The opium wars (jan 1, 1839 – jan 1, 1860)

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The British, angered by the cohong system in which they could only trade with China through a specialized Chinese firm at set prices, and by the limited market for European goods (which meant Europeans could only trade in silver bullion), pumped in massive quantities of Opium, grown in India. This trade was illegal, but largely ignored until the late 1830s. At this time, the Qing dynasty recognized the problem of addiction and began confiscating opium. The British undertook a military response that showed the clear power of the well trained, well equipped British navy. The British won, and forced the Chinese into a series of treaties known in China as unequal treaties which granted the British enormous power in China. These included the treaty of Nanjing.

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