The history of Great Britain's empire has always been a little controversial, but by examining their interactions with China during the 19th century, it is apparent that this part of their history was selfishly corrupt and malevolent. This essay shall argue that for many years leading up to the First Opium War, Great Britain fully endorsed the smuggling of illegal opium into China; the goal being to increase revenues within India, and consequently of Britain itself. Despite knowing the harm that opium possessed towards the citizens of China, the possibility of substantially increasing their wealth was too good of a chance for Britain to pass up, and so they went out of their way to empower their merchants to smuggle opium into China. The
