How Did Opium Affect China

Opium use started in 3,400 B.C., in lower Mesopotamia. It was known to the Sumerians as the “joy plant”. Eventually, the Sumerians passed on the Opium to the Assyrians, who in turn passed it on to the Egyptians. As Opium became more popular, its demand increased. During the Eighteenth Century it was traded along the Silk Road, which was a popular trading route during the time. In the mid-1800’s, Britain began to sell Indian Opium to China. As a result, China rapidly became addicted to Opium. The Opium addiction caused social and economic problems to spring up in China. To cure China’s Opium problem, the Chinese government, in the March of 1839, confiscated and destroyed 20,000 carts of Opium. This action lead to a war between Britain and