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Opium In The Early Nineteenth-Century China

517 Words3 Pages

In the early nineteenth century India began introducing a drug, opium, to China's merchants so that they can start trading this drug to them. The drug became very popular with the merchants and the people of China. Because people were becoming addicted to the drug, in 1836 any trade of opium was banned. This caused a war with the British over opium in 1840. Because of this war China signed a treaty, The Treaty of Nanjing, which changed how they traded with other countries. This treaty that China made to trade with other countries is related to the theme of “Our shrinking world” because the importing and exporting of goods shows how people interacted with China when they were isolated. The decision to change their trading ways changed not only …show more content…

Although it is grown in Turkey, India was the main grower as they would have 100,000 acres of land made to grow the plant alone. “The great object of those in India who prepare opium for the China market, is, so to inspissate the crude juice as to a very hot-drawn, watery extract, which will, being dried, possess the greatest amount of purity and strength of flavor when smoked through a pipe.” The history of the opium trade started by Mr. Watson, a representative of the East India Company, who made a plan to send opium from Bengal to China in 1767. This plan was made to increase revenue for the government but it wasn’t a successful product until 1794. In 1794 the British was able to sell opium to China by exclusively selling that product to them. “Opium’s addictiveness has proven irresistible to buyers, profitable to producers and dealers…” Since Opium was such an addicting drug For the next 25 years the British were able to take control of the opium drug trade and made their trades in “the black market” at the Canton River, having over 20 ships stationed there. Chinese buyers of opium would decide what they would pay for opium based on the quality of the drug, where prices would range from $500 to $900 per chest of

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