Opium Trade Impact On China

Throughout the history of the opium trade, there was many positive and negative impacts on the Chinese civilization. Few of the positive effects on China was that China became more aware to the world and to the countries around them, which means that they became more independent and they started to contribute more with the world. Although there are some negative effects. The major negative effect is the start of the first and second Opium War. There were two different Opium Wars, the first Opium War was fought between China and Great Britain from 1839 to 1942. The second Opium war China fought both Great Britain and France, it was from 1856 to 1860. The second war weakened China till its fullest. The British Opium Trade effected China during

China received more profit from trading. At the beginning, China had gotten more money from Britain when China was still trading silver for tea. Because of this, China became quite rich because they were importing a lot of silver from Britain. Some people in China got really rich because they bought opium from the British and sold for the Chinese. The riches man in the world at that time was, Howqua. According to lesson 2 and 3, Howqua was the largest Chinese distributor of opium. Howqua was the middle man who got the opium from the British and sold it for the Chinese. The middle man is a person that is being hired to trade products. The rates of addiction increased each time which made a lot of people in China that sold opium and were a part of that richer. According to 'Cage with Mrs. Noble ' by John Ouchterlony, Madras Engineers picture shows how the Chinese men overpowered a British women by putting her in a cage. This picture demonstrate how the Chinese had power over the British. The title of the picture also shows that the woman in the cage is British because of her name. According to lesson 7, the Chinese government of the Qing dynasty, had recognized the social and economic dangers and effects of opium in China and attempted to stop using it. In the year of 1839, the government destroyed millions of dollars worth of opium that had been brought to the city of Canton (Canton was the only port open during

The British opium trade in China also had some negative effects on the civilization in China. One of the effects of the trade with Britain was the rates that increased along the trade. Every time more and more people became addicted to opium. According to Chinese/British Trade at the Port of Canton, 1835-36, the documentary shows that 52.2% of opium to all British goods exported to China. This means that the British exported a lot of opium to China and the Chinese got more addicted because of their interest to opium. According to lesson two and three, in less than 30 years—from 1810 to 1838—opium imports to China increased from 4,500 chests (the large containers used to ship the drug) to 40,000. People felt the need for opium after they got addicted to it. After more people were influenced from opium, China had to start paying for opium from Britain. China didn 't have any more tea for return to give to Britain and the people in China wanted more opium. By the year of 1820, China had to start paying for Britain so they could give them more opium. The biggest outcome on the Chinese civilization was the first and second opium war. The opium war started in the year of 1839. China didn 't have developed technology which led them to loose. According to British Depictions of the Opium Wars, 1839-1860 that was in lesson four and five, the second picture illustrate the large difference between the technology and the different ships the Chinese and Britain had. The front of the