Opium Wars: How The Chinese Silver Trade Changed History | Empires Of Silver | Absolute History
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- Empires of Silver delves into the transformative power of silver in shaping global trade during the 16th century. Set against the backdrop of the majestic Andes Mountains and the bustling markets of China, this documentary explores how the discovery of pure silver ignited a revolution in commerce. The narrative unfolds as the Chinese Emperor mandates silver taxation, catapulting its value above gold and driving a surge in demand. From the remote corners of the Spanish Empire to the bustling ports of Canton, witness the rise of the first global currency and its profound impact on empires, economies, and cultural exchange worldwide.
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This documentary offers a riveting look into the pivotal role silver played in global trade and the shaping of history. The Opium Wars are a stark reminder of the lengths empires would go to control such a valuable resource. It's fascinating to see how the Chinese silver trade not only influenced economic policies but also international relations and cultural dynamics. A true testament to the power of precious metals in world history!"
As for something useful from me, did you know that the Opium Wars not only changed trade policies but also had a lasting impact on international law? They led to the concept of "extraterritoriality," where foreigners in China were subject to their home country's laws rather than Chinese laws. This concept significantly affected diplomatic relations and is considered an early example of international law as we know it today. 💫💯
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
Did he put ANY Citation or Scholars?
As a American this was very eye opening
To be honest, the increasingly declining public education in the United States did not really teach children useful knowledge, and was far less meaningful than the grammar schools in Britain before World War II.
When I read all the sinophobic/racist views of China by the Americans Europeans, from reddit users to especially the US Congress, I know none of these people know ANYTHING whatsoever about today's China and even less about past China. Let alone the disgusting opium trade that led to the "century of humiliation".
A Qing Dynasty official/ tea merchant, the richest man in the world in the early 19th century, financed America's Industrial Revolution....
How metals play such an integral part of human civiligations, it's simply astounding! Wonderfully created documentary, lots of gratitude.
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
this documentary makes me want to buy even MORE physical silver🇺🇸
Ah if it weren't for people hawking silver and gold, there'd be nobody to fund the conspiracy websites. Thank you
Won't work as the population is to big to use anls currency
@@thesecondsilvereich7828 read a book
@@thesecondsilvereich7828 yes paper money is the only way to provide money to all!
Be careful when you go to sell that physical silver.
It might not be so easy to do.
The Brtish empire was the world's biggest drug pusher. El Chap0 today has nothing on the Brtish empire.
Even the worst cartel will not force us to buy their product at gunpoint.
The British were legally selling opium to Chinese merchants; barely legally, but still legally. It was the Chinese merchants who imported it illegally into China and pushed it on the population, not the British. This is why the Qing government punished the Chinese merchants.
@@adrianainespena5654 The British opium trade is only end at the treaty ports, it is the Chinese merchants who imported it illegally into China and pushed it on the population.
@@vapaus831 Stop lying. After winning the First Opium War, Britain signed the Treaty of Nanjing. The treaty stipulates that the British government has taken away the management rights and taxes of the Chinese government over customs (which must be managed by British people, and the taxes of Chinese customs are also used by the British government), and must allow British people to freely sell any goods in China (especially high profit and addictive opium), while ceding seven Chinese ports to the UK. The Second Opium War ceded Hong Kong. During the two Opium Wars, the British government accumulated at least 60 million taels of silver reparations.
@@siroyiryuu Please cite your source. "... stipulates that the British government has taken away the management rights and taxes of the Chinese government..." can you name which term in the treaty of Nanking?
20:05 - 20:29, 30:15 - 30:20 - perfect lesson on the principle of not allowing a country's money, critical commodities & infrastructure to be controlled by outsiders
The moral of this story is that British merchants & Scottish traders can't be trusted whereas the Irish are honest friends
yea they just did driveways and sold stolen tools
LMAO
The best history documentary show , I ever heard...Thanks to all the people who produced , intriguing history knowledge...Bravo to all of you ❤
The next historical document for the coming generations will be the narration of western empire's demise.
