Late Ming, Qing Dynasty, and the First Opium War

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards detailing the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the rise of the Qing Dynasty, and the causes, events, and treaties associated with the First Opium War.

Zhu Di (朱棣)

The Prince of Yan who launched the Jingnan Rebellion from Beiping in AD $1399$, proclaimed Beijing as the capital in AD $1403$, and ordered the construction of the Forbidden City in AD $1406$.

Jingnan Rebellion (靖難之變)

A civil conflict initiated in AD $1399$ by Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, starting from Beiping before he crowned himself Emperor.

Forbidden City

The imperial palace complex in Beijing ordered by Zhu Di in AD $1406$, involving $230{,}000$ craftsmen and millions of workers and soldiers over $15$ years, completed in AD $1402$, and later mostly burned down by Li Zicheng.

Li Zicheng (李自成)

The rebel leader whose army captured Beijing in AD $1644$ and ended the Ming dynasty, who subsequently burned down the Forbidden City upon retreating after being defeated by the Qing army.

Wu Sangui (吳三桂)

The Ming general who surrendered and opened the gates of the Shanhai Pass to the Qing army, leading to the defeat of Li Zicheng.

Shanhai Pass (山海關)

The strategic Great Wall pass opened by general Wu Sangui, allowing the Manchus of the Qing army to enter China proper.

Chongzhen Emperor

The last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who committed suicide in AD $1644$ when Beijing was captured, bringing an end to the Ming dynasty.

Qing Dynasty

The final feudal dynasty in Chinese history ($1636\text{--}1912$), established by Manchus from northeast China who ended the Han-established Ming Dynasty and unified China.

Manchus

An ethnic group from northeastern China (modern-day Liaoning and Shenyang) that breached the Great Wall, conquered the Ming Dynasty to seize its wealth and expand territory, and established the Qing Dynasty.

Qing Dynasty Flag

The official banner of the Qing Dynasty, featuring an azure dragon and a red sun against a yellow background.

Celestial Empire

The worldview held by the Qing government that China was self-sufficient and rich in products with no requirement to import foreign goods, justifying the restriction of Western merchants exclusively to Guangzhou.

Guangzhou

The sole southern Chinese trading port where the Qing government permitted foreign merchants to conduct commercial activities before the First Opium War.

Anglo-Chinese Trade Deficit

A severe commercial imbalance caused by high British demand for Chinese tea, silk, and pottery alongside a lack of Chinese demand for British woolen products and cotton.

Daoguang Emperor

The Qing ruler who dispatched Lin Zexu to Guangzhou to suppress and ban the opium trade because massive imports were endangering citizens' health and the nation's finances.

Lin Zexu

The Qing imperial official appointed by the Daoguang Emperor to suppress opium in Guangzhou, who blockaded British factories and destroyed more than $20{,}000$ boxes of surrendered opium at Humen.

Charles Elliot

The Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China who initially refused Lin Zexu's orders to turn over imported opium before the British were blockaded and surrendered it.

Destruction of Opium at Humen

The public eradication of over $20{,}000$ boxes of British-smuggled Indian opium confiscated under the direction of Lin Zexu in Guangzhou.

Incident of Lin Weixi

The killing of a Kowloon villager by British soldiers; Britain's refusal to surrender the culprit prompted Lin Zexu to expel the English and cease trade, serving as a casus belli for the British government to send troops.

First Opium War

A war sparked in $1840$ AD and lasting over $2$ years in which Britain's powerful navy and superior weaponry defeated the Qing Dynasty, resulting in the signing of the Treaty of Nanking.

Treaty of Nanking

An $1842$ treaty ending the First Opium War that required China to cede Hong Kong Island, pay $21{,}000{,}000$ silver dollars, open five treaty ports, and agree on tariffs jointly with Britain.

Treaty Ports

Five Chinese coastal ports opened under the Treaty of Nanking for British residence, trade, and consular representation: Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai.

Consular Jurisdiction

A legal right secured by the United Kingdom in supplementary agreements to the Treaty of Nanking allowing British consuls to try British nationals, infringing upon Chinese judicial sovereignty.

Most-Favoured-Nation Clause

A treaty provision obtained by the United Kingdom guaranteeing that any diplomatic or commercial concession granted by China to other nations would automatically extend to Britain.