#319 - Opium War 4: Peddling the Drug Peddlers' War
February 9, 2026
41 min
319
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370 of 386
Episode 319 · February 9, 2026
#319 - Opium War 4: Peddling the Drug Peddlers' War
0:00 / 41:39
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History of China Episodes Around February 9, 2026
Episode 370 of 386 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
41:39This episode#319 - Opium War 4: Peddling the Drug Peddlers' War
Summary
Britain and China both saw the opium crisis clearly enough to know it would end in disaster. Each believed it understood the situation, and the other, well enough to keep events from spinning out of control. And yet... it happened anyway.Time Period Covered:Late 1839 – April 1840
Major Historical Figures:
The Qing Empire:The Daoguang Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Minning) [r. 1820–1850]Lin Zexu, Imperial Commissioner and Governor-General of Huguang [1785–1850]
The British Empire:Queen Victoria [r. 1837–1901]Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, Foreign Secretary [1784–1865]Charles Elliot, Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China [1801–1875]William Gladstone, Member of Parliament [1789–1898]Sir James Graham, Member of Parliament [1792–1861]
Major Sources Cited:Platt, Stephen R. Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China’s Last Golden AgeLovell, Julia. The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of ChinaFairbank, John K. Trade and Diplomacy on the China CoastHansard’s Parliamentary Debates, 1840
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