letter to queen victoria

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Recommended: Han dynasty and Confucianism

In 1839, Lin Zexu wrote The letter to Queen Victoria, in attempt to stop the evolving addiction to opium in China. The letter expressed China's desire for a peaceful resolution to the opium trade. He the limited and quite incorrect knowledge he had on the issue in hopes to gain sympathic understanding. Lin used Confucian teachings, historical events, plus forceful reasoning on moral grounds in order to persuade the English monarch that he would not ask of them anything he would not be comfortable doing himself. The letter created an ultimatum made by Commissioner Lin on behalf of the Qing Emperor to the English monarch, delivering the clear message that he and the Qing government were determined to ban the selling and smoking of opium once and for all at any cost.
In paragraphs 3-5 of the letter, Lin addresses the issue that caused him to initially reach out to the ruler of Britain; the smuggling and selling of opium in China through British merchants. The selling and smoking of opium has caused great harm to the Chinese people in the eyes of the Chinese emperor, therefor Commissioner Lin Zexu has been sent to put an end to it. He explains the punishment for the Chinese who smoke and sell opium and notes that the emperor will extended the same punishment to British merchants who continue to sell this drug to the Chinese people. Lin manage to confiscate a large amount of opium through the help of the British superintendent of trade, Charles Elliot. With Charles Elliot being in cooperation with Lin Zexu, it serves as a warning because the Qing dynasty had created new regulations; being if any Britain was found selling opium, he would receive the same punishment as would a Chinese. In order to carry them out, he needed this help o...

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...he kindness of his emperor. Lin then hails his ruler's extraordinary Celestial grace. This grace could viewed as the emperor was hesitant to start confrontation with British forces. In other words, although the emperor ordered Commissioner Lin Zexu to end opium sales in Guangzhou and Guangdong, he was afraid of potentially starting war with the British. Lin's effort to solve the opium problem peacefully was highly favored and sanctioned by the emperor.
Although the First Opium War proves that this letter was unsuccessful, this letter has significance because unlike most countries and disputes, the Chinese did whatever they could to ensure that this matter had a peaceful resolution. This letter shows that the Chinese practice of Confucianism has helped them evolve as an already self sufficient country into a favored and sanctioned country for their reasonable ways.

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