have your tea and drink it too! chris nierstrasz (university of warwick)

Have your tea and drink it too!

Chris Nierstrasz(University of Warwick)

Introduction

How did the trade of rogue companies, private traders and smugglers popularise the consumption of tea in Western Europe (1700-1760)?

Introduction

When did tea become a drink for all layers of society?

Introduction

• Rogue companies

• Private trade

• Smugglers

• VOC and EIC

The globalisation of tea trade

The globalisation of tea tradeGraph J: The income from sales of tea (in pound), EIC and VOC, 1721-1760

1721

1723

1725

1727

1729

1731

1733

1735

1737

1739

1741

1743

1745

1747

1749

1751

1753

1755

1757

1759

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

800000

sale tea EIC

Sale tea VOC

The globalisation of tea trade

Graph C: Total imports of tea by the EIC and the VOC in kg, 1721-1760

17211723

17251727

17291731

17331735

17371739

17411743

17451747

17491751

17531755

17571759

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

EIC, kgVOC officiel kg

Different approach

• Comparison across companies• Tea is 5 to 7 different types of tea• See the alternative trades: private trade and

smuggling

The popularisation of tea

1680-1735:

• Direct trade• Arrival of competition: French, Ostend,

Swedish and Danish East India Company• VOC embrace black tea• Chinese increase cultivation of black tea • VOC innovates with pepper and tin for tea


1680-1735:

• Direct trade: held responsible for price drop• Arrival of competition: direct and indirect

influence on the increased volume of tea brought to Europe


1680-1735:

Strategies or the mix of tea

The popularisation of teaGraph D: Percentage of different tea in the return cargos of the EIC (1721-

1778)

17211723

17251727

17291731

17331735

17371739

17411743

17451747

17491751

17531755

17571759

17611763

17651767

17691771

17731775

17771779

0

20

40

60

80

100

Other teasSingloBohea

The popularisation of teaGraph E: Percentage of different tea in the return cargos of the

VOC (1721-1778)

The popularisation of teaGraph A: Invoice value (in pounds) of EIC tea per English pound lbs (1721-1760)

17211723

17251727

17291731

17331735

17371739

17411743

17451747

17491751

17531755

17571759

0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

Invoice value per pound

The popularisation of teaGraph H: The invoice price of Green tea, Singlo, Bing and Hyson paid by the EIC in

Canton, pound per lbs (1715-1760)

The popularisation of teaGraph I: The invoice price of Black tea, Bohea, Congo and Peko, paid by the EIC in Canton, pound

per lbs (1715-1759)

The battle for popular tea

1741-1760

• Private trade on VOC ships• EIC abandoned green tea strategy

• EIC adopted a combination of direct trade and VOC strategy

• The Chinese Junk trade to Batavia declined• VOC intensified its trade with China


1741-1750

EIC abandons green tea strategy (1747)

• The taxation on tea causes the EIC to innovate later in the tea trade

But why then?


1741-1750

EIC

Tea trade falls behind


Smuggling

• Difference in sales price leads to smuggling into England of tea brought by all other companies

• Smuggling mostly entails bohea tea• 1744-1745 sales of EIC fall to such extend that

tax is taken off


Tea on licence:

• Tea brought in from Dutch Republic• Tea connected to all the different companies


1741-1760

Private trade on VOC ships

Before 1741: not quantifiable, but traceableAfter 1741: quantifiable, linked to Chinese Junk

trade, Bohea tea

The battle for popular teaGraph K: Import of tea, VOC official trade and VOC on recognition, lbs (1740-

1760)


17211723

17251727

17291731

17331735

17371739

17411743

17451747

17491751

17531755

17571759

17611763

17651767

17691771

17731775

17771779

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

EIC, kgVOC officiel kgVOC plus recognitie kg


1741-1760

EIC changes its strategy:

• Invested more silver• Continued old direct trade with two ships• And adopted strategy of the VOC, pepper for

tea


1741-1760

VOC changed its strategy:

• Invested more silver for pepper• More VOC trade with China (the China

committee)


1741-1760

The Chinese junk trade and private trade to the Republic declines as Chinese do not need to get in Batavia anymore


1741-1760

The EIC takes a bite out of the competition and forces the VOC to increase its own tea exports to the Republic

Conclusion

have your tea and drink it too! chris nierstrasz (university of warwick)

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