My previous article aroused the “disgust” of many patriotic Chinese people. Many people think that I should not look at the Opium War from a British perspective. Of course I know this truth, but due to the limited space of the article, I cannot observe the same time from multiple perspectives in one article. Therefore, today’s article will change a perspective and examine the war at that time from the perspective of the Qing Dynasty.
In the East Asian continent, as early as two thousand years ago, society had entered an authoritarian farming civilization through a series of changes, and the totalitarian autocratic system became the institutional guarantee for maintaining farming civilization. The rulers of the past dynasties had not the slightest interest in commerce and trade. Even rulers will deliberately suppress private business activities. We cannot use the ignorance or shortsightedness of the rulers to explain the causes of these phenomena, because in agricultural civilization, agriculture is the foundation of a country. In the East Asian continent more than 2,000 years ago, the level of social productivity was completely impossible to support a complete commercial and trade system. , if the rulers at that time really vigorously developed trade, they would probably starve to death. Developing agriculture, attaching importance to agriculture, and focusing on agriculture are natural choices.
It is precisely because our ancestors made such a choice that the entire social structure will adjust accordingly. This social stratification system is called “scholars, farmers, industry and commerce” in China, and it provides us with a window into the society at that time. In this word, “Shi” refers to nobles or officials, “Nong” refers to farmers, “Gong” refers to craftsmen, and “Shang” refers to merchants engaged in trade. Peasants enjoyed a high status among the people, second only to officials. Businessmen ranked last and were regarded as the bottom of society. This was not a deliberate derogation of businessmen at that time, but the result required by the reality of that era.
In the 1840s, the Qing people had not yet been exposed to any information about modern industrial civilization. The Qing people, immersed in agricultural civilization, were completely unable to understand the so-called international trade system of the British, nor could they accept the concept of the so-called modern country. Not surprising. In the minds of the Qing rulers, the East Asian continent was the center of the world, and the “self-sufficient” agricultural economy was the only economic form the world needed. Can you say that their ideas are wrong? We simply cannot imagine that emperors such as Qianlong, Yongzheng, Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Xianfeng, who had studied the Four Books and Five Classics since childhood and were surrounded by a group of virtuous ministers, suddenly abandoned the concept of “emphasis on agriculture and light on commerce”. The basic national policy that has been implemented for two thousand years has been turned to vigorously develop foreign economic and trade. If such a thing really happened, it would be an extremely strange thing.
The East Asian continent, which is in the midst of an agricultural civilization, has completely achieved “self-sufficiency” and needs neither imports nor exports. The emperor and the people just want to live a stable life. There is an unbridgeable gulf between them and the appetite for expansion of Western capitalists.
Due to the cognitive level of the rulers at that time and the traditional governance that the Qing Dynasty had followed since its founding, the Qing emperors naturally focused all their attention on agricultural production and adhered to a consistent policy of external closure, which is what we modern people The so-called extreme trade protection policy. Therefore, it is normal that foreign merchants and foreign goods cannot freely enter and exit the Qing market. It is not surprising that the Qing government monopolized and directly blocked the normal circulation of foreign goods in the Qing Dynasty through “one port of trade” and the “public system”. All these were logical and taken-for-granted policies in the eyes of the rulers of the Qing Dynasty, but in the eyes of the British, they looked completely different. It’s not anyone’s fault, it’s just a chicken talking to a duck and playing the piano to a cow.
From the British perspective, the Qing market was almost completely closed to them. On the contrary, Qing goods could enter the British market relatively freely. This serious inequality between free trade and state monopoly caused the emerging capitalist countries represented by Britain to have a long-term trade deficit with the Qing Dynasty. Such trade imbalances cannot be tolerated by capitalist countries.
The opium trade, especially the opium smuggling trade, was a helpless choice for British and other European and American merchants in this abnormal trade environment. No one expected that it was opium, a unique commodity, that changed the entire trade structure of Europe and the United States in the Far East. The Qing Dynasty officials and people’s fanatical pursuit of a “shameless” life led to opium gradually becoming a necessity for a happy life. , and finally broke the Qing Dynasty’s external isolation. The Qing Dynasty’s once unshakable trade surplus gradually turned into a trade deficit. The money in His Majesty’s wallet flowed to the sea. This result seriously challenged the core interests of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, the Qing Emperor sent an imperial envoy. Emperor Daoguang decided to use the Qing Dynasty’s own methods to solve what he considered the trade imbalance problem.
