Destruction of opium at Humen

After Qing defeat in the First Opium War, the treaty ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain, opened five treaty ports, and imposed an indemnity. It inaugurated a sequence of unequal treaties that...

Hong Xiuquan’s movement launched an uprising at Jintian that became a massive civil war and alternative state project. Its causes included social crisis, missionary influence, and Qing weakness. The...

The Qing government signed a treaty with the United States during the Second Opium War. The treaty opened additional ports, expanded diplomatic access, and imposed new privileges for foreign powers....

Following the Second Opium War, Qing officials signed the Convention of Beijing with Britain, extending foreign access and confirming earlier concessions; Britain also gained the southern part of...

After a prolonged siege, Qing forces captured Nanjing, ending the Taiping state. The rebellion had challenged the Qing order and devastated large regions. Its suppression relied on regional armies,...