This paper critically appraises the role of the opium trade in the politics of 18th-century Macao. By examining previously unexplored Portuguese accounts on opium smuggling, this study contributes new insights into the shift in attitudes of the Macanese authorities towards the opium trade in this period, which subsequently aided further European opium smuggling in the Pearl River Delta. Thus, this paper fills an important gap in our understanding of the transformation that took place in the period before opium became a bone of contention between the Qing dynasty and European powers, on the eve of the Opium Wars.
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This paper critically appraises the role of the opium trade in the politics of 18th-century Macao. By examining previously unexplored Portuguese accounts on opium smuggling, this study contributes new insights into the shift in attitudes of the Macanese authorities towards the opium trade in this period, which subsequently aided further European opium smuggling in the Pearl River Delta. Thus, this paper fills an important gap in our understanding of the transformation that took place in the period before opium became a bone of contention between the Qing dynasty and European powers, on the eve of the Opium Wars.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 990 | 364 | 20 |
| Full Text Views | 98 | 30 | 3 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 241 | 68 | 6 |