Important treaties in opium war

treaty of tianjin 1858

• 4 mill taels to brit, 2 mill taels to france

• china had to open 10 more ports, brit were to have access to all ports

• legalisation of opium trade

• foreign navigation and commerce on yangtze river

• french had freedom of missionaries in china

• british had freedom of travel and conduction of missionary activity

• diplomatic relations: equality

• british ministers would reside at Beijing

Convention of Beijing 1860

• china’s indemnity increased by 8 mill taels each for britain and france

• Kowloon ceded to Britain

• Tianjin opened to trade and foreign residence

• missionaries could operate freely in China and build churches

• french missionaries given right to own properties in china

• guaranteed british diplomatic relations in Beijing

Treaty of Bogue 1843 (Br)

1. extraterritoriality

2. most-favoured-nation-clause

3. low import tariffs

Treaty of Wanghia 1844 (US)

1. americans prohibited from trading opium

2. extraterritoriality

3. most-favoured-nation-clause

4. foreign hospitals and churches allowed in treaty ports

Treaty of Whampoa 1844 (FR)

1. extraterritoriality granted

2. most-favoured-nation-clause

3. free propagation of catholicism allowed

Treaty of Ila 1851 (RUS)

1. right to trade

2. right to build warehouses

3. consulates established

Treaty of Aiggun (RUS)

trade allowed to extend to interior china

causes of the first opium war

1. poor diplomatic relations

2. rights of citizens

3. resentment towards restrictions by cohong system

poor diplomatic relations

tributary system
china could not recognise others as equal trading partners
kowtow

rights of citizens

collective responsibility vs individual innocence
1784 lady hughes incident

1839 lin weizi incident

resentment towards restrictions by cohong system

confined to guangzhou

unsatisfactory trade system (Trade highly in favour of china, british had to pay for much of what they wanted with silver bullions)

Lin Zexu’s imposed terms

1. ordered all chinese opium dealers arrested and foreign dealers to deliver inventory list of opium stocks

2. announced he wouldnt leave guangzhou until the issue was stemmed

3. quarantined foreign dealers in warehouses, prohibitng them from communicating with their ships