Excellent series of documentaries 💯💯👏👏
That one drop about rothschilds tho
This is an awesome piece! The narrator deserves a big thumbs up. It also serves as a lullaby!
Served as one last night and again right now
Physical silver has properties that do make you sleep. Truth.
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine.
Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
This is fantastic for those who read the comments before watching!
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
Professional production
Is this the previous shows smacked together in a 3 hour video?
yes
Yes, you can tell because the same audio is reused constantly. I thought I was accidentally scrubbing through the video, but nope, just an editor who thinks people can't fucking remember shit episode to episode. How many times do they need to mention the Century of Humiliation?
Take it eeeeasy @@cameronlang6858
Yes, I was so confused.
@@cameronlang6858 I was glad they were all put together. As for your f-ing fury about this, have you ever seen a network tv show where they repeat everything from one segment in the next segment? No one thinks you're stupid -- relax.
Thank you
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
Wining a war because of drugs totaly a british thing
The Brtish empire was the world's biggest drug pusher. El Chap0 today has nothing on the Brtish empire.
You say Britain, you mean elitists of London. Nothing to do with the majority of English/Irish/Welsh/Scottish folk
... Our ancestors suffered to the monarchy like millions of others ( a monarchy who's bloodline is a mixture of French/English/German and a couple of other Europeans I'm sure I'm forgetting...
Not to mention the Muslim moors who invaded us and enslaved us and the Romans and vikings and the Saxons....it is what it is, stop pointing fingers pretty much every nation has history they arnt proud of looking back, however it's called 'history' for a reason, let's leave it there or we are doomed to repeat it
And its extention AMERICA
@shortchanged. And the pharmaceutical industry
I remember that Britain gave Qianlong emperor a mechanic peacock clock with its ass exposed when working. Qianlong refused it cuz its so ugly and ridiculous
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
Interesting
I love silver ❤ God money 💰
*ABSOLUTE HISTORY!*
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
Nice
The British opium trade is only end at the treaty ports, it is the Chinese merchants who imported it illegally into China and pushed it on the population.
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
Silver is the best electrical conductor, but it oxidizes.
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
It does oxidize but there are several factors that play into it. It has far more resistance to tarnish than Cooper or other base metals done.
This documentary is full of interesting information, and is also engaging in a form of evasion of responsibility. The Chinese wish to trade in silver did not cause the Opium war, the British East India Company wouldn't 'take no for an answer'. This attitude of the British Empire and the Company - if they don't get what they want they will use any force to do so - is still ruling international relations today.
I think you'll find it has ruled human relations forever and always will, only a child could not know that.
@@williamwilliam5066 There is huge difference between the west and east
@@ddding9518 YOu mean one side is populated by human beings and the other not? I don't think so.
The British only used force after the Chinese destroyed their property and refused to pay for it. Sounds reasonable to me
@@user-di5nx8pm1p You have the criminal mind. Chinese government had the right to confiscate illegal drug from smugglers
it is the east india company also john company, the east indien company, VOC is the dutch one..
good
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
The Portuguese and their trading cities are missing from this story. They had a monopoly in Japan for many years. They had huge influence in politics in the region.
Another thing is that while opium is addictive, it was the smoking of tobacco, and the addition of opium to the pipe tobacco, which led to the smoking of opium by itself that made the drug more potent and therefore more addictive.
@Roadtoroota Bix was right!
If you look at the architecture of the building by the customs house this is reminscient of the Liver Buildings in Liverpool UK. Glad I have an irish passport should get a heart reception then from the Chinese:))
How is every history channel doing a piece on the Opium Wars right now?
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
Part of AgitProp operation by CCP....show how evil The West was/is and how China, the center of the universe, was/is abused by "round eyes"
who owns the rare things,who owns the world
45:30
Beautiful pieces by the miao people....
