Opium War Research Articles

Between abolition and opium: civility and force across Asian and Caribbean British imperialisms

ABSTRACT This paper explores the relationship between Britian’s abolition of slavery in its Caribbean colonies in 1838 and its instigation of the First Opium War with China in 1840. In so doing, it works against the occlusion of this relationship in the study of British imperialism despite the centrality of these events to the birth of global systems of free trade and free labour. It draws on the parliamentary debates and correspondence of British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston to analyze Britain’s negotiation of anti-slavery efforts with Haiti and its trade of Indian opium with China. It argues that these negotiations position British masculine civility against less-civilized foreign others in ways that legitimate the use of maritime force. This logic of imperial civility produces contradictory effects by demanding an end to the brutality of African enslavement while condoning the devastation of Asian opium addiction enacted in the name of free trade.

Influences of VR technology on the effect of museum narrative based on embodied cognitive theory: a case study of the opium war museum

Purpose With an increasing array of new technologies and devices emerging as novel approaches to museum narratives, scholars are intrigued by the narrative effect they produce. Within this context, this study aims to conduct a quantitative case study on the influencing mechanisms among technology embodiment, technology attachment, museum narrative effect and perceived museum image based on embodied cognitive theory (ECT). Design/methodology/approach By introducing the Opium War Museum, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China, as an empirical case study, the authors collected data, through questionnaires, from 425 visitors who had experienced virtual reality (VR) technology in the museum. The data was then analyzed by using the maximum likelihood estimate for structural equation modeling. Findings Technology embodiment and technology attachment have significant positive correlations with the museum narrative effect. Technology attachment provides a partial mediating effect between technology embodiment and the museum narrative effect. The perceived museum image moderates such mediating effects of technology attachment. Originality/value This study brings the emerging idea of developing visitor experiences with VR through expanding the applications of ECT in the museum scenario. First, the authors identified the underlying interaction patterns between various factors that influence the museum narrative effect. Second, the authors verified that technology can optimize the museum narrative effect and help the creative transformation of cultural relics and culture. This study also provides practical recommendations to improve the technological service experience and strengthen the “audience-centric” management concept of museums

Spatial Expansion, Planning, and Their Influences on the Urban Landscape of Christian Churches in Canton (1582–1732 and 1844–1911)

Canton (present-day Guangzhou, China) has a long history as a trading port and serves as a window for studying the history of Sino-Western cultural exchanges. Canton was a city built under Confucian orders, leading to significant differences (when compared to Christian cities) in urban functional zoning, layout, urban landscape, and methods for shaping spatial order. Therefore, the churches constructed by Christian missionary societies in Canton merit particular attention in missionary history research and urban planning history. Based on local gazetteers, historical maps, export paintings, Western travelogues, and archives at that time, from a cultural landscape perspective, this article compares and analyzes the spatial expansion of Christian churches and their influences on the urban landscape in Canton in two stages. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the spatial layout of the churches indicated an active integration into Canton City. After the Opium War, churches were not only used for religious purposes but also served as symbols asserting the presence of Christians and Western powers (which made the situation more complicated). Missionary societies attracted believers through the construction of public facilities, building Christian communities centered around churches, thereby competing with authorities for spatial power and influencing the urban functional system and spatial layout controlled by the authorities. Comparatively, the Roman Catholic Cathedral has profoundly changed the traditional landscape order in Canton, while the Protestant Dongshan Church interacted more closely with the city.

