The Impact of Imperialism 1840-1900

帝国主义

Chinese Dynasties• Xia Dynasty About 1994 BCE - 1766 BCE • Shang Dynasty 1766 BCE - 1027 BCE • Zhou Dynasty 1122 BCE -256 BCE plus suppliment • Qin Dynasty 221 BCE - 206 BCE • Early Han Dynasty 206 BCE - 9 AD • Later Han Dynasty 25 AD - 220 AD • Three Kingdoms - Period of Disunion 220 AD - 280 AD • Sui Dynasty 589 AD - 618 AD • Tang Dynasty 618 AD - 907 AD • Song Dynasty 969 AD - 1279 AD • Yuan Dyansty 1279 AD - 1368 AD • Ming Dynasty 1368 AD - 1644 AD • Qing Dynasty (Ch’ing) 1644 AD - 1911 AD

Qing World View

• China at the centre of its formulation of the world.

• Centuries of contacts with neighbouring states, most of which recognized the pre-eminence of the Qing emperor

• A complex, pre-existing system of foreign affairs: tribute states

• This is the lens through which the Qing view Western nations/empires

“Botanical Imperialism”: Opium and Tea

• TEA= What the British Want

• The tea trade grew exponentially—from 1719 to 1833—tonnage of foreign ships trading with China increased 13 times.

• By the 1820s enough tea was imported into England to give every person 2 pounds a year.

• Paying for it with Silver=trade imbalance

Macartney Mission

• Lord George Macartney • Send as British envoy

to the Qing from 1792-1794

• Sought to gain more “favorable” conditions of trade for British interests

• Fails to do so—famously refuses to bow to Qing emperor

Opium Trade

• It is ILLEGAL Under Qing Law

• Foreign traders mount a massive smuggling operation to trade this illicit substance for tea

• 1820- 5,000 chests (665,000 pounds)

• 1830- 16,000 chests (2,000,000 pounds)

• 1858- 70,000 chests (9,000,000 pounds)

The effects of the Opium War:Part (I)—The Unequal Treaties

• The Treaty of Nanjing (1842): “Free Trade”– Opens a total of 5 “treaty ports”—coastal cities where

foreigners could freely trade and reside– Grants “concession areas” within treaty ports to

foreign powers—essentially micro-colonies– Gives Britain Hong Kong– Most Favored Nation clause for Britain– Forces Qing to pay 21 million ounces of silver

• The Treaty of Tianjin (1858):– Opens 10 more ports– Allows Christian missionaries to move inland– Extraterritoriality for foreign subjects

Imperialism in China 1895-1900

• “Spheres of Influence”– Germany in Shandong—Qingdao– Russia in Manchuria– France in Yunnan– British in HK-New Territories