Miao, are also known as hmong people
"ugh another quick video on such a complex topic. hide video.
wait, was that thing 3 hours?! UNDO! UNDO!"
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
The opium trade and wars really show how cunning and amoral the british empire was.
I wish that silver will worth more than gold again.
why?
It will and it's happening this year.
@@Sovnarkom he's a stacker.
@walkerhaw5468 🤣
Just count how many times they say global
If you are familiar with gold and modern day currency exchange, you can see the gold flows are all heading to China in our modern time. Some interesting similarities.
This time it's a bit different. Holding USD would be akin to having your balls in the hands of the U.S. The Russians learned it the hard way as their USD was "confiscated". Gold is safer than USD in this sense. I do sense some similarities though. Specifically, the desire to replicate opium war to "readjust trade balances". Ofc, China has nukes today, so perhaps not everything would play out the same.
FAKE NEWS! No...the Portuguese introduced silver to Asia...as a currency of trade...especially with the involvement of Japan...Mexico produced about 80% of the world's silver with 30% of it eventually ending up in China. In the late 16th and early 17th century, Japan was also exporting heavily into China and the foreign trade at large....The silver flow into China passed through two cycles: the Potosí /Japan Cycle, which lasted from the 1540s to the 1640s, and the Mexican Cycle, which began in the first half of the 1700s.As has been demonstrated...China dominated silver imports. China's huge demand of silver was caused by the failure of making paper money "Hong Wu Tong Bao" and "Da Ming Tong Bao Chao" and the difficulties when making copper coins. After various status changes in China history, silver played a more important role in the market and became a dominant currency in China in the 1540s.
dude, inside voice
@@organexploder fr why did I scream his comment in my head 😂
Words matter -- no one said "introduced" except you. Furthermore, the rest of your rant sounds exactly like what the documentary put forth although you have added some details the makers of this program might have considered tangential to their themes and therefore left them unexplored. You don't know everything and no two hour program can say everything. Also, why so angry?
@@garypuckettmuseperhaps anger is caused by distortion of known truth? You obviously have more belief/interest/faith in a well funded production.
Good comment and food for thought
Cycles and percents...
I need to look at all that and interpret it too
When your self get precious Metal sell it to yourself first.
Did the East Indian Trading Co. knew opium was banned in China and still traded it anyway? I'm not sure if got it correct or not....
Yea, a big BUT, they are just leaving the stocks at the treaty port which is legal.
@@vapaus831 Imagine going to court with that excuse...
"Imagine going to court with that excuse..." My statement is a fact not a subjective view.
The foreign involvement in the opium trade essentially ended at the treaty ports... Joyce Madancy, "Unearthing Popular Attitudes toward the Opium Trade and Opium Suppression in Late Qing and Early Republican Fujian," Modern China 27.4 (2001): 443
Is you said that "I'm not sure if got it correct or not", then I will answer your question.
when i was 9 year old indonesian boy i read the newspaper about a very dangerous most succesful wealthiest druglord ever in history and his name was pablo escobar. he was so wealthy and made it to the forbes list. 30 years later i learnt that it was untrue. The most succesful drug baron ever was william jardine. today pablo escobar children had to live in hiding except for juan pablo. today's descendant of william jardine lived a very honorable life off their great grandfather legacy that is jardine investments. How do i know that ? Indonesia's stock exchange largest weight is in one company owned by jardine investments that is astra international.
They’re not nice people. To them we are like cattle in a field.
@@johnmac4094well we are
And cows suck
So I guess everyone should apologize
@@Mr0rris0 most of the Chinese op___ users were not add_cts.
@@Mr0rris0 Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
@@vapaus831 cool thanks.
Helps because I'm trying to figure out "what's going to cause what" by sort of considering what had caused things in the past.
It's a scooby mystery
Like....
Is it all fun and games until "sterilization of inflows" takes its modern meaning
"Evolution of monetary systems bank of canada"
Should be an article.
