Opium War
Friday, 10 July 2009
At the beginning of the 18th century, five thousand opium chests a year were entering China; by 1838, that number had reached forty thousand. The fact that the import and use of opium was illegal in China meant it had to be bought with silver. The huge profits made from its sale gave rise to a whole network of criminality connected with the drug. Official corruption associated with opium was widespread. The Hong merchants (intermediates with special permission to trade with foreigners) were involved, Mandarins were paid not to interfere, and even the Imperial Army took part in smuggling. Opium addiction had penetrated the very institutions set up to hold the Empire together.
Extracted from The Opium War.