A documentary chronicle of sinowestern relations, volume 1. The first opium war, 18391842 historical immersion yalenus. What are good history books dealing with the anglochinese. The opium wars were a major part of chinese history and a direct result of a chinese emperor attempting to stop the delivery of opium to china during the 1800s. The history book would explain the war between china and england, for no loftier purpose than to keep chinas harbors open. In the opium war, author brian inglis details the origin of this illicit trade, and how the british east india company was able to spin the story back in englands parliament through successive parties in power. In this tragic and powerful story, the two opium wars of 18391842 and 18561860 between britain and china are recounted for the first time through the eyes of the chinese as well as the imperial west. He provides history of the opium war by which the british forced china to. As a child, i remember studying about the opium wars in social studies class. Amitav ghosh concludes his opium war trilogy in brilliant. By 1870, chinas share of global gdp had fallen by half. List of books and articles about opium online research.
The opium war by julia lovell in the opium war, china won at most one battleand even that was largely due to the weather. Julia lovells new history of the opium war is a welcome piece of mythbusting. They learn through a wide variety of media textbooks, documentary films and so on about how the british tried to poison the chinese in the 1830s with opium. Modern historyopium wars wikibooks, open books for an. I cant say whether weve forgotten about our opium war out of laziness or out of guilt, but i do think that there is a tendency in britain to think of ourselves as post. The backdrop to amitav ghoshs fine, spacious novel is the opium wars of the 19th century, one of those inglorious chapters in the history of the british empire that tend to get omitted from. In the final book of the trilogy, ghosh writes about individuals fully caught up in the first opium war 183942 as yet another ship, the hind, sails from india to china, again with a motley cast, some seeking answers to questions created by the events of. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. Nowhere is that aphorism more baldly illustrated than in the 19thcentury opium trade that enriched england, scotland, and the united states and created a score of hereditary fortunes that have. The second opium war was fought from october 23, 1856, to october 18, 1860, and was also known as the arrow war or the second anglochinese war, although france joined in. Chinas military defeats in these wars forced its rulers to sign treaties opening many ports to foreign trade. Atomic bombing of hiroshima documentary ten seconds that shook the world 75794 duration. The opium wars the two opium wars, which took place from 18391860, were the starting point of modern chinese history. The first opium war, the chinese expedition 18401842, the illustrated edition coda books, 20.
Before the opium wars maritime trade between china and europe began in the sixteenth century with the portuguese. The mandate to rule and dictate the trade policies of british india are no longer in effect. From wikibooks, open books for an open world opium wars feature history. The first opium war also known as the opium war or the anglochinese war, was a series of. Mismanagement in the aftermath of the british east india companys loss of its monopoly in 1834 abstract the histories of the opium war, of which there are many, have posited that the roots of the conflict are diverse.
A communist chinese view of the opium war of 184042, between britain and china, compiled in 1976 by members of the history departments of futan university and shanghai teachers university. The political landscape that resulted in the first opium war that waged from 1839 to 1842 is complicated, as lead ups to wars tend to be. British merchants of canton, argues new book by singapore academic. They learn through a wide variety of media textbooks, documentary films and so on about how the british tried to poison the chinese in the 1830s with opium, and how when the chinese emperor. Bureaucratic fumbling, military missteps, and a healthy dose of political opportunism and collaboration followed. The british dependence on opium use reaches an all time high, importing 22,000 pounds of opium from turkey and india. The chinese opium wars harvest books, 1975 fay, peter ward. Rich in tragicomedy, the opium war explores the disastrous british foreignrelations move that became a founding myth of modern chinese nationalism, and depicts chinas heroic struggle. One of the most interesting findings in this book comes not from documentary evidence, but from. Opium varies in color from yellow to dark brown and has a characteristic odor and a bitter taste. In china the conflicts the first between it and a western nation are a national wound. The conflicts put china at a disadvantage in foreign trade and international relations for decades.
More importantly, she analyses how the opium wars shaped chinas selfimage and created an enduring model for its interactions with the west, plagued by delusion and prejudice. Secondly, during the wars many treaties were signed to try and create peace. Even once it was realized that daily opium use was dangerous, many chinese people continued to use the drug regularly despite new warnings. Soon the spanish were bringing in large amounts of silver to the asian trade network. The first opium war 183942 was fought between china and britain, and the second opium war 185660, also known as the arrow war or the anglofrench war in china, was fought by britain and france against china. Hong kong would not exist as it does today without the opium trade and the wars that britain fought for it. To start off, the first opium war was a major turning point for modern chinese history. The best books on the opium war, as recommended by oxford historian, julia lovell. The opium wars of 183942 and 185660 between qingdynasty china and britain are a perfect case study of the international divergence of opinion that the empire continues to generate. This books title may make it appear as if it only covers the opium wars but this book is about the entire history. Julia lovell examines the causes and consequences of the opium war, interweaving tales of the opium pushers and dissidents. Opium wars definition and meaning collins english dictionary.
Without opium which was not made illegal in hong kong until 1942, the colony would not have been economically viable for much of its first century of existence. Opium wars, two armed conflicts in china in the mid19th century between the forces of western countries and of the qing dynasty, which ruled china from 1644 to 191112. It uses a wealth of chinese and british sources to tell, in her words, a tragicomedy that is far more chaotically. Once initiated, the war was excused as a means to civilise the. Opium entered china during the middle ages when arab traders brought it into china for medicinal purposes. Britain was persuaded to wage this despicable war against china by muddled headed military leaders encouraged by immoral merchants who made fortunes from opium. In this tragic and powerful story, the two opium wars of 1839 1842 and 1856 1860 between britain and china are recounted for the first time through the eyes of the chinese as well as the imperial west. Britain and china see each other through a narcotic haze. Memories and hallucinations the opium wars still shape chinas view of the west. Many economists, including angus maddison, have argued that chinas economy was the largest in the world until the opium wars. Consult the recommended books, search the library catalogue, or browse. These are covered as well, but are augmented with substantial discussion of the armed action.
Drugging a nation is a journalistic reveal of the extent to which the british empire was culpable in the dissemination and subsequent near total addiction to opium of the chinese people in the. A brilliant indian novel about the first opium war balzac and lots of people after him thought that behind every great fortune there is a crime. Opium wars bibliography 1 opium wars is a term referring to two wars that britain 2 fought against imperial china 3 in the middle of the nineteenth century, presumably over the attempts of the chinese authorities to stop the growing influx of foreignproduced opium. Dark legacy of britains opium wars still felt today. Once initiated, the war was excused as a means to civilise the inscrutable and alien chinese race. The text books would have pictures of chinese people smoking pipes of opium. Addiction of one empire and the corruption of another naperville, il sourcebooks. Definition of opium wars from the collins english dictionary. Drugs, dreams and the making of china paperback 10 may. And this episode of history provides some serious lessons for america in these dark times of trade dysfunction and drug legalization. Approximately 2,900 western troops were killed or wounded. A fascinating look at the other side of the opium wars in this tragic and powerful story, the two opium wars of 1839,1842 and 1856,1860 between britain and china are recounted for the first time through the eyes of the chinese as well as the imperial west.
The opium war or wars were complex and tragic events for britain china, and india. The search for modern china a documentary collection by jonathan d. Its chief active principle is the alkaloid morphine, a narcotic. Allow me to convey a few highlights a kindergartens version of events, if you will to make a point. A brilliant indian novel about the first opium war mal.
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