I'm not Canadian though
Why is the narrator & most of the people in this video pronouncing silver like “silva” ?
China was wealthy and understood how to do business.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Dikötter et al. also make two important points about the opium smoking in China. Firstly, they observe that local Chinese opium had a much lower morphine content than Indian opium, so Chinese users of domestic opium were much less likely to become addicted anyway,
Good and silver are a sign of how primitive the concept of currency is. Things we need daily are the cheapest somehow?
Lord Elgin needs to be publicly shamed
Why stop there? Humans are shameful.
😂😂
❤
Does this really need to be 3 hours????
3 hours is not enough to condense 250 years of Britain China relations
Panicked observers guessed that China's wealth had been reduced by 50% - the reality was probably around the 19%. Despite this perception, it is far from clear that opium was exclusively to blame for the silver famine. Julia Lovell, The Opium War (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011)
U telling a false history blacks of all the nations were of that nation, America Black of all did the most traveling and trade and inventions.
wow everything being exposed in last days
This isn't new information
@@Snarkyhippie it is NEW for me
Exposed suggests it's new information. This is ancient history and nothing shocking to the world. Nothing has been "exposed", you're personally just learning a new thing. Welcome to the internet, it's full of information.
@@Snarkyhippie we learn everyday, had idea but didnt know WHOLE story, this what viet name over, the drug triangle of opium
Silver will be nr one soon ;}
Just a reminder to own unseizable bitcoin for the next hyperinflation
Hell you all gave that control up when it was allowed to become a ETF, so good luck on that and besides Bitcoin down 5,000 this week.
Britain was a land conquering county until it finally decided that it wasn't worth it and let it's conquered countries go there own way 😅
And what a waste of lives young men fighting old man's war family's plunge into depression wounded soldiers. And amputees Just left to go there The owne way Because.
The british Government didn't want to spend money on then. Shame on The union jack 👀🤷
Not really, Britian conquered for two main reasons. To control trade, or to denie territory to rivals. You can see it on the map even today, formal British colonies are centered around trade ports and rivers compared to say former French colonies that controlled large areas of land but with no value.
Was this CCP funded?😂
Pathetic scrotum.😂
Absolutely
Truth hurts. If you can't face the fact, it musted be alternatively smeared
Are you brainwashed? Yes.
1:34:43 The British opium trade is only end at the treaty ports, it is the Chinese merchants who imported it illegally into China and pushed it on the population.
Can not believe there's still something trying to white wash British opium war
@@ddding9518 I am not whitewashing, because I am just stating the facts with source. Also, I suspect there is something wrong with your logic as well, because e.g. I amid that opium trade is legal, but this doesn't mean I amid that is justice. You most likely think that legality in the law equals justice.
The foreign involvement in the opium trade essentially ended at the treaty ports... Joyce Madancy, "Unearthing Popular Attitudes toward the Opium Trade and Opium Suppression in Late Qing and Early Republican Fujian," Modern China 27.4 (2001): 443
@@vapaus831 You quote something far from clear. If you claim opium is legal, then you didn't need a war
@@ddding9518 I just think that the British are legally legal, but it is up to the Qing Dynasty to decide how they want to judge.
Chinese should NOT blame others all the time.
The Ming dynasty produced quite a few useless emperors. So much so corruption in officialdom and military became entrenched and it has continued even to today in modern China.
There were perfectly ok minted coins and noted used in China as currency back to early first century AD.
The Qing or last imperial dynasty had the opportunity to conduct reform brining in western technologies.
But the dowager empress and most of the mandarins didn't want to change the status quo.
Of course deep corruption practices drained significant resources from any initiatives.
The long military campaign in Central Asia in late 1,700 that was not needed paved for the corruption in the military weakening the military further. Their additions of western technologies were mostly not fully implemented due to corrupted practices and outright embellishments.
