Opium Wars Opium Wars The Opium Wars were two wars in the mid-19th century involving China and the British Empire over the British trade of opium and China's sovereignty. The clashes included the First Opium War (1839–1842) and the Second Opium War (1856–1860). The wars and events between them weakened the Qing dynasty and forced China to trade with the other parts of the world. In 1820, China's economy was the largest in the world, according to British economist Angus Maddison. Within a decade after the end of the Second Opium War, China's share of global GDP had fallen by half. In
An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China by Staunton brought back detailed descriptions and observations on the Chinese culture that were received with curiosity in the West and led to the commercial success of the book and the publication of several translations and subsequent writings on the Macartney Mission. In the title of the account the King of Great Britain is presented equal if not superior to the Emperor of China, as both names are written in capitals, with King George III's names printed in a larger font. This shows the immense confidence with which the English Empire faced the Ancient Chinese Empire. This confidence is also