The Malacca dilemma of the Raj: the Indian Uprising of 1857, the Second Opium War, and the British proposal of a Kra passage

Abstract In the late 1850s and early 1860s, the idea of building a passage through the Isthmus of Kra in the Malay Peninsula was hotly debated amongst British officials, merchants, and investors. This study finds that the British East India Company's rule over the Straits of Malacca had been a dilemma for itself and British merchants in China. The Second Opium War and the Indian Revolt of 1857 exacerbated the dilemma and pushed some British policymakers and investors to seek an alternative route between India and China. The proposal of the Kra passage was the response and solution to the Malacca dilemma. In historicising the Kra passage proposal and putting it in the context of the British empire's simultaneous crises in Asia in the mid-nineteenth century, the case of the proposed Kra passage reveals the complex relations between different actors within the British empire and the challenges of integrating multiple imperial interests into a British world system

Medical Historical Value of the “The Quarterly Reports of the Ophthalmic Hospital at Canton” Review of Peter Parker and Ophthalmic Hospital at Canton

Recently published by the Central Compilation and Translation Press, Peter Parker and Ophthalmic Hospital at Canton is the Chinese edition of The Quarterly Reports of the Ophthalmic Hospital at Canton, written by Dr. Peter Parker (1804-1888), an American medical missionary. Dr. Parker founded the Canton Ophthalmic Hospital in November 1835, the first Western hospital in China. From 1836 to 1850, he authored 15 quarterly reports, which were serialized in The Chinese Repository. These reports document patient statistics and detailed case studies, highlighting the role of medical missionaries in China before and after the Opium War and the introduction of Western medicine to China.

Islands in the City: Negotiating the Location of British Concessions along the Yangtze River in 1861 China

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Britain signed treaties to secure the right to establish concessions along the Yangtze River in China. Despite extensive scholarly analysis of the history of British concessions, one aspect that is often overlooked is that these treaties did not specify the locations for these concessions. As a result, the British had to negotiate with local Chinese officials to acquire suitable sites. This essay aims to delve into the history of Sino-British relations and the spatial dynamics of occupation by examining the interactions between the British and Chinese in determining concession sites within Yangtze River port cities – specifically Zhenjiang, Hankou, and Jiujiang. It reveals that, following the Second Opium War, British arrivals and Chinese authorities established an implicit understanding. Despite diverse strategies employed by Chinese authorities in managing foreign affairs – ranging from appeasement to radical measures – the British consistently pursued potential advantages and preferred negotiation to maximize their respective interests. Consequently, these concessions were located in less desirable positions along the Yangtze River, surrounded by waterways. This strategic placement facilitated British cargo landings while enabling the Chinese to retain control over foreign arrivals, effectively transforming them into metaphorical islands within these cities.

Modern Enlightenment in China from the Chinese-Western Rites Controversy

The Sino-Western Rites Controversy was a controversy sparked by the missionaries during their missionary work in China. The focus of the controversy is whether Chinese customs such as ancestor worship, Confucius worship and heavenly worship are contrary to the principles of the Catholic belief, and whether a policy of tolerance should be adopted in view of the special circumstances of Chinese customs. They argued fiercely and defended for their own positions, but in the end they failed to find a way to reconcile, as a result, both sides refused to compromise. The rite controversy between China and western countries was a prelude to the fusion of Chinese and western culture. At that time, China was still able to debate with them as an equal party and made corresponding moves to prohibit missionary work. After the Opium War, China lost the conditions for exercising its free will, and was simply carried along by the world trends. On the surface, the ritual controversy was a clash of religions and customs between two different civilizations, and impacts was limited to missionaries and Chinese believers, but it actually reflected deeper cultural issues. Chinese culture is a complete system independent of other cultures, with its own logic of operation, and when it meets with western culture, Chinese culture still maintains its traditional patterns, with a very distinctive cultural characteristic. Hidden behind the rites controversy is a broader conflict of cultural modes of thinking, and it is these irreconcilable factors that led to the obstruction of Chinese enlightenment. Therefore, this article will study the deeper structure of Chinese and Western way of thinking from the face of this rites controversy, and the inspiration brought by the collision of the two cultures, by which China's future path of enlightenment may be get inspired.

The Impacts of Social Media on Changing Mass Attitudes Towards Asian Hate in the U.S. During the COVID-19 Outbreak in the U.S.

