Our ancient China can be said to have experienced the rise and fall of many dynasties. These dynasties can also reflect the sensitivity of the emperors to policies at that time. The dynasty we are going to talk about today is in a very embarrassing situation. It is the dynasty that people want to complain and accuse the most, but it is also the dynasty that no one can blame. I believe everyone can guess which dynasty we are talking about today, yes, it is the Qing Dynasty.

I believe everyone knows the cause and effect of the decline of the Qing Dynasty. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, we signed various unequal treaties. In addition to the cession of territory, there were also various high-priced financial treaties. This directly sets our development back several decades. And during the Qing Dynasty, it also experienced various failed wars and reforms. Among them, there is a relatively special fiasco strategy, which should be shameful, but it is called the main support of the Qing Dynasty, and that is the Opium War.

After the door blocked by the Qing Dynasty was opened, countries began to rush in frantically. Britain was no exception. At that time, Britain brought opium to the people of the Qing Dynasty, which caused most people to lose their ability to work and made everyone addicted to this item, leading to the loss of their families and property. It can be said that it is a very embarrassing thing in historical records. But everything has its pros and cons, and the Opium War was no exception.

The British wanted to transport a large amount of opium to the Qing Dynasty at that time, which would definitely incur a lot of expenses. According to records, Britain had to pay nearly 20 million taels of silver to the Qing Dynasty every year at that time, and these silver taels would enter the national treasury at that time. The customs duties paid by Britain to the Qing Dynasty over the years became the support for the Qing Dynasty to sign various unequal treaties in the later period.

It was also this money that allowed the Qing Dynasty to survive the Taiping Rebellion. Some friends may not know much about what happened, but friends who understand the situation of the Qing Dynasty at that time should be able to clearly understand During the Opium War at that time, the taxes paid by Britain to the Qing Dynasty became the most beneficial support. So people now say that if the Qing Dynasty had not had the Opium War at that time, then it is possible that the Qing Dynasty would have collapsed and perished early. It will definitely not last until the final time of destruction.

Different people have different opinions on this. Some people believe that if there had been no Opium War, the Qing Dynasty would have probably accelerated its development and thus been able to change the status quo of being bullied at that time. Some friends also said that the Opium War was just a small turning point in the demise of the Qing Dynasty. Judging from the Qing Dynasty's notice and the situation at that time, it was only a matter of time before it was destroyed.

So, what do you think of the pros and cons of the Opium War in the Qing Dynasty?