at hand was opium, England would probably have agreed to Lin's request. However, the British had multiple grievances against China and were outraged by Lin's strict enforcement of Chinese laws and his elimination of the opium trade. The major point of contention was treaty relations; as the British refused to comply with the emperor, there were no official treaties between the two countries. This lack of treaty relations created a problem regarding the relationship between foreigners and Chinese law. The British, based on principle, refused to subject British citizens to a Chinese legal system that they considered cruel and uncivilized.

The Chinese had a principled stance, insisting that any foreigners accused of criminal acts in China should be solely handled by Chinese authorities. This became the central issue of the Opium War. Besides enforcing opium laws, Lin was determinedly pursuing foreign nationals accused of crimes. However, despite Lin's persuasive letter, the English refused to cease involvement in the opium trade. In retaliation, Lin warned of severing all trade ties with England and expelling all English individuals from China.

Thus, the

Opium War commenced with a skirmish in November of 1839, when Chinese junks clashed with English merchant vessels. Although this initial encounter was minor, it motivated the English to dispatch warships in June of 1840. In this conflict, the Chinese, armed with outdated weapons and artillery, proved inadequate against the British gunships, which effortlessly traversed the coast, bombarded forts, and engaged in land battles. Facing the technological superiority of the British land armies, the Chinese experienced repeated defeats.

Finally, in 1842, the Chinese were coerced into agreeing to an undignified peace accord known as the Treaty of Nanking. This agreement heavily favored the British and placed a significant burden on the Chinese. The primary and essential stipulation of the treaty called for British citizens to be subjected to British law instead of Chinese law if they were to commit any crimes on Chinese soil. Moreover, the British were no longer required to pay tribute to the imperial administration for trading privileges with China. In exchange, they obtained access to five ports in China for conducting British trade: Canton, Shanghai, Foochow, Ningpo, and Amoy.

The Treaty of Nanking led to a notable boost in Britain's opium trade as they faced no trading restrictions. England became the "most favored nation" for trading with China, entitling them to equal rights as other countries. Despite China's reluctance, France and the United States signed similar treaties with China. Lin Tse-hsu was punished for his actions in Canton and sent to Turkestan. However, Lin was the first imperial official to comprehend the crucial lesson derived from the Opium War.

In a series of letters, he started urging the imperial government to embrace

Western technology, arms, and warfare techniques. He was the first person to recognize that the war revolved around technological advantage. Unfortunately, his influence had diminished significantly, so his advice was ignored. It wasn't until a subsequent dispute with England that Chinese officials finally started considering the adoption of Western technologies. Even with the Treaty of Nanking, trading in Canton and other ports remained quite limited, which greatly angered the British as they believed these restrictions violated the treaty terms.

The Chinese were infuriated by the widespread exportation of their people to America and the Caribbean as exploited labor, akin to slavery. These conflicts reached a climax in skirmishes from 1856 to 1860. A subsequent set of treaties further degraded and weakened the imperial government. Among the disgraceful stipulations in these treaties was the full legalization of opium and a humiliating provision that permitted the unrestricted dissemination of Christianity across all parts of China. China's defeat to England ultimately resulted in the release of the Illustrated Gazatteer of Maritime Countries by Wei Yuan (1794-1856).

The Gazatteer is seen as a pivotal moment in China's transformation into a more modern society. Wei Yuan, a respected yet less influential government worker, pointed out in the Gazatteer that the Europeans had pursued power, profit, and material wealth through relentless and savage means, resulting in the development of advanced technologies and warfare methods. China, as a symbol of civilization, faced the threat of being overtaken by the Western powers' technological superiority. In order to prevail against the West, China, a peaceful and civilized nation, must acquire and adopt the technology and techniques of the Western world.

The Gazatteer had the purpose of

spreading knowledge about Europeans, including their technologies, methods of warfare, and selfish anarchy, to knowledgeable officials. This event is significant in Chinese history as it marked the initial organized effort to educate the Chinese populace about Western technologies and culture. This push for modernization, which started with Lin Tse-hsu and continued by Wei Yuan, would gain traction and eventually form the foundation for the "Self-Strengthening" period between 1874 and 1895.