Letter to the Queen Analysis - 1839, Zin Lexu

Letter To The Queen

In 1839, a Chinese scholar, Lin Zexu, was sent to Canton, Guangdong to do what he could to put an end to the smuggling and sales of opium in China. Opium is a latex based drug that contains approximately 12% morphine, which was being used to heroin. In his efforts, he wrote a letter to the Queen of England regarding the hopeful banning of selling and smoking opium at any cost. Unfortunately, the letter was never delivered as planned. Instead, the first known war over the opium controversy broke out in 1840. This document is a letter and is considered to be a primary document. It contains both first person and second hand testimonies, however some of Zexu’s information was factual, some was also mistaken, he used what ever he could in his desperate attempt at getting the substance banned. Also, we can consider the write, Lin Zexu reliable when he speaks of the trade because at the time, he was the Commissioner for the Qing Dynasty, the empire at the time.

Looking more thoroughly at Zexu’s letter, he praises the Chinese Empire for being superior, but continues to compare Britain as a “polite and submissive” power. Then he focuses on the smuggling and selling of opium by the British merchants, mentioning the harm to the Chinese people and the punishments of using and marketing. A side reason for his letter was also to warn the British about the new regulations and that their people could also face the consequences. His hopes were that, with the British now aware of the situation, they themselves would educate their people of the circumstances and of the possible consequences that could be in store. Zexu’s main argument to the British was based on moral dignity; “naturally you would not wish to give unto others what you yourself do not want.” Which basically meant, that the Chinese viewed Britain as not wanting opium or drugs circling their colonies, but were selling to the Chinese. He also mentions how the British need Chinese goods more than...