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The Opium Wars in China

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Submitted By spaceforager
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Pages 9
Sauvik Chakraborty
HIST 212
Dr. Ernst Pijning

The Opium Wars in China: The upheaval of isolationist China

The introduction of foreign commodities in Europe raised consumerist ambitions to a frenetic level of activity as the multitudes of Europeans viewed their possession and consumption, a symbol indicative of status. The throngs of people were engaged in taking advantage of some significant exploratory achievements made by certain trailblazing expeditioners. The trade routes opened up by these explorers exposed Europe to seemingly boundless prospects of trade, which in turn facilitated the meeting of demands raised by the classes favored by such ventures. There were certain commodities that enjoyed considerably higher appeal amongst the masses than certain other commodities. Opium was one such commodity that did not enjoy widespread repute in Europe as Wolfgang Schivelbusch states in ‘Tastes of Paradise’ “[narcotics] have achieved such a tremendous such a tremendous significance in other cultures but never really gained a foothold in Europe.” (205). Opium, as a substance, has been heralded as a useful crop and was adopted as food, for anaesthetic purposes and ritualistic purposes from times immemorial. Schivelbusch states that in 19th century Europe, opium had a “regular place in the family medicine chest” and was quite frequently used as “sedative and painkiller” (206). The use of opium was becoming increasingly widespread as both urban and rural workers were ushering in the consumption of ‘laudanum’ (most common form of opium consumption). The European literati had also succumbed to the extensive consumption of opium as well as hashish. In European society, as we have read thus far, the consumption was considerably widespread but not as important as elsewhere. However, the inherent perspective that is shared by the entire contents of this paper is that the

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