In this study, our primary research focus was on analyzing the changes in anti-Asian sentiment within the United States during the mid-to-late stages of the outbreak. The authors conducted a critical examination of the context surrounding the 2019 outbreak to explore its correlation with the escalation of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States. First, it is found that historical perceptions, such as the Native American concept of "yellow peril" stemming from the Opium War and the notion of "white privilege" within the mindset of white individuals, could have contributed to the emergence of the anti-Asian phenomenon. Furthermore, the discourse that unfolded on the Internet in response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes in native Americans perceptions of Asian hate. Our research identified a noticeable surge in racially motivated hate crimes during the pandemic, as indicated by publicly available data. These incidents were predominantly characterized by instances of physical violence and harassment. Asian hatred has seriously disrupted the daily lives of Asian residents in the U.S. This phenomenon may have arisen from the general belief among most Americans that the pandemic originated in Asia, coupled with long-standing tendencies to view Asians as outsiders irrespective of their duration of residence in the U.S. To address these issues, our study aims to compare trends in anti-Asian sentiment before and after the epidemic by analyzing Twitter data from both periods. The authors also conducted a comparative analysis of relevant literature and books to formulate hypotheses explaining the variations in Americans' attitudes toward anti-Asian sentiments across the two timeframes. Ultimately, our goal is to advocate for the cessation of such unequal behavior and the establishment of equality for all.

Opium wars: historical lessons in the context of modern challenges

Opium wars: historical lessons in the context of modern challenges

The Ultra Ganges Mission Activities and Impact on the Press in Pre-Modern China

Before the Opium War, Protestant missionaries to China took the Ultra Ganges Mission as a link, and carried out a series of literal missionary activities, and set up missionary stations and printing presses, church schools, and Chinese and foreign-language newspapers and magazines in the South Seas and in China's Canton and Macao, etc. The newspapers founded under the guidance and support of the Ultra Ganges Mission introduced the Western newspaper concepts and newspaper editing and printing techniques into China, cultivated the early Chinese newspaper group, and laid the material and human resource foundation for the Chinese to imitate foreign newspapers and run their own newspapers after the Opium War. By analyzing the historical facts about the establishment of modern Chinese and foreign newspapers and magazines by the Ultra Ganges Mission, this essay demonstrates how the foreign newspapers in China in the first half of the 19th century promoted and influenced the emergence and development of the modern newspaper industry in China.

Fentanyl's potential impact on public health in India and China: A comparative review

AbstractThis study reviewed and compared fentanyl's potential impact on public health in India and China, two nations linked to its production and distribution. A comparison of China and India's governance structures, historical experiences with opioids, ideologies, and drug policies on the potential for domestic fentanyl use showed that fentanyl will likely become a more significant threat to Indian society. India's relatively weak governance, historical acceptance of opium, and permissive drug culture facilitate an environment conducive to the production and use of fentanyl. In contrast, China's strong central government, the Opium Wars, the historical effects of opium addiction, and adherence to conservative Confucian ethics will likely contribute to opposition to fentanyl use. Understanding these disparities is paramount for policymakers and public health officials in both nations to develop and customise strategies to confront the challenges posed by fentanyl.

Analysis of Regional Characteristics of Trademark Design in Modern Zhejiang Province

Through the collection of information collation and investigation, the author summed up the characteristics of trademark design in modern Zhejiang as "ancient style and Folk charm, Water with new trendy." The "ancient style" is the inheritance of Zhejiang cultural tradition, and the "Folk charm" is the characteristics of "living" and "localization" in trademark design. The development of culture and technology has its "stickiness". Compared with Shanghai, which opened to the outside world in 1843, the "imagined picture" in the modern Calendar card is not filled with the trademark advertisements designed by Zhejiang. Most of the trademark design forms can see the natural feeling of modern Zhejiang trademarks for the traditional evolution, whether the subject matter, trademark structure, the conversion of Zhejiang art, or the space construction of folk life. After the Opium War, Zhejiang was opened as a port in Ningbo, Wenzhou and Hangzhou. The exogenous variables in the western world influenced Zhejiang in modern times.

