The Chinese Opium Wars

Jack Beeching's account explores the notorious period of nineteenth-century imperialism, detailing how British merchants, driven to expand trade with China, introduced high-grade Bengalese opium. This led to a widespread drug habit in China, making opium the largest single cash commodity globally by mid-century. The Chinese government's attempts to halt this destructive trade sparked a series of conflicts with Western powers between 1830 and 1860, culminating in the infamous looting and burning of the Summer Palace. These Opium Wars, though often overlooked by the victors, remain a significant and vivid part of China's historical memory and its contemporary view of the West.