What price a cup of tea?

In the nineteenth century, China was seen as a possible market for British trade. However, as maritime trade had been restricted to the Canton area by the Qing dynasty and as it had to be conducted by imperially sanctioned monopolies, Britain was unable to make trade in low end commodities as economically viable as it had proved to be in the Indian sub continent. Consequently, with a need to secure economic benefits for Britain, merchants began to explore the high end trade in tea. Initially dealing in silver, for which there was significant demand in China, Britain obtained the metal from either Europe or from Mexico. However, this was an expensive arrangement and so they looked for an alternative.

Opium was the most likely candidate. The poppies grew in profusion in British territories in India, it was inexpensive to produce and the shipping costs to China were significantly lower than those for silver. However, the use of opium for anything other than medicinal purposes was illegal under the Qing dynasty. Despite this British ships imported mass quantities of the drug causing a surge in its use for recreational purposes.

Alarmed both by the shift away from trade in silver and by the huge upsurge in addiction amongst the Chinese population the authorities aimed to stop the movement of opium through their ports. Consequently they made importing opium an offence.

At this point relations with the British began to break down. Illegal opium was seized and burned by Lin Zexu. British sailors got drunk, vandalised a temple, killed a civilian and were given protection by the British.

The Chinese then refused to trade with the British unless they were prepared to agree to stop dealing in opium. In retaliation, the British withdrew from Canton and further trade with the Chinese was prohibited.

The Chinese wrote a letter to Queen Victoria in 1939...

Our celestial empire rules over ten thousand kingdoms! Most surely do we possess a measure of godlike majesty which ye cannot fathom! Still we cannot bear to slay or exterminate without previous warning, and it is for this reason that we now clearly make known to you the fixed laws of our land. If the foreign merchants of your said honorable nation desire to continue their commercial intercourse, they then must tremblingly obey our recorded statutes, they must cut off for ever the source from which the opium flows, and on no account make an experiment of our laws in their own persons! Let then your highness punish those of your subjects who may be criminal, do not endeavor to screen or conceal them, and thus you will secure peace and quietness to your possessions, thus will you more than ever display a proper sense of respect and obedience, and thus may we unitedly enjoy the common blessings of peace and happiness. What greater joy! What more complete felicity than this!

Let your highness immediately, upon the receipt of this communication, inform us promptly of the state of matters, and of the measure you are pursuing utterly to put a stop to the opium evil. Please let your reply be speedy. Do not on any account make excuses or procrastinate.

A most important communication.

It would seem however, that he letter was never received and the situation continued to escalate.

Some merchants were prepared to sign up to the embargo on opium and they made their way into Chinese waters despite the British ban. After one successful transaction was completed, the British decided to open fire on the next ship that tried to trade with the Chinese. In return the Chinese defended their right to trade.

That action marked the beginning of the First Opium War.

PS Was asked for a dummies guide to the Opium Wars today - this is the first installment. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the information as it was hastily cobbled together from sources on the internet, but it's a start.

Depicted here: an old tea cabinet, which I've been trying to refurbish for ages, and an opium pipe.