HIS280Y1 Lecture 10: Feb 6
Document Summary
British are moving to india and south asia. It"s around india that qing market demand is met = opium. Opium isn"t entirely new to 19th century qing (it was used frequently for its pain-killing properties since mesopotamian times) Evidence of its use in china starts in tang. 18th century (1729 & 1779) = qing laws made opium a controlled substance. 1757: battle of plassey beginning consolidation of br presence in india. Br tap into indian production of opium. Triangle of trade: (a term used to refer to african slavery ) Also happening in indian ocean, substances involved are india"s opiumbeing sent to china. Silver from br to china: used to trade opium and buy tea. By 1790, 4,000 large chests of opium imported into qing/year. Esp. caused by 1834, when east india company lost its monopoly and private traders swooped in. Controversy in br and in qingconvo about war of drugs" is crystal clear now.
