The Opium Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the Qing dynasty of China in 1839-1842 and 1856-1860. These wars were both caused by trade issues related to the opium trade.
The root cause of the Opium Wars originated from the long-term economic and political relationships between Britain and China during the 18th and 19th centuries. From the mid 1600s onwards, the British East India Company (EIC) was importing Chinese tea into Britain, while they mainly exported Indian opium to China. This trade imbalance resulted in a need for silver bullion, which was scarce in China at the time. In response, the Chinese government changed its policy to allow only for what was termed as the tributary trade, in which foreign merchants were only allowed to trade through limited ports and were subject to stringent taxes, duties and fees.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the British had grown increasingly frustrated with the Chinese restrictions. They sought to expand their trade into the Chinese mainland but found that the imperial government was unwilling to allow any merchant vessels to be admitted, except under very strict conditions. The British also wanted more ports to be opened and the payment of duties to be reduced. As a result, the British began to use opium as an item of trade.
Opium had been used as a recreational drug in China since the 17th century, but the importation of opium by British merchants led to a dramatic increase in the drug’s usage in China. This was exacerbated by the discovery of a new strain of opium, called Bengal Hyperexopium, in India. This strain was much more potent than the Chinese variant and quickly became popular with users.
In response to this, the Chinese government moved to ban opium in 1836. This caused uproar in Britain and the EIC, who still relied on the export of opium as one of their main trading sources. The resulting rhetoric led to increased political tensions between Britain and China.
In 1839, the British government sent a large expeditionary force to China to demand the liberation of opium trading. This precipitated the First Opium War which lasted until 1842. During the course of the war, the British were victorious and, upon signing the Treaty of Nanking, gained control of the five ports of Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai. With these ports, the British were now able to trade almost anywhere in China.
Following this, the Second Opium War (also known as the Arrow War) was fought between 1856 and 1860, this time largely due to the aggressive behaviour of British merchants. This war resulted in yet another victory for the British, and the signing of the Treaty of Tientsin in 1860.
The Opium Wars had a lasting effect on the economy, politics, and social structure of China. Throughout the two wars, the Qing dynasty experienced extensive military losses and its economy was severely weakened due to opium addiction and the heavy payments imposed by the treaties. The humiliation of defeat and the subsequent Westernisation of Chinese society led to the Taiping Rebellion and the eventual collapse of the Qing dynasty.
In conclusion, the Opium Wars were a direct result of the long-term economic and political relationships between Britain and China during the 18th and 19th centuries. The two wars had a profound impact on China, leading to its eventual downfall, and remain a contentious issue in the relations between China and the West today.