5 Questions
What social role did opium smoking play for high officials and wealthy merchants in China?
Displaying privileged social position
According to the authors, why did the imperial government in China impose bans on opium smoking?
Concerned with its social consequences among politically 'dangerous' groups
How did the second Opium War impact opium prices and the market in China?
Opium prices declined and the market became increasingly segmented
What were the social factors that led to the growth of opium houses in coastal cities in China?
People leaving declining rural areas for coastal cities, seeking relief from stress, boredom, and hunger
What alternatives did opium smokers in China find in the early twentieth century, when the government stepped up efforts to suppress opium smoking?
Morphine and heroin
Study Notes
Opium in China: History and Complexities
- Opium arrived in China by sea and caravan as early as the Tang period (618-907 CE) and became a common medical treatment over centuries.
Opium and Tobacco in China
- Recreational smoking of opium only emerged after Europeans introduced tobacco from the Americas to China in the late 16th century.
- Tobacco smoking and cultivation spread rapidly in China, with some doctors crediting it with medicinal properties, including fighting malaria.
Smoking Culture and Social Class
- Smoking opium, a luxury for the wealthy, was introduced to China by Dutch merchants in the 17th century, usually smoked together with tobacco.
- Opium smoking was associated with Europe and became a status symbol for social climbers.
Health Concerns and Shifts in Opium Use
- By the 19th century, Chinese doctors grew concerned about the health risks of tobacco smoking, leading people to switch to smoking pure opium.
Test your knowledge of opium's complex global history from medical use to moral panics, intersecting with international and class politics. Explore its arrival in China and evolution from a common medical treatment to a recreational substance.
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