first opium war

Question 1

How did British expansionism contribute to the First Opium War?

Answer 1

It led to the exploitation of China both as a market and a source of materials as Britain’s industrial revolution led to the rapid expansion of manufactured goods, requiring a new market (which China’s vast population was perfect for)

Question 2

What was the relationship between British exports and Chinese imports?

Answer 2

Britain’s exports were worth only 1 million per year, whilst Chinese imports were worth over 10 million

Question 3

What did British merchants do to circumvent the regulations in Guangzhou?

Answer 3

Bought older ships and converted them into floating warehouses which were anchored off the Chinese coast at the mouth of Pearl River

Question 4

What was the opium traffic like by 1831?

Answer 4

The annual opium traffic neared 20 000 (each with a net weight of around 140 pounds), compared to 4000 chests between 1800 and 1818

Question 5

When did the East India’s Company Monopoly on tea ended and what was the impact of that?

Answer 5

1833, private merchants began to join meaning the quantity would go on to double before 1840

Question 6

Name an example of a private company

Answer 6

Jardine Matheson and Co: operated a consignment and shipping business in Guangzhou and Macau

Question 7

What did Jardine do?

Answer 7

Petitioned for the British government to gain trading rights and political recognition from Imperial China, by force if necessary

Question 8

Why was opium necessary for the British?

Answer 8

It was a vital source of income which paid for its increasing imports of tea from Canton after previous market of Indian cotton fallen

Question 9

What percent of the British government’s income came from tea?

Answer 9

10%

Question 10

How much London workers spent on tea?

Answer 10

5% of their yearly wage

Question 11

What did East India Company had to do (which demonstrates the importance of tea)?

Answer 11

Keep a year’s worth of supply in London

Question 12

What was the first British ocean-going iron warship?

Answer 12

Nemesis

Question 13

What were some technological features of the Nemesis?

Answer 13

powered by two sixty horsepower Forrester engines and armed with two pivot-mounted 32-pounder and four 6-pounder guns

Question 14

What was China’s navy like?

Answer 14

Only had war junks and the coastal defences were outdated, relying on antiquated cannons and fortifications

Question 15

What was the conflicting political understanding of China and Britain?

Answer 15

Western system of national states, where national sovereignty and national right to self-determination were prioritised, versus Chinese ideal of a universal political order under the Son of Heaven

Question 16

What were the conflicting economic perceptions of China and Britain?

Answer 16

China’s self-sufficiency and disesteem for merchants meant that the foreign trade was not prioritised whilst Britain believed it was an economic necessity (China insisted on a tribute-based trade system, which meant that the foreign powers were treated as subordinates)

Question 17

What were the cultural differences in the understanding of law?

Answer 17

Britain believed in legal impartiality (clarity and predictability to the laws) and individual responsibility, China emphasised morality rather than law (dependent on the judge), as well as collective responsibility

Question 18

Which accident highlights the cultural differences and demonstrates China’s resistance to British diplomatic equality?

Answer 18

The Napier Affair, where Lord Napier attempted to deliver a letter directly to Governor Lu in Canton (without communicating through Cohong) and was rebuffed, escalating tensions

Question 19

What was the cause of the Battle of Kowloon that demonstrates distrust for the Chinese system?

Answer 19

British merchants intoxicated by rice wine beat up a villager Lin Wei from Tsim Tsa Tsui to death, and whilst Elliot paid the compensation to Lin’s family, he refused to hand them over to Chinese authorities

Question 20

What was the number of opium addicts like leading up to the Opium war?

Answer 20

In 1835, official Qing government estimate the number of addicts at 2 million, and by 1838, this number grew to 4 million, spreading through all social classes

Question 21

What did the Qing government do regarding opium in 1800?

Answer 21

Officially banned the importation and domestic production of opium (but inconsistently enforced)

Question 22

What did the Qing government do regarding opium in 1813?

Answer 22

Banned the smoking of opium entirely and made possession a crime punishable by 100 blows with a bamboo cane and banishment

Question 23

Who was appointed as a special imperial commissioner in 1839?

Answer 23

Lin Xezu

Question 24

What was Lin’s anti-opium campaign?

Answer 24

50 000 pounds of opium seized, 70 000 pipes confiscated and 1600 opium addicts arrested

Question 25

What did Lin urge the British Monarch to do?

Answer 25

To eradicate the opium plant in Madras, Bombay and Patna, replacing it with wheat and millet

Question 26

When did Palmerstone sent instructions to Lord Auckland (governor of India) to prepare forces for military expedition?

Answer 26

November 1839

Question 27

By a majority of how many votes did the resolution supporting military action has passed?

Answer 27

9 votes

Question 28

What did the Times say about the war?

Answer 28

called the war 'unjust, iniquitous, and disgraceful' and condemned Britain for forcing opium upon China at the 'cannon's mouth'

Question 29

How did Palmerstone justify military action?

Answer 29

By saying that no one could say that 'he honestly believed the motive of the Chinese government to have been the promotion of moral habits' and that the war was being fought to stem's China's balance of payment deficit

Question 30

When was the battle of Kawloon?

Answer 30

July 1839 (before Palmestrone's letter)

Question 31

What did Lin Xezu do in response to Elliot's decision at the battle of Kowloon?

Answer 31

Banned the sale of all food to the British and sent war junks to patrol the Pearl River, leaving 60 British ships and 2000 people off the coast

Question 32

Which battle marked the first large-scale British amphibious assault in the war?

Answer 32

The Capture of Chusan (Zhoushan) in July 1840, used as a base for further operations.

Question 33

What was the cause of the battle of Chuenpi?