Lin Zexu’s violent anti-smoking and anti-smuggling operations in Guangzhou posed a serious threat to the lives and property safety of British businessmen. At that time, the British government’s commercial director of the Qing Dynasty in Macau, Yi Lu, rushed to Guangzhou almost immediately due to his job requirements. However, as a commercial representative of the British government, he was unable to communicate or appeal directly with Qing officials. Of course, it is impossible for Lord Lin, the imperial envoy representing the imperial power, to have the slightest interest in listening to the opinions of a British official. Mr. Lin’s expression is very clear. Shut your mouths and hand over all the goods. Kill or cut into pieces depending on my mood.
We have no way of knowing what Yilu was thinking at that time. Judging from later historical data, Yilu promised to the merchants from various countries in front of him in the trading house that was besieged by the Qing army. As long as everyone handed over the opium in their hands, he would be responsible for delivering it to the British Parliament. Strive for the British government to compensate the merchants for all losses. As an official sent by the British government, the only thing Elliot can do at such a critical moment is to do his best to protect the lives of businessmen from all over the world. Yilu is obviously persuading businessmen from all over the world not to choose the method of “sacrifice life rather than wealth”.
As for whether the British government can compensate the losses of merchants from various countries, and whether the British government will send troops to recover the losses from the Qing Dynasty by force, it is impossible for Yilu to decide. Even if the British Prime Minister at the time was in Guangzhou in person, it would be impossible to decide such a matter. Later, many Chinese articles insisted that Yilu promised that the British government would compensate the merchants for all losses, and even planned Britain’s war against the Qing Dynasty. People who say this probably have no understanding of the decision-making process of modern democracies. Foreign wars and external compensation in modern democracies cannot be decided by a diplomat or a senior official, even if they are President or Prime Minister.
In Guangzhou, facing the Qing imperial envoys, it was the British Director of Trade with the Qing, John Elliot. He used his special status and superb arguments to persuade merchants from various countries to hand over all opium goods to the Qing Dynasty. Mr. Lin received these goods. Later, after repeated requests for instructions, he finally “magnanimously” gave up the idea of killing British businessmen. The British businessmen who had saved their lives fled back to England in embarrassment.
From this moment on, the ball finally passed to the British government. At this time, there were only two choices before the British government, either to withdraw from the opium trade with the Qing Dynasty and continue to return to the previous trade deficit. Or use force to force the Qing Empire to open its ports and accept Western trade rules. One thing that can be confirmed is that Britain, the British and British businessmen are reluctant to give up this huge market. At the same time, the British government, backed by the Royal Navy, which is invincible in the world’s oceans, is not willing to lose face and swallow its anger. Therefore, military adventure has almost become an inevitable choice for Britain.
The so-called “Opium War” was brewing and finally broke out in this strange atmosphere. What is surprising is that when the war first broke out, both sides were confident that they would win, because both the British and the Qing were very sure at that moment that they were the most powerful people on the planet. A powerful presence. However, the outcome of the war surprised both sides. Even if one side was beaten to death, they did not expect that the other side was so fragile. The other party did not expect that the other party was so powerful even if they were beaten to death. It was precisely because of these unexpected things that the post-war treaties were hasty and careless. After all, neither side was mentally prepared.
I would like to say that from the perspective of the knowledge level and standpoint of the Qing Dynasty in the 19th century, the British government does look a bit like bandits. Aren’t the northern nomads in history also called bandits? But the readers of these articles of mine obviously live in the 21st century and have a clear perspective of God compared to their ancestors more than a hundred years ago. Why are they so reserved? You might as well think about it, when has the progress of human civilization adopted a peaceful approach? The replacement of old and new civilizations has always been full of violence, conquest and bloodshed. If it is true as some people think, our predecessors united honestly around the Qing government with the Aisin Gioro family as the leadership core, and unswervingly continued to follow the path of totalitarian autocracy with Qing characteristics. East Asia is now What will happen to the mainland? More civilized? More modern? I dare not say that everyone will definitely drag on that big braid that seems to be beautiful, but at the very least, China’s civilization process will be delayed for several years.
Reply to ‘ahhhh”s comment: Well, you don’t love the Qing Dynasty. I see.
You see that I am a social Darwinist, which somewhat surprises me. Maybe I do pay more attention to history and lack knowledge of the post-industrial era, but I am a staunch opponent of the “law of the jungle”.
