China Trade from Early 17th Century to Mid 19th Century Essay

Around 17th and eighteenth century, westward countries were extremely eager to chain the profitable Chinese market collect to its privileged geological location. Although chinaware had sightd their wealthiness with Europe along the Silk Road for centuries, Chinese government were afraid that the sea trade to the s turn outh would potentially corrupt their purplish kingdom and tho try to suppress the earth. From 1700 onwards, the government established a great deal of rigid restrictions imposing the practice of Co-hong to set external trades and merchants in draw and quarter.However, by previous(a) 18 century, the calling scheme seemed to change. The British commenced the opium trade, which created a steady demand among Chinese addicts and further solved the chronic crazy trade. As the Opium War broke out with Britain, chinaware was no longer on the top of the orb. The aery Empire not only was forced to be subservient to British trading regulations, but excessiv ely whateverwhat became a semi-colonial country. The East India fraternity founded in 1600 that held a monopoly in easternmost India by the British government was cursorily enlarging its global trading influence in China.By sending a attach to trader to address their concern regarding to the mistaken restrictions on trade in Canton, the case James Flint was arrested and imprisoned for organism breaking the Canton trading right. This incident showed Chinas weapons-grade attitude toward Westerners and how they manipulated the trade irrationally in their best interest disregarding the concerns of foreign traders. The growing number of foreign traders in the late eighteenth century powerfully threatened the Qing.They feared that the trade with foreign merchants would keep back the opportunity for Westerners to corrupt China therefore, a set of laws that was so called Canton system was established. The system restricted all European trades to only one port Canton and foreign mer chants were forbidden to abode in the city except trading season. Moreover, the Europeans had to accompany the licensed Co-Hong merchants, of who were responsible for controlling the trading behavior in Canton. As a result, these complex and irksome rules created a tensity amidst foreigners and Chinese merchants, British traders especially.In 1792, a British ambassador gentle George Macartney set sail to China hoping to test the approval of the Qing emperor butterfly to loosen some of the trading restrictions to the British traders. Yet, the letters to the Emperor was unreservedly rejected the response was fairly disappointing. Emperor Qianlongs edicts to George III in response to McCartneys demands on slope traders showed his arrogant and condescending attitude toward the British. As your Ambassador can see for himself, we have all things. I set no value on objects strange or ingenious, and have no use for you countrys manufacturers. (105 Cheng and Letz with Spence) Furthe rmore, in his second edict, he stated, But your Ambassador has now swan forward new requests which completely yield to recognize the Thrones rationale to treat strangers from afar with indulgence and to performance a pacifying control over noncivilised tribes, the world over. (106 Cheng and Letz with Spence) He describes foreigners as barbarians, which showed how he disrespected all Westerners and measured China as the most superior in the world other countries would have obey Chinese law.British viewed Qings judicial code as unreasonable and perceive the Chinese officials as obstinate governance, which further exasperated the existed tension between the both nations. Meanwhile, a network of opium was widely distributed passim China. In order to pay for the dire demand of Chinese tea, silk and porcelain pottery in Europe, Britain and other European nations determined to logical implication the one product which became the factor that lessened the imperial beard Empire opium.Opium addiction aim arose in a short intent of time, which affected not only the olympian troop but also the governmental officials. Thus, Emperor Daoguang appointed Commissioner Lin to confiscate opium from English ships and refused to pay indemnity to the British traders. The efforts of the Qing dynasty to twitch the opium restraints resulted in the trading conflict, which had already existed for decades between Britain and China triggered the Opium War in 1840. sea captain Palmerstons dispatch to the Emperor of China was a message to inform the Qing that big Britain would no longer be submissive. The British government therefore has determined at once to send out a Naval and Military Force to the slideway of China to act in keep up of these demands, and in order to convince the Imperial Government that the British Government attaches the topmost importance to his matter, and that the affair is one which allow for not admit of delay. (125 Cheng and Letz with Spen ce) The dispatch only showed the Britains intentions to use force to value its subjects in China, Canton in particular. afterward the damaging defeats in the war, the first inadequate treaty, Treaty of Nanjing was gestural after the War, which awaken China from its fantasy of superiority. In the Treaty, China opened several ports and exposed its markets to Western merchants, which turned the central kingdom into a semi-colonial country. Consequently, the role in the national parsimoniousness had reversed. China was now forced to obey all the demands in the Treaty of Nanjing signed with the British. China was no longer the Celestial Empire inversely, it was slowly sliding trim back from the top of the world.