Summary
The Treaty of Nanking, signed between Great Britain and China to end the First Opium War (1839-1842), created a new framework for Chinese foreign relations and overseas trade that would last for nearly a century. The story behind this treaty features a culture clash between two great powers, with incidents of cultural misunderstanding, unappreciated gifts, drug smuggling, bribery, and piracy, as well as fortunes won and lost, millions of pounds of opium destroyed, prayers to the spirit of the Southern Sea, and serious debates over kowtowing. One of the most interesting and yet not widely known documents of the 19th century, the Treaty of Nanking forever changed the course of Chinese history and completely reshaped China's future relations with the West. Read in this captivating book about this fascinating time when the West sought to establish a lasting relationship with China, a formidable power in the East.