My articles in Literature City are actually excerpts from a series of my books. Because it was excerpted from the book, the complete chain of logic and narrative was interrupted, to the point where each article lacked logic and even put the cart before the horse. After all, I did not spend enough time to revise and polish every article, but my theme changed to the opposite direction, which really surprised me.
Thank you very much for your reminder. I will take a closer look at the article I have published and correct it if it is true.
If you would point out the problem you mentioned to me, I would be very grateful.
Reply to ‘ahhhh”s comment: The UK says that building high-speed rail offends ancestral graves. Why do they say that?
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I guess the British don’t think that way. Because in the UK, they don’t seem to have a Ministry of Railways. Even building high-speed rail is a matter for private companies. Whether it affects the royal ancestral graves is not the first thing businessmen care about. The key is that high-speed rail is a money-losing business. China has built so many high-speed railways, and it is the people’s money that accompanies them every day. The British cannot play like that.
In addition, trade is originally about businessmen making money. Isn’t this natural? However, the party and government keep telling everyone that it is the country that makes money. What nonsense.
One more thing, I left a comment on your article not because I love my country, I certainly don’t love the Qing Dynasty. The reason for leaving a comment is that the logic and views of your article are questionable.
The current trend of thought in the West is entering the post-industrial era and denouncing social Darwinism, but your article still praises the law of the jungle.
The Qing market was almost completely closed to them. On the contrary, Qing goods could enter the British market relatively freely. Here’s the problem: The Qing Dynasty’s profit from trade was only a small amount. The real money was made by the British merchants who had ships to transport tea and silk back to England.
Just like the iPhone today, how much Foxconn earns vs. how much Apple earns.
In the past, people have always been talking about the trade deficit between China and Britain, but in fact, they are the ones who import, export and make money.
Now you see, the feng shui has changed. It is the British who say that building a high-speed railway offends the ancestral graves. Why do they say that?
The complexities of this historical event.
The Opium War from the Qing Dynasty’s Perspective: A Historical Re-examination
The Opium War, a pivotal event in modern Chinese history, has often been viewed from the British perspective. However, it is essential to examine this war from the Qing Dynasty’s viewpoint to gain a comprehensive understanding of the historical context and the motivations behind the actions of the Qing rulers.
Agricultural Civilization and the Qing Dynasty’s Governance
In the East Asian continent, the social structure had transitioned into an authoritarian farming civilization over 2,000 years ago. The Qing Dynasty, like its predecessors, adhered to a totalitarian autocratic system, which prioritized agriculture as the foundation of the country. The rulers suppressed private business activities, not due to ignorance or shortsightedness, but because the level of social productivity was insufficient to support a complete commercial and trade system. Developing agriculture was a natural choice, and the social stratification system, known as “scholars, farmers, industry, and commerce,” reflected this priority.
The Qing Dynasty’s Perspective on Trade and Commerce
In the 1840s, the Qing people were unaware of modern industrial civilization and could not comprehend the international trade system of the British. The concept of a modern country was foreign to them, and they believed the East Asian continent was the center of the world, with a “self-sufficient” agricultural economy being the only economic form needed. The Qing rulers focused on agricultural production and adhered to a consistent policy of external closure, which seemed logical to them but appeared extreme to the British.
The Trade Imbalance and the Opium Trade
From the British perspective, the Qing market was almost completely closed to them, while Qing goods could enter the British market relatively freely. This trade imbalance caused a long-term deficit for Britain and other capitalist countries. The opium trade, particularly the opium smuggling trade, became a necessary choice for British and European merchants in this abnormal trade environment. The Qing Dynasty’s trade surplus gradually turned into a deficit, which challenged the core interests of the Qing Dynasty.
The Conflict Escalates
Lin Zexu’s anti-smoking and anti-smuggling operations in Guangzhou posed a threat to British businessmen, prompting the British commercial director in Macau to rush to Guangzhou. However, as a representative of the British government, he was unable to communicate or appeal directly with Qing officials. The Qing officials, led by Lin Zexu, demanded the surrender of goods, leading to a confrontation that would eventually escalate into war.
Re-examining the Opium War from the Qing Dynasty’s Perspective
the Opium War was not merely a conflict between the British and the Qing Dynasty but a clash of two fundamentally different civilizations and economic systems. The Qing Dynasty’s adherence to an agricultural economy and its focus on internal stability led to a trade imbalance and a series of events that eventually sparked the war. By examining the Opium War from the Qing Dynasty’s perspective, we can gain a deeper understanding of
