The Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion

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Opium wars
Two armed conflicts (1839–42; 1856–60) between the Qing Dynasty and Western forces that began after the Chinese refused to allow the opium trade. The widespread availability of opium was causing economic and social disruption in China during the Qing Dynasty. As a result, the first Opium War began in 1839 after the Chinese destroyed 1400 tones of opium that belonged to British traders. On the other hand, the Second Opium War started in 1856 when the United Kingdom decided to expand her trading power in mainland China. The French joined the British after one of their missionaries was killed in China. The Opium Wars marked the era of unequal treaties such as the Treaty of Nanjing, which forced China to cede Hong Kong and pay indemnity to the British. The unequal treaties weakened and subsequently toppled the Qing Dynasty resulting i...