Dbq Imperialism In China

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As established in Glimpses of World History, ignorance is the bitterness that leads to racial hatred between groups of people who know little of each other. Conflicts and racial wars arose in China during the 1860s because of the blatant disregard other nations had for China and its laws. Troubles with the imperialist Powers of the West began when the trade routes opened, thus opening the doors for the “opium trade which was now forced on China” (Horrabin 446). Although try as they might, China was unable to defeat the contending world powers against it, and was ultimately forced to submit to the demands made in the Treaty of Nanjing. However, this does not entail that China readily complied with all that was happening to the country. The …show more content…
Trade boomed throughout this era, mass producing items that would otherwise be meticulous and time-consuming to make. The newfound wealth from surplus in products made the nations “arrogant” and believe that “the other races were far inferior to them and must make way for them”(Horrabin 450). The western powers believed that it was within their rights to sell what they wanted, where they wanted, regardless of whether the land was belonging to them or not. Emperor Daoguang, however, would not stand for this and sent commissioner Lin Zexu to rectify the situation. Commissioner Lin Zexu wrote to Queen Victoria on the importance of respecting each nation, especially when one of them was the cultural center of the world. In his letter, Lin Zexu constantly spoke of China’s significance in the wellbeing of nations around the world, “if there is profit, then he shares it with the peoples of the world; if there is harm, then he removes it on behalf of the world. This is because he takes the mind of heaven and earth as his mind”. According to Lin Zexu, it was China’s duty as a leader to amend the wrongdoings of other nations, and expected that the rulings of the Celestial Court “be absolutely obeyed with awe”. Demonstrating the importance of China in world trade, he …show more content…
The Britain empire especially took advantage of this, blocked ports, and found the slightest reason to wage the Opium War, which later resulted in the Treaty of Nanjing. Lin Zexu’s previous statements in his letter to Queen Victoria were discounted and his appeal to the rules of western-style international relations were void. No longer was the western power Britain civilized and decent, but abusive and cruel in its defeat of China. The government of China faced humiliating losses in the Treaty of Nanjing and was forced to repeal all the court decisions stated in Lin Zexu’s letter. The Celestial Court could no longer ban the selling and trading of Opium, give death sentences to those in the dealings of Opium, was forced to set up trading ports for foreign merchants, and finally had to pay a sum of twenty-one million dollars to Great Britain. Lin Zexu’s letter to Queen Victoria did virtually nothing to help aid the problem of Opium in China, but instead incited a rather harsh treatment of China later on. His decision to act strict and swiftly in the trading of Opium, while it was seen as honorable at the time, had grave repercussions as the power of Britain and the fragility of China had not been taken into consideration. While China did export a variety of profitable items, they did not recognize the power of
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