What Led Up To The Opium Wars In The Mid-19th Century
To What Extent Was Eurocentrism a Factor in Sino-British Trade Relations Leading Up to The Opium Wars in The Mid-19th Century?
The Opium Wars in the mid-19th century were conflicts between the British and the Chinese: once from 1839-1842, and once from 1860-1862. Leading up to the Opium Wars, the British were seeking opportunities to expand their profits and power. At the time, the British had colonized many countries, including India, where the British’s established trading company, the East India Company, was able to seize the opium and create a monopoly on the trade. While the British had high demand for Chinese tea, the Chinese did not want British goods and preferred silver instead. The British decided to trade opium with the Chinese …show more content…
As acknowledged by many historians, the British believed it was their right to trade with whoever they please, and on whatever land they wanted. As the Chinese denied their right to free trade, the British despised the Chinese. Despite that, the British were still willing to develop a trade relationship with the Chinese, as their tea was in high demand back in Britain. Historians estimate that Britain spent around 3 million pounds of their tax money on tea per year. To avoid using up Britain’s silver reserves, the British exploited the addictiveness of the opium drug grown in cities of their Indian colony by selling it to the Chinese, and asking for silver in return. This way, the British were able to create large amounts of profit as well as guaranteeing the supply of Chinese tea without sacrificing Britain’s own silver. These actions by the British can be concluded as eurocentric due to the selfish focus on being prosperous and only thinking about gaining profit. As the British pursued more trade with China, they accounted only for their needs whilst neglecting the Chinese, thinking of them as diplomatic inferiors and an informal British colony. This points to one common trait: eurocentrism, and the belief that British ways were superior to the Chinese in every
The Opium Wars in the mid-19th century were conflicts between the British and the Chinese: once from 1839-1842, and once from 1860-1862. Leading up to the Opium Wars, the British were seeking opportunities to expand their profits and power. At the time, the British had colonized many countries, including India, where the British’s established trading company, the East India Company, was able to seize the opium and create a monopoly on the trade. While the British had high demand for Chinese tea, the Chinese did not want British goods and preferred silver instead. The British decided to trade opium with the Chinese …show more content…
As acknowledged by many historians, the British believed it was their right to trade with whoever they please, and on whatever land they wanted. As the Chinese denied their right to free trade, the British despised the Chinese. Despite that, the British were still willing to develop a trade relationship with the Chinese, as their tea was in high demand back in Britain. Historians estimate that Britain spent around 3 million pounds of their tax money on tea per year. To avoid using up Britain’s silver reserves, the British exploited the addictiveness of the opium drug grown in cities of their Indian colony by selling it to the Chinese, and asking for silver in return. This way, the British were able to create large amounts of profit as well as guaranteeing the supply of Chinese tea without sacrificing Britain’s own silver. These actions by the British can be concluded as eurocentric due to the selfish focus on being prosperous and only thinking about gaining profit. As the British pursued more trade with China, they accounted only for their needs whilst neglecting the Chinese, thinking of them as diplomatic inferiors and an informal British colony. This points to one common trait: eurocentrism, and the belief that British ways were superior to the Chinese in every