meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The History of China

#323 - Opium War 8: Perfect Equality

The History of China

Chris Stewart

History

4.61.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 March 2026

⏱️ 44 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The war is over. The treaty is signed, sealed, & delivered. Yet though the smoke has cleared, the haze of uncertainty over what - exactly - just happened... lingers on. And that misunderstanding will echo for the next century. While Qiying writes love letters to Pottinger and the opium clippers resume business at anchorages just outside the new treaty ports, the machine set in motion by the Treaty of Nanjing is only just beginning to roll out. Time Period Covered:Aug. 1842 - c. 1860 Major Historical Figures: The Qing Empire:The Daoguang Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Minning) [r. 1820–1850] Qiying, Imperial Commissioner and chief negotiator [1787–1858] Yilibu, Imperial Commissioner and senior negotiator [1772–1843] Zhang Xi, retainer and intermediary [fl. 1840s] Lin Zexu, former Imperial Commissioner [1785–1850] Howqua (Wu Bingjian), senior Hong merchant [1769–1843] Hong Xiuquan, failed examination candidate [1814–1864] 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] Charles Elliot, former Chief Superintendent [1801–1875] Captain William Hutcheon Hall, commanding HMS Nemesis [c. 1797–1878] William Jardine, co-founder, Jardine Matheson [1784–1843] James Matheson, co-founder, Jardine Matheson [1796–1878] John Robert Morrison, principal interpreter [1814–1843] Other: Captain Jean-Baptiste Cécille, commanding French frigate Erigone [1787–1873] Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff, missionary and civil magistrate [1803–1851] William Lockhart, missionary physician [1811–1896] Napoléon Libois, procurator, Missions Étrangères [1805–1872] Major Sources Cited: Fay, Peter Ward. The Opium War, 1840–1842Wakeman, Frederic Jr. "The Creation of the Treaty System" in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 10Fairbank, John K. Trade and Diplomacy on the China Coast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.

0:06.0

I'll now hand you over to my best man, Eddie.

0:09.4

Wow, wow, wow. Second time's a charm, eh, Billy Boy?

0:13.9

Oh, God.

0:15.1

Substitution, courtesy of Paddy Power, embarrassing Eddie, makes way for sensible Samuel.

0:19.7

Cool, that was close.

0:20.5

You might not always pick the right starter, but your sub can still deliver, because with Paddy's super sub, Our embarrassing Eddie makes way for Sensible Samuel. Cool, that was close.

0:23.6

You might not always pick the right starter, but your sub can still deliver.

0:26.8

Because with Paddy's super sub, your bet rolls over to the player coming on.

0:27.6

Paddy Power.

0:29.4

Valid on selected leagues and markets only.

0:31.8

Prematch and in-play bets on qualifying player outcome selections only.

0:33.1

T's and Cs and exclusions apply.

0:34.3

18 plus scumannware. Dot-Hollah. Hello. Hello and welcome to the history of China.

0:47.1

Episode 323, perfect equality.

0:53.0

To change China involved an enormous amount of repetition.

0:58.6

Peter Ward Faye in the Opium War, 1840 to 1842.

1:04.4

We have now been engaged in the same work for upwards of a year.

1:08.9

Though our persons seem two, yet our hearts are absolutely as one.

1:14.4

Chiying to Sir Henry Pottinger, 1843.

1:19.6

December 2nd, employed, delivering briskly. No time to read my Bible.

1:25.4

Journal of a Jardine Matheson opium ship captain on the South China coast,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Chris Stewart, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Chris Stewart and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.