How did British and Chinese points of view concerning trade

between the two nations differ? How were they similar?

Objective: ● Compare British and Chinese points of view concerning trade between the
two nations.

Introduction
➡Directions: Examine the images below and answer the questions that follow.

Sections of a political cartoon entitled, The reception of the diplomatique and his suite, at the Court of Pekin, by James Gillray (died 1815), published 1792.
Image is courtesy of wikimedia commons and is in the public domain
The author of the images above was a British political cartoonist named James Gillray (1756-1815). The two images come from the same picture
drawn by Gillray in 1792. The image of the left is the Chinese Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. The Image on the right is of Lord George Macartney a
representative of the British King George III.

1. How does Gillray depict the Chinese Emperor and Macarnety differently?

He showed that the British were advanced while the Chinese did not.

2. Why might Gillray have depicted the two men differently?

To show how the difference between the Chinese and the British

What was the historical context for British and Chinese contact in the late 18th century?
➡ Directions: Read the timeline below and information about China in the 1800s from this
page on the Asia for Educators website, and what led to the British diplomatic mission led
by Lord Macartney in 1793 from the Asia for Educators website. Answer the questions
Contextualize below and contextualize the interaction between Mccartney and the Qing Emperor.
 Timeline of Chinese History during the1898
1884-1885 Qing
1839- Dynasty
1850- China defeated Hundred 1900-
1842 1864 in war by Day’s Reform- 1901
Opiu Taiping France, French stopped by Boxer
m Rebellio Indo-China Empress Rebellio
Ming War n Dowager Zuxi n Republi
Qing Dynastyestablished
Dynasty 1793 1894-1895 1912 c Period
1368- 1912-
1644-1912
1644 Macartn 1842- China Qing Dynasty
1949
1860
ey 1843 defeated by overthrown;
Treaty
Mission Treaty Japan in nationalist leader
of
from of First Sino- Sun Yat-sen
Peking
Great Nanjing Japanese becomes
Note: Timeline NOT drawn to President
scale
Britain War of China
1. Describe China during the Qing Dynasty before the late 18th century.

In 1839 the Khan dynasty went to war with Europe, and that led to a rebellion. In the 1885 century China was defeated by
France which is why the French indochina became a thing. Late 18th century, they were another rebellion.

2. Identify three issues faced by the Qing Dynasty in the late 18th century and explain the effects of each.
2a. They went to the opium war and 2b. They once again were defeated, 3b. As
the Hundred days taken out
lost. this time by France . by Dowager Zuxi.

As a result, that led to a rebellion. As a result, The French Indo- China That again brought another rebelion,
became a thing. know as the boxer rebellion

3. Why did the Chinese limit trade with foreigners to the Port of Canton?
To keep away the powerful Europeans so they can preserve their order as well as their culture

4. Identify two reasons that Europeans wanted to increase trade with China.
4a.Europeans wanted to set up western style 4b.Europeans wanted places to build more markets for
diplomatic relations. the manufactured goods.

5. According to the reading, what misunderstanding was there between European merchants and the Chinese government?

The opium drug was introduced to the Chinese which affected them.

6. What was the purpose of Lord Macartney’s journey to China in 1793?

Macartney’s purpose in China was to make trade reasonable and establish a safe trade.
 A British Point of View Concerning the Chinese and Lord Macartney’s Mission
➡ Directions: Read the information and examine the documents below, then respond to the sourcing
Source
prompts.

James Gillray (1756-1815) was an English political cartoonist who specialized in caricature, a style of drawing that exaggerates certain features of a subject to
make fun of them. His cartoons were widely distributed throughout Great Britain and Europe and often critical of the British King, George III.
The cartoon below, entitled “The reception of the diplomatique and his suite, at the Court of Pekin” was published in 1792, a year before Lord Macartney’s
actual interaction with the Qing Emperor.
Sources: “James Gillray,” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Gillray ; “Gillray's Techniques,” http://www.james-gillray.org/tech_intro.html
 A political cartoon entitled, The reception of the diplomatique and his suite, at the Court of Pekin, by James Gillray (died 1815), published 1792.
Image is courtesy of wikimedia commons and is in the public domain

See Think Wonder

What do you see in the image? What do you think Gillary’s depiction of the What questions do you have about the image
British and Chinese? and its author?
I observe the Europeans are making It shows both British and Chinese I wonder if the Chinese really enjoy
a deal to the Chinese. did business together trading with the British.

Purpose for Examining Document: To understand how the British viewed the Chinese in the late 1800s.

