1st China War
| 1st China War | |
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| 1839-42 | |
| Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns | |
| [[Image:|250px| ]] | |
| Location: China | |
| Combatants: | |
| East India Company | China |
| Result: British victory | |
| Medals: 1st China War Medal | |
| Links: | |
| Category: 1st China War | |
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See our interactive map of 1st China War 1839-42 locations and routes on Google Maps | |
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Also known as the 1st Opium War and the 1st Anglo-Chinese War.
Summary
The lucrative trade between China and Britain in the 19th century comprised mainly tea and opium. Opium addiction became such a problem that the Qing Dynasty tried to prevent the import. They closed the waterway up to Canton and seized over 1 million kilograms of opium requiring merchants to enter into a bond not to deal in the drug. Captain Charles Elliot RN, Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China, tried to negotiate with the Chinese but was continually rebuffed. There were naval confrontations on the Pearl River and Britain sent an expeditionary force from Singapore. The Bogue Forts at the mouth of the river and subsequently Canton were captured. The Chinese were also defeated at the mouth of the Yangtse River and Shanghai was occupied. The war ended in August 1842 with the Treaty of Nanking which opened five treaty ports to trade: Shanghai, Canton (Guangzhou), Foochow (Fuzhou), Ningpo (Ningbo) & Amoy (Xiamen). China also ceded Hong Kong and granted an indemnity to Britain.
Expeditionary Force
Naval Squadron
- Royal Navy Warships
- HEIC Steamers
- Atalanta
- Madagascar
- 26 transports and store ships
Ground forces
- HM 18th Regiment
- HM 26th Regiment
- HM 49th Regiment
- One Btn Bengal Native Infantry Volunteers
- Two Batteries Royal Artillery
- Two Coys Sappers and Miners
Reinforcements 1840
Reinforcements 1841
Reinforcements 1842
- HM 98th Regiment
- One Btn Bengal Native Infantry Volunteers
- 2nd Madras Native Infantry
- 6th Madras Native Infantry
- 14th Madras Native Infantry
- 39th Madras Native Infantry
- 41st Madras Native Infantry
- Detachments Royal Artillery
- Detachments Madras Artillery
- Detachments Madras Sappers and Miners
FIBIS resources
- China Campaign, 1842 (Madras Artillery & Staff only) - Medal roll transcription listing 495 recipients of the medal
Biographies
Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906:
Hugh Gough (1779-1869)
Henry Pottinger (1789-1856)
External Links
Opium Wars Heritage History
Opium Wars Wikipedia
1st Opium War 1839-42 Wikipedia
W.L.Clowes on the Ist Anglo-Chinese War www.pdavis.nl
Chronology Google Books
Royal Navy and HEIC vessels engaged in operations www.pdavis.nl
Historical Books on-line
- Opium Trade: A copy of all papers and despatches at the India House on the subject of hostilities between the Chinese and British Subjects engaged in the Opium Trade from 1830 – 1833 : Ordered ... to be printed 24 March 1840 (Google Books)
- China Sessional Papers printed by Order of the House of Lords in the Session 1840 Volume VIII Accounts and Papers Contents. There are also additional Contents pages for the sub sections.
- Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India Vol VI - Events leading up to hostilities www.archive.org
- Medical Account of the C Troop of the Madras Horse Artillery in China in 1842 from the Madras Quarterly Medical Journal January 1844 Google Books
- Two Years in China: Narrative of the Chinese Expedition, from its formation in April, 1840, till April, 1842 : with an appendix, containing the most important of the general orders & despatches published during the above period by Duncan McPherson, MD, Madras Army with the 37th Grenadier Regiment in China.
- The Chinese War: an Account of all the Operations of the British Forces from the Commencement to the Treaty of Nanking by Lieutenant John Ouchterlony of the Madras Engineers. With Illustrations by the author.1844 Google Books
- Six Months with the Chinese Expedition: or, Leaves from a Soldier's Note-book by Lord Jocelyn, late Military Secretary to the China Mission 1841 Google Books
- Narrative of the Second Campaign in China by Keith Stewart Mackenzie 1842 Google Books
- Narrative of the Expedition to China from the Commencement of the War to its Termination in 1842: with sketches of the manners and customs of that singular and hitherto almost unknown country by J Elliot Bingham RN 1843 Google Books Volume 1, 2nd Edition with Additions, Volume 2, 2nd Edition with Additions
- "Journal During the Chinese Expedition in 1841 and 1842" [concluding section only] page 102 Colburn’s United Service Magazine 1878, Part III Archive.org. The first parts of this account are not available online.
- Chinese Account of the Opium War by E.H. Parker 1888 Archive.org