Excerpt from Kangxi S Self Portrait, Early 1700 S

Set1a: Emperors of the early Qing

“Dealing with Europeans”, excerpt from Emperor Kangxi’s Self Portrait, early 1700’s.

…in the late Ming Dynasty, when the Westerners first brought the sundial, the Chinese thought it a rare treasure until they understood its use. And when the emperor Shunzhi got a small chiming clock in 1653, he kept it always near him; but now we have learned to balance the springs and to adjust the chimes and finally to make the whole clock, so that my children can have ten chiming clocks each to play with, if they want them. Similarly, we learned in short time to make glassware that is superior to that made in the West, and our lacquer would be better than theirs, too, were it not that their wet sea climate gives a better sheen than the dry and dusty Chinese climate ever could…

I realized, too, that Western mathematics has its uses…I ordered the Jesuits to study Manchu and compose treatises in that language on Western arithmetic and the geometry of Euclid. In the early 1690’s I often worked several hours a day on these treatises and their uses. I examined their methods for forging of cannons and erecting windmills. I also learned to calculate the weight and volume of spheres, cubes, and cones, and to measure distances and the angle of river banks. On inspection tours later I used these Western methods to show my officials how to make more accurate calculations when planning their river works…I showed them how to calculate circumferences and assess the area of a plot of land, even if its borders were as jagged as dog’s teeth, drawing diagrams for them on the ground with an arrow; and calculated the flow of river water through a lock gate by multiplying the volume that flowed in a few seconds to get the figure for the whole day…

But I was careful not to refer to these westerners as “Great Officials”…For even though some of the Western methods were different from our own, and may even have been an improvement, there was little about them that was new. The principles of mathematics all derive from the Book of Changes and the Western methods are Chinese in origin…

Set1b: Emperors of the early Qing

Emperor Qianlong – Letter to King George, c. 1792

You, O King, from afar have yearned after the blessings of our civilization, and in your eagerness to come into touch with our converting influence, have sent an Embassy across the sea bearing a memorial. I have already taken note of your respectful spirit of submission, have treated your mission with extreme favor and loaded it with gifts, besides issuing a mandate to you, O King, and honoring you with the bestowal of valuable presents. Thus has my indulgence been manifested.

Yesterday your Ambassador petitioned my Ministers to memorialize me regarding your trade with China, but his proposal is not consistent with our dynastic usage and cannot be entertained. Hitherto, all European nations, including your own country's barbarian merchants, have carried on their trade with our Celestial Empire at Canton. Such has been the procedure for many years, although our Celestial Empire possesses all things in prolific abundance and lacks no product within its own borders. There was therefore no need to import the manufactures of outside barbarians in exchange for our own produce. But as the tea, silk and porcelain which the Celestial Empire produces, are absolute necessities to European nations and to yourselves, we have permitted, as a signal mark of favor, that foreign trading companies should be established at Canton, so that your wants might be supplied and your country thus participate in our beneficence. But your Ambassador has now put forward new requests which completely fail to recognize the Throne's principle to "treat strangers from afar with indulgence," and to exercise a pacifying control over barbarian tribes, the world over. …Your England is not the only nation trading at Guangzhou. …I have doubts that, after your Envoy's return he may fail to acquaint you with my view in detail or that he may be lacking in lucidity, so that I shall now proceed . . . to issue my mandate. In this way you will, I trust, comprehend my meaning....

Should your vessels touch the shore, your merchants will assuredly never be permitted to land or to reside there, but will be subject to instant expulsion. In that event your barbarian merchants will have had a long journey for nothing. Do not say that you were not warned in due time! Tremblingly obey and show no negligence! A special mandate!

Set2a: Dueling Ministers & China’s War on Drugs

Xu Naiji – memorial on the legalization of opium, 1836

Xu Najiji, Vice President of the Sacrificial Court, presents the following memorial in regard to opium, to show that the more severe the interdicts against it are made, the more widely do the evils arising therefrom spread; and that it is right urgently to request, that a change be made in the arrangements respecting it; to which end he earnestly entreats His Sacred Majesty to cast a glance hereon and to issue orders…

…Some proposed entirely to cut off the foreign trade, thus to remove the root, to dam up the source of the evil. The Celestial Dynasty would not, indeed, hesitate to relinquish the few millions of duties arising therefrom. But all the nations of the West have had a general market open for their ships for upwards of a thousand years; while the dealers in opium are the English alone; it would be wrong, for the sake of cutting off the English trade, to cut off that of all the other nations. Besides, the hundreds of thousands of people living on the sea-coast depend wholly on trade for their livelihood, and how are they to be disposed of? Moreover, the barbarian ships can retreat to any island where the native sea-going vessels can meet them there; it is then impossible to cut off the trade. Of late years, the foreign vessels have visited all the ports…selling opium. And although at once expelled by the local authorities, it was reported that the quantity sold by them was not small. Thus it appears that, though the commerce of Canton should be cut off, it will not be possible to prevent the clandestine introduction of merchandise.

