China & Europeans

1514 – Coast of China 1557 – Trading station established Jesuit missionaries Astronomy – helped Chinese calendar

Members of the royal cabinet Able to convert high ranking officials

Economic, Political, and Spiritual Power

Downfall – Allegiance to Pope Macao

Portuguese

Silk & Tea China’s tea – Best in the world

East India Company Monopoly on silk, tea, spices

Restrictions Guangzhou, special settlements,

officially approved Chinese merchants

Worked for a little while

British

Reaction to mercantilism Government should no restrict

or interfere with international trade

British traders (not with EIC) resent monopoly

Tried twice to get China to open up – failed

1833 Britain abolished monopoly Managing agency for British

government in India

Free Trade

Cotton -> TeaOnly need so much cotton

Opium (addicting drug)More silver leave than

enteringTried to stop the sale of

opium

Opium Trade

“Let us suppose that foreigners came from another country, and brought opium into England, and seduced the people of your country to smoke it, would not you, the sovereign of the said country, look upon such a procedure with anger, and in your just indignation endeavor to get rid of it? Now we have always heard that your highness possesses a most kind and benevolent heart, surely then you are incapable of doing or causing to be done unto another, that which you should not wish another to do unto you!”

Lin Tse-Hsu to Queen Victoria

1839-1842 Chinese military and navy

no match for British army and navy Treaty of Nanjing Hong Kong go to British (1997) 5 new ports Fixed, low tariffs British Law, not Chinese in Ports Extraterritoriality – Follow the laws of

your home country in another country

Opium War

France, United States, Russia

Signed because of fear of defeat or invasion

1856 Second Opium War – British and French won. Yangtze river ports, embassy

in Beijing, protect ChristiansBritain – Long term lease

across from Hong Kong

“Unequal” Treaties

RebellionTaiping Rebellion 1850-1864Hong Xiuguan

Muslims in central & western China launched their own rebellion

Qing dynasty quashed rebellions, but at a price

Why so easy?