Answer 33

Lin Zexu required British traders to sign a bond agreeing not to trade opium. Charles Elliot, fearing the consequences under Chinese law if opium was found, ordered British ships not to sign. When the opium-free ship Thomas Coutts signed the bond and traded, Elliot feared others would follow and imposed a blockade. When another ship, Royal Saxon, tried to break the blockade, British warships fired warning shots, prompting Chinese defense and leading to the First Battle of Chuenpi.

Question 34

What happened between Elliot and the Portuguese governor of Macau in the battle of Chuenpi?

Answer 34

When Elliott asked the Portuguese governor of Macau to allow British ships to load and unload their goods there in exchange for rents and taxes, the governor refused, fearing that the Chinese would stop supplying food and other necessities to Macau if he gave assistance to the British.

Question 35

When did the emperor ordered all foreign merchants in China to halt all material assistance to the British?

Answer 35

14th January 1840

Question 36

What happened in June 1840 when the British fleet arrived in China?

Answer 36

4,000 troops and 25 warships (some steam-powered) bombarded coastal forts in Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang.

Question 37

What was the significance of the capture of Chusan in July 1840?

Answer 37

The British occupied Chusan near Ningbo as a strategic base, killing over 500 Chinese soldiers.

Question 38

What occurred during the Attack on the Pearl River Forts (Battle of Chuenpi) in January 1841?

Answer 38

The British captured the Bogue Forts using Congreve rockets and heavy naval artillery.

Question 39

What was the result of the Battle of First Bar in February 1841?

Answer 39

12 British ships destroyed Chinese war junks and fortifications, securing British access to Canton.

Question 40

How did the British capture Canton in March 1841?

Answer 40

After bombarding its defenses, British troops occupied Canton, forcing Qing officials to pay 6 million silver dollars.

Question 41

What cities did British forces capture during their advance north in October 1841?

Answer 41

They captured Amoy (Xiamen), Ningbo, and Chusan.

Question 42

What happened during the Battle of Ningbo in March 1842?

Answer 42

Chinese forces attempted a counterattack but were defeated with heavy losses.

Question 43

Why was the capture of Shanghai in June 1842 important?

Answer 43

It allowed the British to cut off China’s trade access.

Question 44

What were the outcomes of the Battle of Zhenjiang in July 1842?

Answer 44

The British captured Zhenjiang, with Qing losses over 2,000 men compared to fewer than 40 British casualties.

Question 45

How many troops did Britain and China deploy during the First Opium War?

Answer 45

Britain deployed ~20,000 (including Indian Sepoys); China deployed ~200,000 (mostly poorly trained).

Question 46

What were the estimated casualties for Britain and China?

Answer 46

Britain: ~500 dead, ~1,000 wounded. China: 20,000+ dead, unknown wounded.

Question 47

What type of warfare characterised the First Opium War?

Answer 47

Siege and counter-siege; the British would break Chinese sieges of Western areas and then force Chinese retreats.

Question 48

How did British weaponry give them an advantage?

Answer 48

British troops used Brown Bess and percussion-cap rifles with better range and reload speed, plus Congreve rockets and powerful naval cannons.

Question 49

How did the British weaken China’s ability to sustain the war?

Answer 49

They captured silver stores and tax revenue transport, denying funds to the Chinese military.

Question 50

Who negotiated the Convention of Chuanpi and what were the key terms?

Answer 50

Governor Qishan and Charles Elliot. Terms: 6 million silver compensation, open Canton to trade, cede Hong Kong, allow Qing tax collection in Hong Kong, British to withdraw from occupied islands.

Question 51

Why was the Convention of Chuanpi never fully implemented?

Answer 51

Emperor Daoguang dismissed Qishan for overstepping his authority; Palmerston found the terms too lenient and ordered further attacks.

Question 52

What was the British attitude toward annexing Hong Kong at first?

Answer 52

There was uncertainty; Lord Aberdeen ordered Pottinger to halt permanent construction on Hong Kong.

Question 53

What compensation did China agree to in the Treaty of Nanjing?

Answer 53

China paid 21 million silver dollars for war damage and lost opium.

Question 54

What territorial change resulted from the Treaty of Nanjing?

Answer 54

China ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain as a colony in perpetuity

Question 55

What special trade rights did Britain gain from the Treaty of Nanjing?

Answer 55

Access to 5 treaty ports (Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shanghai), with rights to live, trade, and own property there.

Question 56

What legal privileges did British citizens gain under the Treaty of Bogue?

Answer 56

Extraterritoriality—they were exempt from Chinese law and governed by British law in treaty ports.

Question 57

What fixed tariff rate was imposed and why was it significant?

Answer 57

A 5% tariff was fixed, preventing China from protecting local industries or adjusting duties.

Question 58

What was the long-term impact of the Nanjing and Bogue treaties on opium imports?

Answer 58

Imports rose from 40,000 chests in 1839 to 70,000 per year by 1858.

Question 59

How did other countries benefit from the treaties?

Answer 59

France and the U.S. secured similar terms (e.g., Treaty of Wangxia in 1845 gave the U.S. 'most favoured nation' status).

Question 60

What new trade began to boom after the war alongside the opium trade?

Answer 60

The trade in captive Chinese coolie labor, called "poison and pigs" by anglophone capitalists.

Question 61

How did the Treaty of Nanjing undermine China's foreign policy system?

Answer 61

It broke traditional methods of controlled trade and diplomacy, forcing open ports and allowing foreign residence and gunboats.

Question 62

What happened to opium addiction in China after the treaty of Nanjing was signed?

Answer 62

Opium addiction doubled.

Question 63

What major internal conflict followed the First Opium War?

Answer 63

The Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864).

Question 64

How did Westerners influence Chinese government after the war?

Answer 64

They were allowed to staff and manage parts of the Chinese Maritime Customs Service.

Question 65

When was opium fully legalised in China?

Answer 65

1858