How The Opium Trade Destroyed China’s Greatest Empire | Empires Of Silver | Absolute History
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Published 2023-11-22
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All Comments (21)
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The opium war was one of the biggest reason why China has a super strict policy on drugs today. Our 5000 years history almost ended because of it, an empire was brought down to its knees, and we sacrificed too much to get back on our feet. This is why today, any Chinese celebrity who has touched drugs in the Chinese mainstream society is deemed unforgivable, and even weed is considered way off limits. History was a great lesson, and we hope we will never forget
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Pablo Escobar won’t even get an Internship at the Colonial British Empire.
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I remember my mom telling me that the Opium Wars were about the noble British trying to keep opium "out" of China. I suppose that is what she was taught in school.
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My dad, who was an engineer, educated at Purdue, was completely wrong in his understanding of the Opium War. He believed that the British were fighting to keep the Chinese from spreading opium all over the world.I think that a great many people thought that. He graduated in 1962. I think maybe it was the propaganda of that time.
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I suppose the British will get the blame just because we did it
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The other aspect of Opium trade by the British was that Bengal saw many famines and millions died as farmers were forced to grow opium instead of rice and other food crops.
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That 3 minute intro deserves a TON of credit... I don't have an entire hour at this moment. But you SOLD me on this documentary!
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The documentary was exceptionally insightful. As an American PhD student specializing in Chinese affairs, currently residing in Guangzhou, I found its portrayal of the city to be enchanting, capturing its beauty and the myriad of undisclosed intricacies within. In my scholarly opinion, Canton is indisputably a pivotal region in China. The documentary's emphasis on the impacts of the opium wars was both truthful and precise. The work done here is nothing short of tremendous.
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So, the British were a large scale Pablo Escobar.
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i’m 38 and it took me until now to realize i actually enjoy history
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I find the title on the thumbnail misleading. They weren't China's Opium Wars. They were Britain's Opium Wars against China.
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What an amazing documentary. Incredible quality. Thank you so much. ❤
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"Tea takes hold quite rapidly. it's an addictive drug" Sells fucking opium.
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There’s nothing more Victorian and British-square than having a mountain of Opium and giving it away for tea.
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Unbelievable history, never knew this was how Britian originally retained Hong Kong.
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Psychedelics saved me from years of uncontrollable depression, anxiety, smoking, and illicit pills addiction. Imagine carving heavy chains for over a decade and then all of a sudden that burden is gone. Believe it or not, in a couple of years they'll be all over for treatment of mental health related issues.
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I am an Australian. My forebears were British. I grew up being told at primary school how great the British Empire was. In recent years I have been coming to terms with the Empire's crimes and corruption.
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I guess East India Company is the world's first cartel
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This was my first time watching a histroy documentry. I used to like histroy in my school days a lot then I lost touch with it. But trust me when I say that - this was truly an exceptional documentry". Thanks!!
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At 40:35. This incorruptible Chinese official, Lin Zexu, tried his mighty best to stem the drug trade from British and American drug lords and drug traffickers in the 1830s. The Chinese are understandably proud of him, so Lin Zexu has a large statue in the middle of Chinatown in NYC commemorating his life and his sacrifices. When I used to live in Chinatown I would walk by that mighty statue of Lin Zexu practically every day. A constant reminder that the past is never dead. It's not even past.
