The first Opium War was fought between China and Great Britain from 1839 to 1842. It is sometimes referred to as the Anglo-Chinese War of 1839–1842 or the First Anglo-Chinese War. In the 19th century, Britain and other Western powers were looking to expand their trade and influence in China. At that time, opium trading was illegal in China, but it was a highly profitable business for the British, who were importing it from India and selling it on the Chinese market. The Chinese government attempted to stop the opium trade and seized large amounts of illegally imported opium by British merchants. In response, the British sent a naval force to block Chinese ports, resulting in the first Opium War.
During the war, the British forces gained control of several Chinese cities and eventually forced the Chinese into signing the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. This treaty ceded Hong Kong to the British, opened five Chinese ports to foreign trade, and gave Britain extraterritorial rights on Chinese soil. For China, it was an embarrassing victory for the British, as the treaty marked the start of the “Century of Humiliation” for China – the first of many unequal treaties forced upon them by western powers.
Since then, the legacy of the Opium War has continued to reverberate in both countries. In China, it is seen as one of the defining moments in modern Chinese history and is remembered as an example of foreign imperialism. In the UK, it is viewed as part of a larger industrialization of the nation and the expansion of its imperial power. The Opium War also set the stage for further conflicts between China and the West, such as the Second Opium War (1856-1860) and the Boxer Rebellion (1900).