The 15 years of TaiPing Rebellion from 1850 exposed the uselessness of the imperial troops. Without the local militia and the anti-Christianity of average Chinese, the dynasty would've been toppled.
(TaiPing leader claimed himself as the brother of Christ. He forced all those his troops conquered to convert to Christianity or otherwise which included deaths.)
Rebellions in China happen in regularity. Every of dynasties suffered from it.
Why? The backgrounds of the founding emperor of several significant dynasties.
The First Emperor was the very last with royal blood or from noble background that founded a dynasty of Han Chinese control.
The dynasty after that, Han dynasty, was founded by a semi-illiterate peasant. He didn't even own a piece of land and lived off his parents and brothers. His mates that helped him win the empire were mostly like him, uneducated and commoners in background.
That dynasty lasted for over 400 years.
The next significant Han Chinese ruled dynasty was Song dynasty. It was founded by 2 twin brothers of poor background. They were raised by their farmer grandfather since baby. The Song dynasty lasted over 300 years.
The next Han Chinese ruled dynasty was Ming dynasty. It was founded by a person who till 26 years old was a serf and totally illiterate. He was only educated in a Buddhist temple after he joined the temple as a monk when the drought killed his first family. The Ming dynasty lasted just under 300 years.
Han, Song and Ming dynasties among them lasted over 1,000 years of the about 2,100 years of the imperial time till 1911.
The other significant dynasties (non-Han Chinese royal families) were all founded by members of royal families or of high noble class. Everyone of them with no exception.
That is, the great majority of Han Chinese (92% of Chinese population) understand that they don't have to be blue blooded to win empire.
Hence since the Han Dynasty time, China has suffered regular rebellions.
China was ruled by non-Han Chinese groups for about half of the 2,100 years of imperial time till 1911.
From mid 300's to mid 900's, China were ruled in full or mostly by people of Inner Mongolian royal families. This includes the famed Tang dynasty.
In late 1,100, the ancestors of Manchu took big chunk of northern China. Then Genghis Khan defeated them. His grandson then took all China.
The last imperial dynasty, Qing, was Manchu. They were in control of China for about 260 years.
Hence to be invaded by outsiders is also the norm for China. It is rubbish for China to claim that they had not been invaded by outsiders.
I will also add these.
The first members of the royal families of Zhou and the first emperor likely didn't come from the then China. Both groups came from regions west of the province for which XiAn (where the Terracotta warriors are) is the capital.
These regions, at the time of the appearance in record for the first known leaders of the state of Zhou and that of the first emperor, were NOT part of the then known China.
Zhou dynasty lasted about 800 years. The first emperor had huge impact though his dynasty lasted only not even 15 years.
That is when China and Chinese accuse of the west for shaming them in the so called 100 Years of Humiliation, they need to look at their own history closely.
At least, in the 100 Years of Humiliation, China did not get conquered altogether.
The threats for China are not from the west or Japan or Taiwan.
The threats are within in China and among its minorities groups.
Indeed, by taking Tibet and Xinjiang both offer natural barriers against invasion into China proper, China attracts new types of threats from Central Asia and even Pakistan, eg. Because by land, it's the easiest way to invade China not via sea... History has proven this right many a times for China..
tl:dr China Qing Dynasty was in peace for so long and unprepared for foreign invasion. Similar to France pre WW2. A nation with long history of military might crushed because they unprepared for big confrontation which sadly really determined their place in modern era.
It is British to be blamed
oriental culture should first learn about the position of China and discuss what is the Central Plains Dynasty and Chinalocation of China and discuss what is the Central Plains Dynasty and China.
Look at the amzing thing Britain built on that tiny barren rock off China
Yes now owned by China
By Chinese people and Chinese money
.
China numba 1
I love the Victorian era and Edwardian era! I wish I could travel back in time to that time period and stay there! I was born in the wrong time period 🥺
Viva la scurvy!
Did they have indoor plumbing in those eras?
@@lawrence1135 just outdoor plumbing (gutters).