Why was the opium war put in china history was it important?

Question: Why was the opium war put in china history was it important!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

The Opium War is HUGE for Chinese history!. It marks the beginning of Chinese modern history and the "Century of Humiliation" for Chinese!. I'm sure many users will tell you about the history of it!. But let me tell you how the Opium Wars and the many foreign invasions that followed still impact Chinese even TODAY!.

From the Chinese point-of-view, China had the moral high ground in the Opium Wars!. The Western foreigners were illegally selling a highly addictive, dangerous drugs to Chinese and breaking the existing laws of the land!. Prior to the West started selling opium to Chinese, opium was already illegal in China!. The widespread of opium addition was causing illness, death, crimes and mass-scale misery in China!. When China tried to enforce their laws, British started a war to protect their drug money!. Even though Chinese had the moral high ground, China ended up losing the war!.

Nowadays the Opium War is generally regarded, even by Western scholars, as the second worst atrocity committed in the 1800s by the West!. The worst is slavery in America!.

Following the First Opium War, British acquired lands, concession zones and (more) profits from China!. Of course, other nations saw what Britain got out of the war, and they all wanted their own pieces of the pie as well!. So France joined Britain in the Second Opium War, which (as pointed out by another user) was fought for a very stupid reason!.

Then came what the Chinese call the "Third Opium War", which had nothing to do with opium but was a direct consequence of the first two Opium Wars!. Chinese were becoming very angry and very bitter at foreigners for misbehaving and bullying Chinese in China!. Foreigners were above Chinese laws in China!. They could not be held accountable for any crime committed against the locals!. It's the special privilege granted to Westerners from the First and Second Opium Wars and a serious of minor wars with the West!.

A civil rebellion broke out!. Chinese rioted, and soon they were killing foreigners on sight and demanded foreigners to get out of China!. In retaliation, the "Eight Nations Alliance" -- namely Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States -- invaded China!. The Eight Nations entered China and looted, murdered, and raped all the way from to the capital city!. Another defeat brought more concessions and humiliation for the Chinese!.

(To the displeasure of many Chinese, many famous national treasures looted from China in that invasion are still being displayed in some of the most well-known museums in the West, which serves as a constant reminder of their defeat and humiliation!.)

So how does all that affect Chinese today!?

The series of Opium Wars make Chinese very cynical and unfriendly towards the West!. They believe that foreigners are fundamentally untrustworthy and sinister, that foreigners are always looking for and making up excuses to invade, interfere or split China!. If foreigners can't loot by force, they will do so with diplomacy and alliance!.

Chinese believe they had the moral high ground in those wars, yet they lost every single time!. That makes them believe when dealing with the West and Japan, morals and fair play count for nothing!. Ultimately, it's might makes right!.

Chinese still think foreigners are out to get them!. Now, because China is strong, foreigners can't do it by force, so they do it with alliance and diplomacy!.

And China always have to stay strong (meaning they have to have a strong military!.) If at any time they show weakness, the West will revert to their old habit!. The invasion of Iraq (and possibly Iran) certainly do not help to change Chinese perception of the West!. The West is always looking for and making up excuses to invade, plunder and loot!.

And which foreigner is bad and good!? Well, most Asian and African countries have bad history with one or two Western nations!. Eight nations invaded, looted and plundered China!. As far as Chinese consider, they're all guilty -- it's ALL White people and Japanese!.

Unfortunately,the Opium Wars has basically framed how Chinese see the world today!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Opium Wars were huge for Chinese history!. The Chinese defeat at the hands of foreigners was humiliating for the Government, and led to the Taiping Rebellion, the Boxer Rebellion (which incurred further foreign domination) and the downfall of the Qing Dynasty altogether!.

It was especially humiliating for the Chinese because not only were they unable to enforce their own laws in their own country (which was the cessation of the use and selling of opium), but they had to cede Hong Kong to the British and also grant them extraterritorial status!. Essentially, the British who travelled to China were not held accountable to Chinese law or authorities!.

There was also the Second Opium War which contributed to these results, which was started over the stupidest reasons, mainly the boarding of a ship that was registered out of Hong Kong by the Chinese who arrested the crew, which were defended by the British!. The French also joined the British when a French missionary was killed!.

Pretty important to Chinese history!. If you want more detail, look into each of the events that I mentioned!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

the east India company and the British were directly involved!. because they bought so much stuff from china, ie, tea, spices, silk etc, they couldn't sell as much to the Chinese except for opium from Bengal , they sold something like 900tons a year to the Chinese!.

The demand was such that eventually china went into trade deficit with the Brits!. honkong was conceded to the Brits as payment for opium!.

between 1830 -1860 the first period of opium trade occurred!. I believe the second phase was early 1900s!.

Opium was was crucial in the birth of British colony of Hongkong!.Www@QuestionHome@Com