#322 - Opium War 7: The Throat of the Empire

#322 - Opium War 7: The Throat of the Empire

From The History of China by Chris Stewart

March 19, 2026 · 47 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the arrival of a new British envoy to Qing China during the Opium War and the ensuing events that led to a significant treaty.

The new envoy from London arrives at Qing's doorstep in August 1842 with a simple mandate: stop allowing Britain to be "humbugged" & finish the war Elliot started. What follows is the British Empire at its most efficient & brutal... and a treaty that, somehow, doesn't mention opium once...Time Period Covered:Aug. 1841–Aug. 1842 Major Historical Figures:The Qing Empire:The Daoguang Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Minning) [r. 1820–1850]Yijing, Imperial Commander [1793–1853]Qiying, Imperial Commissioner [1787–1858]Yilibu, Imperial Commissioner [1772–1843]Niu Jian, Governor-General of Liangjiang [1785–1858]Zhang Xi, intermediary [1840s]Yuqian, Zhejiang Imperial Commissioner [1841] The British Empire:Queen Victoria [r. 1837–1901]Sir Henry Pottinger, Plenipotentiary to China [1789–1856]Sir Hugh Gough, Commander of British Land Forces [1779–1869]Admiral Sir William Parker, Commander-in-Chief, East India Station [1781–1866]Captain William Hutcheon "Nemesis" Hall, HMS Nemesis [c. 1797–1878]Captain Henry Keppel, HMS Dido [1809–1904]Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff, Prussian missionary & Civil Magistrate of Ningbo [1803–1851] Colonel George Mountain [1789–1863]Harry Smith Parkes, attaché to Pottinger's…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Stewart

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: British Empire, Qing Empire

Books & works: The Opium War, 1840–1842, The Canton Trade and the Opium War, The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China, Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom

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