How Did The First Opium War Affect China

The Impact of the Opium War on China

The Chinese were constantly taken advantage of from the early 1800’s to the 1900’s, mainly due to the lack of stability within the nation. On top of this, China was economically, socially, and politically behind, making them extremely vulnerable. The instability led to countries forcing China to make unfair deals, as well as sign unfair treaties. The Chinese were struggling to hold their country together, and with other countries taking advantage of China’s weakness, the nation would eventually undergo governmental reform to ensure their stability. These unfair treaties and trades contributed to the weakening of China, and so began the fall of the Qing. A huge credit is due to Opium for the fall of the Chinese empire. Opium weakened the nation, as an estimated 4 million Chinese were addicted to the drug. This caused the Chinese emperor to outlaw the drug which lead to the Opium Wars, two battles the Chinese could not win (Allingham 1).

The First Opium War changed the

The Treaty of Nanking, also known as the treaty that ended the first war, was the first of the unequal treaties that China made. This treaty included the British taking control of parts of Hong Kong. Furthermore, British merchants, who had previously been allowed to trade at Guangzhou, were then granted access to trade at five “treaty ports”. The Treaty of Nanking was then followed up by another treaty, which stated that British Citizens shall be tried under British law, and that Britain shall be granted any rights that the Chinese had granted other countries (Boggs 1). The unfair treaties that were signed still have an effect today, because of China’s constant trading with foreign countries, and the western influence the British had on Hong