First Opium War

Q: What was the main reason for British opium trade in China?

A: The British sought to balance trade with China by exporting opium from India to offset their purchases of silk, tea, and porcelain.

Q: Who was the Chinese official tasked with ending the opium trade in 1839?

A: Lin Zexu.

Q: What significant action did Lin Zexu take against the British in June 1839?

A: He confiscated and destroyed around 20,000 chests of British opium at Humen.

Q: Who was Charles Elliot, and what was his role in the conflict?

A: British Superintendent of Trade who demanded compensation for the destroyed opium and called for military support.

Q: What event marked the beginning of the First Opium War?

A: Skirmishes between British and Chinese forces near Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta in late 1839 and early 1840.

Q: When was the Treaty of Nanking signed?

A: August 29, 1842.

Q: What was one major consequence of the Treaty of Nanking?

A: China ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain and opened five ports to British trade.

Q: Name the five ports China opened to British trade under the Treaty of Nanking.

A: Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai.

Q: What amount was China forced to pay Britain as an indemnity under the Treaty of Nanking?

A: $21 million worth in silver.

Q: How did the Treaty of Nanking affect Chinese sovereignty?

A: It reduced China’s control over its trade and allowed extraterritorial rights to British nationals, limiting Chinese legal authority over them.

Q: What social issue in China worsened due to the increase in opium imports after the war?

A: Opium addiction, which further strained the Chinese economy.

Q: Which large rebellion was influenced by the discontent stemming from the First Opium War and its consequences?

A: The Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864).

Q: What precedent did the Treaty of Nanking set for China’s future with Western powers?

A: It led to further "unequal treaties" with other Western nations, increasing foreign control over China.