HIST 11B Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: The Opium War (Film), Hong Xiuquan, Treaty Ports
Document Summary
Brit didn"t want to be seen as a mere tributary. Tried to force the qing to conform to international customs of trade. Qing went to war because they thought the traders were undermining qing sovereignty (drug trafficking) Complete disaster for qing side - huge technology gulf. 50-60 years earlier, the gap wouldn"t have been so big but by this time, steam power has been developed and mobilized for the military. Taiping movement increasing presence of western powers underminign traditional institutions. Rebellion is too small a word, civil war is better. 30 million people died, greater casualty rate than any other war in history up until that point formerly populous areas, middle and lower yangtze valley, lose up to 70% pop. 1850 - 450 million acreage under cultivation only grows 60% small numbers of landowners and large numbers of landless poor people (serfs, etc) split between rich and poor increases increase social tension.