Challenging the Palate and the Mind. Introducing Western Baking Vocabulary Into Chinese

Challenging the Palate and the Mind. Introducing Western Baking Vocabulary into Chinese. Starting from the first Western recipe book published in China in 1866, the paper analyzes the attempts to translate Western bakery vocabulary into Chinese. Although the Chinese cuisine was already very rich and refined, with a complex vocabulary, dessert had never been an integral part of a traditional meal, and, in fact, there was no specific word for it. After China’s defeat in the two Opium Wars, in the mid-19th century, the increasing foreign presence on Chinese soil meant both an increase in demand for cooks able to satisfy the dietary needs of the Westerners, and of restaurants serving Western food, especially in cities with foreign concessions, like Shanghai, where dining in such a place had become very “modern”. Zao yang fan shu (Foreign Cookery in Chinese) compiled and translated by Martha Foster Crawford, and published at The American Presbyterian Mission Press, in Shanghai, in 1866, was the first Western recipe book to be translated into Chinese. Out of the 271 recipes, 139 are desserts. Considering the resistance of the Chinese language to loanwords, especially phonetic loans, the paper looks at the solutions employed by Crawford to translate the new vocabulary, find out when were the phonetic loans used and how were they transcribed, if it was possible to identify equivalents in Chinese for the new terms, which terms were translated as semantic loans, and which are still in use today. Keywords: Zao yang fan shu, translation, recipe book, baking, phonetic/semantic loan

Spiritual opium and the spiritual opium war: a cultural history of arcade games and console games in 1990s China

In the 1990s, in China, arcade and console games were called “spiritual opium.” Why were video games labeled spiritual drugs, specifically opium, as opposed to other types of drugs? How did the mainstream media gradually depict video games as spiritual opium? The term “spiritual opium” carries profound historical and political connotations and is skillfully employed by media entities to disparage video games, fostering adverse perceptions among the populace. This scholarly inquiry delves into the cultural history of arcade and console games during this era. Historical and cultural methods were used to meticulously trace the genesis and evolution of the “spiritual opium” metaphor in the 1990s, scrutinizing the process through which video games were ensnared by this pejorative label. In addition, the paper also elucidates the “spiritual opium war,” a series of government-led campaigns against arcade and console games, including investigations, crackdowns on arcades, and reminiscent of Mao-era mobilizations. By doing so, this research fills a critical gap in the historiography of Chinese gaming, thereby enriching studies of the regional game industry and contributing to a broader understanding of the global gaming landscape. This article also shows how postsocialist states such as China navigate the challenges posed by the influx of video games and their perceived political threats and provides a nuanced understanding of state–media dynamics and cultural policy in postsocialist contexts.

Irish-American Anti-Imperialism in Patrick Ford’s The Criminal History of the British Empire

Abstract In 1881, Patrick Ford, the Irish-American nationalist editor of the New York Irish newspaper The Irish World and American Industrial Liberator, published The criminal history of the British empire, a collection of five letters that he had written to William Gladstone. In The criminal history, Ford constructed a comprehensive account of British imperial history, beginning with England’s conquest of Ireland, before detailing the colonization of North America, Britain’s participation in the transatlantic slave trade, the American Revolution, British rule in India, the opium wars, and Britain’s contemporary colonization of Africa. This article contributes to scholarship on American views of the British empire in the post-bellum United States. In exploring how Ford constructed a Manichean interpretation of world history, where the British imperial project devastated every region it invaded, the article analyses Ford’s reasons for writing and publishing the letters that formed The criminal history. Finally, the article shows that Ford’s central purpose was to foster a visceral hatred of the British empire among his Irish-American readership, to maintain a commitment to their ethnic heritage as proud Irish people, and to encourage his readers that a better future would soon arrive, when the British empire was finally a relic of the past.