A A P
AUTHOR AUDIENCE PURPOSE
Who created the source? What do you know about the author? Who was the intended audience of the source? What do you What was the purpose of the source? Why did the author create
know about the audience? it?

Gillary was a British political The purpose of the source is to show

cartoonist how the Chinese and the British are
different .

P R
POINT OF VIEW RELIABILITY
What is the author’s opinion? What claims does the author make? Why does the author have that Is the document reliable, somewhat reliable, or unreliable as a source of evidence for your
opinion? research purpose? Why? What other sources would be helpful to corroborate?
The author’s opinion is that the British was more The document is somewhat reliable because it can be
superior than the Chinese Emperor shown that the British had an advantage, they were more
socialized.

The Qing Emperor’s Response to Lord Macartney’s Mission

➡ Directions: Read the information and examine the documents below, then respond to the sourcing
Source
prompts.

The Qianlong Emperor’s Letter to George III, 1793

...Our dynasty's majestic virtue has penetrated unto every country under Heaven, and Kings of all nations have
offered their costly tribute by land and sea. As your Ambassador can see for himself, we possess all things. I set no
value on objects strange or ingenious, and have no use for your country's manufactures. This then is my answer to
your request to appoint a representative at my Court, a request contrary to our dynastic usage, which would only
result in inconvenience to yourself. I have expounded my wishes in detail and have commanded your tribute Envoys
to leave in peace on their homeward journey. It behooves you, O King, to respect my sentiments and to display even
greater devotion and loyalty in future, so that, by perpetual submission to our Throne, you may secure peace and
prosperity for your country hereafter.

Yesterday your Ambassador petitioned my Ministers to memorialize me regarding your trade with China, but his
proposal [to open more northern ports to trade] is not consistent with our dynastic usage and cannot be
entertained... as the tea, silk and porcelain which the Celestial Empire produces, are absolute necessities to European
nations and to yourselves, we have permitted, as a signal mark of favour, that foreign hongs [merchant firms] should
be established at Canton, so that your wants might be supplied and your country thus participate in our beneficence.

Your request for a small island near Chusan, where your merchants may reside and goods be warehoused, arises from
your desire to develop trade. As there are neither foreign hongs nor interpreters in or near Chusan, where none of
your ships have ever called, such an island would be utterly useless for your purposes….Consider, moreover, that
England is not the only barbarian land which wishes to establish . . . trade with our Empire: supposing that other
nations were all to imitate your evil example and beseech me to present them each and all with a site for trading
purposes, how could I possibly comply? This also is a flagrant infringement of the usage of my Empire and cannot
possibly be entertained.
Source: From E. Backhouse and J. O. P. Bland, Annals and Memoirs of the Court of Peking (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1914), pp. 322331
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1793qianlong.asp
Purpose for Examining Document: To understand how the Qing Emperor viewed China and the British.

A A P
AUTHOR AUDIENCE PURPOSE
Who created the source? What do you know about the author? Who was the intended audience of the source? What do you What was the purpose of the source? Why did the author create
know about the audience? it?

Gillary was a British political The purpose of the source is to show

cartoonist how the Chinese and the British are
different .

P R
POINT OF VIEW RELIABILITY
What is the author’s opinion? What claims does the author Is the document reliable, somewhat reliable, or unreliable as a
make? Why does the author have that opinion? source of evidence for your research purpose? Why? What other
sources would be helpful to corroborate?
The author’s opinion is that the The document is somewhat reliable
British was more superior than the because it can be shown that the
Chinese Emperor British had an advantage, they were
more socialized.

FA SQ 7. How did British and Chinese points of view concerning trade between the two nations
differ? How were they similar?

➡Directions: Fill out the graphic organizer below and use the words and phrase provided to complete the writing tasks that
follow.

Compare
Corroborate

British Point of View Chinese Point of View

Concerning Trade with Concerning Trade with
China the British
 Words and Phrases to COMPARE Words and Phrases to Explain WHY

To show similarities To show differences

are the same because… as compared to
are similar because... but because
correspondingly compared to if...then
have in common however in order to
likewise in contrast since
similarly unlike
on the other hand
rather than

1. Identify and explain one similarity between the British and Chinese points of view concerning trade between the two nations. Use evidence
from the documents and information you examined to support your claim.

Both British and Chinese agreed on doing trade together and this can be seen in the document when it claim ‘’
Your request for a small island near Chusan, where your merchants may reside and goods be warehoused, arises
from your desire to develop trade.’’
That clearly reveals they did trade together.

2. Identify and explain one difference between the British and Chinese points of view concerning trade between the two nations. Use evidence
from the documents and information you examined to support your claim.