In this program we explore the causes and trajectory of China's Opium Wars, which marked the beginning of the end for the Qing dynasty. At the turn of the nineteenth century, British Imperial trade interactions with China involved tea, silk, porcelain as legitimate commodities, underscored by a lucrative opium smuggling operation. The opium trade had repercussions for the future of both empires.

Originally released by Video Education Australasia, 2015. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on January 19, 2017.