Since it will not answer to close our ports against (all trades) and since the laws issued against opium are quite inoperative, the only method left is to revert to the former system, to permit the barbarian merchants to import opium paying duty thereon as a medicine, and to require that, after having passed the Custom-House, only merchandise shall be exchanged for it. No money should be paid for opium. The barbarians finding that the amount of dues to be paid on it, is less than what is now spent in bribes, will also gladly comply therein. Offenders, when caught, should be punished by the entire destruction of the opium they may have, and the confiscation of the money that may be found with them. Further, smokers of opium are idle, lazy vagrants, having no useful purpose before them, and are unworthy of regard or even of contempt. It becomes my duty, then, to request that it be enacted that any officer, scholar, or soldier, found guilty of secretly smoking opium, shall be immediately dismissed from public employ, but no regard be paid to the use of opium on the part of the people generally.

Chinese / British Trade at Canton, 1836

Item / Value (in Spanish $)
British Exports to Canton / Opium / 17,904,248
Cotton / 8,357,394
All other items (sandlewood, lead, iron, clocks) / 6,164,981
Total / 32,426,623
British Imports from Canton / Tea / 13,412,243
Raw Silk / 3,764,115
Vermilion / 705,000
All other items (sugar, camphor, silver, gold) / 5,971,541
Total / 23,852,899

Set2b: Dueling Ministers & China’s War on Drugs

Yuan Yulin: memorial on the elimination of opium, 1836

I, your minister, believe that the success or failure in government and the prosperity or decay of administration depend largely upon our capacity to distinguish between right and wrong, between what is safe and what is dangerous…The prevailing evil of today is the excuse that things are hard to get done, and the foremost example of such hypocrisy is the proposal to legalize opium…

…Uniformity is the most important element in the decrees of the Court. Now it has been proposed that the prohibition of opium smoking would reach the officers of the Government, the scholars, and the military, but not the common people. But it is forgotten that the common people of today will be the officers, scholars, and the military of the future…A partial prohibition or partial legalization is a confusion of rules by the government itself; consequently good faith in its observance can hardly be expected. How can the people respect the restrictions or punishments should the law be in confusion?

If our government should seek its revenue from the duties on opium, it is to make an enormous sacrifice for a scanty profit, according to old tariffs. The drain of silver also…arouses apprehension. I, your minister, believe that silver will continue to leave the country, no matter whether opium be prohibited or not. For the very object of the foreign barbarians in bringing opium into China is to fetch the silver in the interior of our country. The proposal now made to exchange goods by barter…runs counter to their desire. The logical consequence will be smuggling…If the habit of smoking secretly spreads over the country under the present prohibition, its legalization will mean greater disasters…It would mean the end of the life of the people and the destruction of the soul of the nation…The very trick of the cunning barbarians is to weaken our nation with poison. If they now actually succeed in fooling our people it means the disintegration of our national defense.

…Only by rigid enforcement of the law at the present time can its spread be prevented. Yet it is now suggested to allow their traffic! Henceforth they will be afraid of no punishment…Once opium is legalized, the people will flock to it…we will readily find that the country is so heavily saddled with its bad results that recovery is well-nigh impossible…

Chinese / British Trade at Canton, 1836

Set3a: A Failed Appeal

Commissioner Lin: Letter to Queen Victoria prior to Opium War, 1839.

You, the queen of your honorable nation, sit upon a throne occupied through successive generations by predecessors, all of whom have been styled respectful and obedient. For many years, delighted did we feel that the kings of your honorable nation so clearly understood the great principles of the emperor, and were so deeply grateful for our heavenly goodness. We of the heavenly dynasty nourished and cherished your people from afar, and bestowed upon them redoubled proofs of our urbanity and kindness. It is merely from these circumstances, that your country---deriving immense advantage from its commercial intercourse with us---has become the rich and flourishing kingdom that it is said to be!

By what principle of reason then, should these foreigners send in a poisonous drug, which involves in destruction the very natives of China? Some, by means of introducing opium by stealth, have seduced our Chinese people, and caused every province of the land to overflow with that poison. These then know merely to advantage themselves, they care not about injuring others! Further, the other wares that come from your foreign countries are only calculated to serve for mere amusement. It is quite the same to us if we have them, or if we have them not. If then these are of no material consequence to us of the Middle Kingdom, what difficulty would there be in prohibiting and shutting our market against them? It is only that our heavenly dynasty most freely permits you to take off her tea, silk, and other commodities, and convey them for consumption everywhere, without the slightest stint or grudge, for no other reason, but that where a profit exists, we wish that it be diffused abroad for the benefit of all the earth!

Your honorable nation takes away the products of our central land, and not only do you thereby obtain food and support for yourselves, but moreover, by re-selling these products to other countries you reap a threefold profit. Now if you only stop selling opium, this threefold profit would be secured to you. Let us suppose that foreigners came from another country, and brought opium into England, and seduced the people of your country to smoke it, would not you, the sovereign of the said country, look upon such a procedure with anger, and in your just indignation endeavor to get rid of it?

Any one who within the next year and a half may by mistake bring opium to this country, if he will voluntarily come forward, and deliver up the entire quantity, he shall be absolved from all punishment for his crime. If, however, the appointed term shall have expired, and there are still persons who continue to bring it, then such shall be accounted as knowingly violating the laws, and shall most assuredly be put to death! Most surely do we possess a measure of godlike majesty which ye cannot fathom! Still we cannot bear to slay or exterminate without previous warning, and it is for this reason that we now clearly make known to you the fixed laws of our land. Let your highness immediately, upon the receipt of this communication, inform us promptly of the state of matters, and of the measure you are pursuing utterly to put a stop to the opium evil.