Read the 12 provisions of the Treaty of Nanking below and answer the following questions based on the treaty.

1. How many conditions were favorable to the Chinese? How many were favorable to the British?

2. Which three conditions were most favorable to the British (write the condition & number) and why?

3. What do think the effect of this treaty will be on the people of China?

Conditions of the Treaty of Nanking

I.-Lasting peace between the two nations.

II.-The ports of Canton, Amoy, Fuchau, Ningpo, and Shangai to be opened to British trade and residence, and trade conducted according to a well-understood tariff.

III.-It being obviously necessary and desirable that British subjects should have some port whereat they may careen and refit their ships when required,î the island of Hong Kong to be ceded to her Majesty.

IV.-Six millions of dollars to be paid as the value of the opium which was delivered up as ransom for the lives of H.N.M. Superintendent and subjects,î in March, 1839.

V.-Three millions of dollars to be paid for the debts due to British merchants.

VI.-Twelve millions to be paid for the expenses incurred in the expedition sent out to obtain redress for the violent and unjust proceedings of the Chinese high authorities.

VII.-The entire amount of $21,000,000 to be paid before December 31, 1845.

VIII.-All prisoners of war to be immediately released by the Chinese.

IX.-The Emperor to grant full and entire amnesty to those of his subjects who had aided the British.

X.-A regular and fair tariff of export and import custom and other dues to be established at the open ports, and a transit duty to be levied in addition which will give goods a free conveyance to all places in China.

XI.-Official correspondence to be hereafter conducted on terms of equality according to the payments of money.

XII.-Conditions for restoring the places held by British troops to be according to the payments of money.

XIII.-Time of exchanging ratifications and carrying the treaty into effect.

(Williams, 197-198)

the above used with permission from http://kizuna.INS.CWRU.Edu/asia110/projects/Tang3/nankingii.html

The reading below details three major effects of the Treaty of Nanking. Fill out the chart below based on the reading.

Effects of Treaty of Nanking on China

(summarize effects in your own words)

1.

,,

2.

,,

3.,,

,,

Effects of the Treaty of Nanking

For the first time, China, the once proud country would be forced to cede sovereign land to a foreign power and leave its citizens subject to a foreign rule. The British ended up occupying Hong Kong for the next 155 years and will finally hand over control to China on June 1, 1997.

China at the start of the Opium Wars was not the most economically powerful country because of the lucrative opium trade run by the British. The weight of the payments to the British under condition 2 drastically drained the Chinese Treasury and left Dynasty fiscally unstable.

Although on the surface, the opening of ports to the British for trade does not seem that bad, but this condition would end up being the most damaging to the Dynasty. When the conditions of the Treaty of Nanking were released, all the Western Powers were upset by it. All the Western Powers were trying to make inroads into the vast Chinese market and the conditions that regarded the privileges granted to the British for trade created a negative reaction with the rest of the Western Powers. Soon, the rest of the Western Powers were using old offenses committed by the Dynasty to apply pressure for similar trading rights. Saddled with debts to the British and an obviously inferior military, the Ching Dynasty was forced to give in. This began a series of treaties that would result in 'spheres-of-influence' being carved out of eastern China and eventually would undermine the Ching Dynasty's authority.

What do the Chinese people think about this agreement?

Read THE LAST 2 PARAGRAPHS of the reading The People of Canton: Against the English, 1842 to answer the question above. (use your browser's back button to return to this page)

The above information used with permission from http://kizuna.INS.CWRU.Edu/asia110/projects/Tang3/treaty.html

Home Page