It’s not like they discovered drugs and then just stopped doing anything else;
Except that is what did happen during Qing Dynasty’s rule. You would do better by watching Nathan Rich’s Epic China series, by far the most educational series/documentary on Imperial China history. I cannot think of any media outside China that has done a job as authentic and good as him, and his work has yet only covered since ancient China upto the first Opium War by 8 Nation Alliance. It is still in progress.
The initial trade was only for purposes of opening up China for global trade, and to create vulnerability to exploit and colonise, like neighbour India was colonised for 200 years. Britishers consistently stated the need for “laissez faire” trade for a reason.
The reason why a second opium war happened was that the first one was merely lost, and the 8 Nation Alliance failed to fully colonise. Infact, some ports and provinces of China were given/gifted to European powers during this time, and withdrawn back after the wars.
Except that is what did happen during Qing Dynasty’s rule. You would do better by watching Nathan Rich’s Epic China series, by far the most educational series/documentary on Imperial China history. I cannot think of any media outside China that has done a job as authentic and good as him, and his work has yet only covered since ancient China upto the first Opium War by 8 Nation Alliance. It is still in progress.
But they had already discovered it. They both used opium and traded opium well before the British flooded them with it. “it was a normal item of use and trade for centuries before the 1840 war”
The initial trade was only for purposes of opening up China for global trade, and to create vulnerability to exploit and colonise, like neighbour India was colonised for 200 years. Britishers consistently stated the need for “laissez faire” trade for a reason.
The reason why a second opium war happened was that the first one was merely lost, and the 8 Nation Alliance failed to fully colonise. Infact, some ports and provinces of China were given/gifted to European powers during this time, and withdrawn back after the wars.