The Opium Wars and Treaty System - The Opium Wars and...

The Opium Wars and Treaty System

Causes of the War

o Chinese Tribute System versus British Imperialism
o

Tribute System:
 China as overlord/recognition/protection
 Tributary states/envoy/ritual (kneel down 3 times and bow their heads
and touch the gourd 9 times)/trade

Ritual control > territorial control
 Portugal/Spain/Holland 1553


portugal got macao in 1557 as a trading post from China,
which later became the first colony in China
 Macartney's mission 1793 from England


they wanted free trade/equal diplomatic relations/an island for
trading this is a time where there was a clash between the tribute
system and imperial system. Wanting the island is seen as colonial
ambition from England

Emperor at the time was Qianlong, he ruled from 1736-96 and died in
1799
 Emperor expected Macartney to perform the ritual but he wouldn't,
and he only knelt on one knee and the emperor got angry and rejected him
and he was removed from the court and his mission was a failure
o
Self-sufficiency versus free trade
o

Canton System started in China in 1759

 near Hong Kong
 Only Canton and Guangzhou were allowed to be trading port
for foreigners

 13 merchant-guild called a Cohong and as a result they
monopolized all the foreign trade in Canton and they became extremely
rich

British East India Company held a monopoly 1834
o
Opium Issue
o

British tea import/lead to trade deficit/found opium in India and started