The causes of the Opium War

economic interests

• china was rich by the 17th century as it absorbed much of the world’s silver supply yet as a result of trade there was a growing shortage of silver

• china’s economy spiralled into a depression and in 1838 fear led to social interest

• the british promised to pay for a season’s worth of Opium (20,8283 chests/ £2,000,000) despite England already oweing £6,000,000 to the merchants of England

• corrupt officials took part in Opium smuggling putting their interests above their moral responsibilities

defending honour

• the british gave up their opium yet left in a scattered ships to distant ports so Lin couldn’t forcibly seize their drugs

• this led to Lin banning the british from leaving Canton

• britain saw the methods, such as Kowtow, was humiliating for foreigners and an attempt to impose on others

• britain knew they had the forces - Navy - to defend themselves

• china were defending their confucian ideals as opium was illeagal and they were trying to defend their laws

economic interests

• china was rich by the 17th century as it absorbed much of the world’s silver supply yet as a result of trade there was a growing shortage of silver

• china’s economy spiralled into a depression and in 1838 fear led to social interest

• the british promised to pay for a season’s worth of Opium (20,8283 chests/ £2,000,000) despite England already oweing £6,000,000 to the merchants of England

• corrupt officials took part in Opium smuggling putting their interests above their moral responsibilities

defending honour

• the british gave up their opium yet left in a scattered ships to distant ports so Lin couldn’t forcibly seize their drugs

• this led to Lin banning the british from leaving Canton

• britain saw the methods, such as Kowtow, was humiliating for foreigners and an attempt to impose on others

• britain knew they had the forces - Navy - to defend themselves

• china were defending their confucian ideals as opium was illeagal and they were trying to defend their laws

tradition/ modernity

• Canton controlled and confined the british from contact with chinese people within trade since 1760

• britain was western, modern power that confronted the isolated and traditional nation of China in attempt to introduce Britains new form of life

• confliciting ideologies of who was the superior nation

• the british army and naval forces were extremely stronger and more organised than the Qing court

politicisation of opium

• opium replaced silver as the commodity which was eexchanged for tea

• the governments had to act to defend and/ or oppose the opium

• links to economic interests