From Reluctance to Reliance: Opium Smuggling in 18th-Century Macao

Abstract This paper critically appraises the role of the opium trade in the politics of 18th-century Macao. By examining previously unexplored Portuguese accounts on opium smuggling, this study contributes new insights into the shift in attitudes of the Macanese authorities towards the opium trade in this period, which subsequently aided further European opium smuggling in the Pearl River Delta. Thus, this paper fills an important gap in our understanding of the transformation that took place in the period before opium became a bone of contention between the Qing dynasty and European powers, on the eve of the Opium Wars.

Qing China and Its Offshore Islands in the Long Eighteenth Century

AbstractA significant paradigm shift in the examination of China’s engagement with the maritime world has taken place over the past decade. The conventional image of the Qing dynasty in the long eighteenth century as being merely land-orientated has now become obsolete. Historians are no longer satisfied with this stereotype and have put aside the conception that the Qing only realized the importance of strategic marine governance after the First Opium War. In view of this historiographical turn, I seek to deepen our understanding of the Great Qing in relation to the sea. By focusing on a series of sea charts, alongside some relevant palace papers, from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, I will argue that the Qing’s process of locating and charting those offshore islands was an essential, indicative, and demonstrative step for the central authority to project its imperial power onto the waters off the coast of China long before the arrival of Western gunboats in the age of global rivalry.

От концепта «тянься» до «тяньсяизма» и теории о «системе Тянься»: представление об идеальном мире в политфилософских трактатах китайских мыслителей

The article discusses various conceptual concerns in understanding the concept of “Tianxia” in the context of China’s development both in its history and modernity. As examples, it analyzes the teachings of the most fa-mous representatives of “Tianxiaism” of the new period that began after the Opium War and lasted until the Xinhai Revolution, among them Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao. The study also highlights the “Tianxia system” theory put out by Zhao Tingyang. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that Chinese thinkers attempted to reflect on the construction of an ideal world through the historical and philosophical concept of “great unity”, and the theo-ries they developed were themselves responses and answers to the unprecedented crises faced by China in different periods of its history. It is emphasized that their teachings contained utopian views based on the tradi-tional Confucian social order, political institution and ideology rather than applicable practice-oriented recom-mendations.

POLITICAL DETERMINANTS OF THE ORTHODOXY JURISDICTIONAL DIVISION IN UKRAINE IN THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT

The events of recent years in Ukraine testify to the growing importance of religious and political factors in Ukrainian society, which requires a rethinking of the phenomena and processes associated with them. For young Ukraine, the formation of an autocephalous church is a matter of national security, establishing the reference point of national self-identification, the prestige of the state in the international arena, and most importantly, the possibility of consolidating citizens into a single, largest confession in the country. The purpose of the article is to highlight the problems of political influence in a European scale on the process of total division of the branches of Ukrainian Orthodoxy into different jurisdictions. The evolution of political processes during the formation of the autocephalous system is revealed. It has been established that the future unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy will contribute to the consolidation of Ukrainian society. This is the key task of the state, the church and all civil institutions in conditions of open war on the part of the aggressor. It has been proven that the reason for the evolution of state and political processes in Europe is the lack of clear regulation of the procedure for declaring a new autocephalous church, which deepened the division of churches in Ukraine.

The myth of the Others: Western representations of the Dan people and boat clusters in the island city of Guangzhou, China (1842–1900)

Abstract This article studies Western (primarily Anglophone) representations of the Dan people (boat people) and the boat clusters on which they lived, relative to the mainland, in the island city of Guangzhou, focusing on 1842–1900. A change occurred over time, as the Dan went from being in close interaction with Westerners prior to the Opium Wars to being peripheral to Western interests and activities. This shift is evident in Western writings, and negative representations of the Dan came to dominate in the late nineteenth century. This mirrored changing sociospatial power relations between Westerners and the terrestrial Chinese, as Westerners increasingly gained access to the onshore city of Guangzhou itself, in part from the colonial island enclave of Shamian. Changing crosscultural interactions affected how the Chinese Others were perceived and ultimately how the Chinese whole was intertextually constructed in Western colonial discourse.