The India-China Opium Trade in the Nineteenth Century

by Hunt Janin

Overview

From 1823 to 1860 a fleet of small, fast brigs and schooners carried chests of opium from India to China, often facing the challenges of pirates and typhoons along the way. This shadowy trade, conducted by American, British, and Indian firms, thrived despite its moral and legal consequences.

Drawing largely on primary sources, the story of the opium trade comes through in the voices of those who saw it firsthand. Appendices describe a favorite shipboard recipe, two of the ships involved in the trade and their crews, excerpts from accounts of the Opium War, and language equivalents for proper and place names. A bibliography is included, and maps and photographs help illumine this important and unusual period of history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786493579
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	02/10/2014
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Hunt Janin is an American writer living in southwestern France. He has written numerous nonfiction and scholarly books on a range of subjects, including medieval history and cross-cultural studies.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface     
Introduction: Clearing the Decks     

1. Running Great Risks for Great Rewards     
2. A Stream of Wealth: Opium, India and China     
3. The Rise of the Great Trading Houses     
4. Ships of the Opium Trade     
5. The Opium Wars     
6. The Heat of Battle     
7. Pirates of the South China Sea     
8. Typhoons, Monsoons and Hazards to Navigation     
9. The Twilight of the Opium Trade     
10. Legacies of the Opium Trade     

Appendix I: A Modern Recipe for “Country Captain”     
Appendix II: Falcon and Her Crew     
Appendix III: Antelope and Her Crew     
Appendix IV: Excerpts from “The Opium War”     
Appendix V: Selected Wade-Giles/Hanyu Pinyin Equivalents     

Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

provides an overview of the trade, with a specific focus on the mechanics of transporting the cargo, import and export laws, hazards to navigation, and the political tensions the trade engendered...useful”—History.

From the Publisher

From 1823 to 1860 a fleet of small, fast brigs and schooners carried opium from India to China. This shadowy trade, conducted by American, British, and Indian firms, thrived despite moral and legal consequences, and the dangers of typhoons and pirates. This account of the opium trade draws largely on primary sources, with many excerpts from writings of those who saw and participated in the opium trade. Appendices describe a shipboard recipe, as well as two ships involved in the trade and their crews, and give language equivalents for proper and place names. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

provides an overview of the trade, with a specific focus on the mechanics of transporting the cargo, import and export laws, hazards to navigation, and the political tensions the trade engendered...useful

History