June 26, the World Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, has been celebrated annually since 1988 under the auspices of the United Nations. In June 1839, the high-ranking secretary of China Celestial Empire, Lin Tse-Hsu, on behalf of the emperor, launched a massive attack on the opium trade in the hands of British and Indian merchants in the southern regions of China. An uncommon situation occurred with the purchases of a quasi-state, the East India Company, responding to the ever-increasing demand for opium in China, imported initially there by the Portuguese. In this paper, one of the sources about the opium wars called Lin Tse-Hsu, and the Opium War will be analyzed.
Income from the super-profitable trade of Bengal-conditioned potion, both cheap and addictive, helped the British Crown maintain the army and colonial machinery in India. Also, it helped Britain to fix the budget shortfall after the cross-border purchases of Chinese tea, silk, spices, and porcelain. Lin Tse-Hsu’s guards shut down smokehouses blockaded foreign factories where the drug was stored, drove drug dealers out of Canton port cities, and destroyed their stocks (Lin Tse-Hsu and the opium war, 1936). The liquidators did not burn requisitioned opium to prevent them from inhaling the fragrant smoke but poured it into pits filled with salt water and covered with quicklime. Those activities of the Qing dynasty official led to the First China-Britain Opium War.
The source being analyzed is mainly based on personal letters sent by imperial commissioner Lin Tse-Hsu to his wife, known as Madam Cheng, his eldest son, and his younger brothers. According to the source, Lin was born and brought up as patriotic as possible and favoured by the ruling dynasty. He was regarded as an administrator who could be relied upon in any matter. Furthermore, he was governed by high ideals and principles (Lin Tse-Hsu and the opium war, 1936). According to the source article, it was hard to find a more committed official at the time to the cause of fighting opium.
Considering the private letters that have been analyzed, they were intended for a relatively narrow circle of people and were addressed only to the close relatives of Lin Tse-Hsu. Within those family messages, he is as sincere as possible and does not hide his commitment to the task assigned to him by the emperor. Still, it is evident that he was happy to engage in the fight against opium even without orders from above, as “there is nothing like opium to kill the body and squander money” (Lin Tse-Hsu and the opium war, 1936). In addition, Lin’s relatives are very respectful and approve of his activities.
According to that, we can see that during the years of the fight against opium, Chinese society valued respect for the elderly, patriotism, and hard work. Moreover, seniors were eager to share their wisdom with the youths. For example, Lin instructs one of his sons in his letters about the process of selecting friends: “caution should be exercised at all times and every step should be planned” (1936). The moral values of China at that time have primarily survived in contemporary Chinese society.
The source helps to find answers to some of the historical questions. For example, a detailed description of the methods of requisitioning opium, its volume, and the methods of destroying it can be found in the letters. In some cases, Lin is surprised that foreign traffickers are so docile and cowardly when drugs are seized (1936). However, at the same time, he admits that many of them are only pretending to be so and have already complained to the British Crown about the infringements. Perhaps in his letters, he even predicts the outbreak of hostilities, for he does not rule out such a possibility (Lin Tse-Hsu and the opium war, 1936).
Considering that Chinese government repeatedly asked the East India Company to stop supplying opium and was ignored, the beginning of the confrontational phase of the war makes perfect sense. Thanks to the letters of the imperial commissary, one of the protagonists of this historical process, it is possible to see how the conflict unfolded. Undoubtedly, the benefit of such information is noticeable – more details that distinguish the history of the war from the European version. For example, according to the primary source, the blockade of the ports was primarily a consequence of the foreigners’ unwillingness to stop the opium trade. At the same time, the opposing side accused China of interfering with business – foreigners did not want to comply with Chinese laws (Lin Tse-Hsu and the opium war, 1936).
To summarize the analysis, the primary source helps to elaborate on the reasons for the beginning and the very process of an active period of opium control in China. As the letters were initially intended for Lin Tse-Hsu’s family members, the language of these messages is soft, instructive, and friendly. Furthermore, the fact that they are personal rather than public documents increase the credibility of the information they contain.
Reference
Lin Tse-Hsu and the opium war. (1936).