First Sino-Japanese War

Development of paper The invention of paper has significantly contributed to the spread and development of civilisation on a global scale. China was the first country that invented paper during the eastern Han Dynasty. A court official of the name Cai Lun in approximately 105 AD invented paper from worn fishnet, bark and cloth. This writing medium was light, affordable and appropriate for their style of writing. How paper influenced Ancient China Before its invention, bones, tortoise shells,…

Political - Europe had political involvement largely with China, Latin America, and Africa, not so much with the Middle East. Within China was the Opium Wars over that also had largely to do with trade. Eventually, these wars resulted in the Treaty of Nanking that ended the war and gave Great Britain the colony of Hong Kong and increased sphere of influence. Involvement in Latin America was in regards to the vast amount of colonies had in Latin America, although many of the colonies did achieve…

The primary source I have selected includes the account of the opium war from the perspective of a Chinese government official Wei Yuan. The author E.H. Parker translated the last two chapters of Wei Yuan’s book Shengwuji in his book Chinese Account of the Opium War. Published in the Great Britain in 1888, the book came 40 years later than the original narrative from the orient, which was written immediately after the opium war between the Great Britain and China. The hard copy of this document…

The Voyages of Zheng He (1405-1433), Zheng He’s first trip took him from South China Sea through the Indian Ocean. The purpose of the emperor’s expedition seems to have been to obtain recognition and gifts from other rulers. The voyagers did not intend to conquer or colonize, but they were prepared to use military force against those who refused to respect them. After Zheng He’s death China did not continue with these navigations. I believe china wanted to stay isolated so they didn’t have any…

The first opium war, which commenced on the 18th of March, 1839 and ended on the 29th of August, 1842. The First Opium War was fought between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Qing Imperium. This war came about due to their conflicting opinions on trade, additionally occurred due to the factor of the extinction of opium. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the request for Chinese goods (particularly silk, porcelain, and tea) in the European market engendered a trade inequity because the…

China and the Ottoman Empire both faced a variety of challenges during the 19th century that later left them vulnerable to Western influence in the 20th century. The Ottoman Empire and China had large population growth, but unlike Europe, neither country industrialized and it left them with little food. They also faced issues when it came to centralized power, both countries transferred their consolidated power to local authorities; the gentry for China and the local warlords in the Ottomans.…

The Opium Wars were a series of wars that took place between 1839 and 1860 although the fighting was not continuous and had brief times of non-fighting. The First war started in 1839 after a realized trade deficit on Britain's side with a high demand for Chinese goods including tea and silk with almost no demand for western good from China mainly because China was a self-sufficient nation and the fact that foreign trade was so tightly restricted. After a series of requests and demands from both…

The Treaty of Nanking was the first of the unequal treaties against the Chinese as the end result of the China’s defeats in the first Opium war. The Treaty of Nanking was signed on the 29 August 1842 to conclude the First Opium War of 1839-1842. The treaty ceded Hong Kong to the Great Britain as well as opening five treaty ports to the foreigner. China’s territories was completely being destroyed, and lost the independent status. For the western capitalist, the five treaty ports become the…

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…

The Opium wars were a frightful time for the Chinese people in their history. During the Opium wars, China experienced radical changes that left numerous dead yet considered modernization and entered the international trade market. Opium had first arrived in London where it was initially used for medical purposes. Trading with China demonstrated exceptionally beneficial for over a quarter century, until in 1835, China passed its first law forbidding the importation of opium when it turned out…