How The Opium Trade Destroyed China’s Greatest Empire | Empires Of Silver | Absolute History

Absolute History
Absolute History
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Published 2023-11-22
China's lust for silver helped establish their formidable economic position on the global stage. However, Western powers were reluctant to engage in silver trade and in their search for an alternative avenue they discovered something that would change history forever: Opium. As opium surged throughout the nation, it brought forth multifaceted societal issues, ultimately fueling the harrowing Opium Wars. These conflicts marked the onset of a devastating "Century of Humiliation" for China, leaving an indelible mark on its history and global standing

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All Comments (21)
  • @SWAROOPSKNAIR
    Pablo Escobar won’t even get an Internship at the Colonial British Empire.
  • @lengray44
    My dad, who was an engineer, educated at Purdue, was completely wrong in his understanding of the Opium War. He believed that the British were fighting to keep the Chinese from spreading opium all over the world.I think that a great many people thought that. He graduated in 1962. I think maybe it was the propaganda of that time.
  • @melissapinol7279
    I remember my mom telling me that the Opium Wars were about the noble British trying to keep opium "out" of China. I suppose that is what she was taught in school.
  • @user-ns3jr5ib4m
    The opium war was one of the biggest reason why China has a super strict policy on drugs today. Our 5000 years history almost ended because of it, an empire was brought down to its knees, and we sacrificed too much to get back on our feet. This is why today, any Chinese celebrity who has touched drugs in the Chinese mainstream society is deemed unforgivable, and even weed is considered way off limits. History was a great lesson, and we hope we will never forget
  • @Cymricus
    i’m 38 and it took me until now to realize i actually enjoy history
  • @adityavyas4310
    The other aspect of Opium trade by the British was that Bengal saw many famines and millions died as farmers were forced to grow opium instead of rice and other food crops.
  • @conanmcclanahan1069
    That 3 minute intro deserves a TON of credit... I don't have an entire hour at this moment. But you SOLD me on this documentary!
  • @domenigo97
    I find the title on the thumbnail misleading. They weren't China's Opium Wars. They were Britain's Opium Wars against China.
  • @yenkassa
    So, the British were a large scale Pablo Escobar.
  • @MrLoobu
    "Tea takes hold quite rapidly. it's an addictive drug" Sells fucking opium.
  • @gomezleonardo60
    The documentary was exceptionally insightful. As an American PhD student specializing in Chinese affairs, currently residing in Guangzhou, I found its portrayal of the city to be enchanting, capturing its beauty and the myriad of undisclosed intricacies within. In my scholarly opinion, Canton is indisputably a pivotal region in China. The documentary's emphasis on the impacts of the opium wars was both truthful and precise. The work done here is nothing short of tremendous.
  • @ChelinTutorials
    What an amazing documentary. Incredible quality. Thank you so much. ❤
  • @justinreilly1
    There’s nothing more Victorian and British-square than having a mountain of Opium and giving it away for tea.
  • @burnttoast6813
    This has been a great documentary so far, thank you all for all the hard work and attention to detail! I remember watching a documentary about the opium trade in China with my parents when I was hardly tall enough to sit at the table, and it always stuck with me that the emperor banned opium despite his personal use, still have that image in my head. Thank you!
  • @DaRyteJuan
    Wow. This was a great documentary. 👍🏻 Never even had a clue about most of this history until watching this production.
  • @pdruiz2005
    At 40:35. This incorruptible Chinese official, Lin Zexu, tried his mighty best to stem the drug trade from British and American drug lords and drug traffickers in the 1830s. The Chinese are understandably proud of him, so Lin Zexu has a large statue in the middle of Chinatown in NYC commemorating his life and his sacrifices. When I used to live in Chinatown I would walk by that mighty statue of Lin Zexu practically every day. A constant reminder that the past is never dead. It's not even past.
  • @zugdarr
    Unbelievable history, never knew this was how Britian originally retained Hong Kong.
  • @SnickC13
    A new channel to endlessly stream in the background. Thanks ❤