Opium in China has had an interesting and complicated history.
Contrary to what some people will assume, Opium didn't suddenly appear out of a blue when the Europeans needed a better trade good with China. The drug actually has been in China since the Tang Dynasty, introduced by Arab merchants, and was used for medicinal purposes. During the Ming Dynasty, while still used for medicine, it also started to be used as recreational aphrodisiac, and even Ming Emperors took the drug. It was also listed as a taxable commodity and was legal till the end of the Ming Dynasty.
It was during the Qing Dynasty in the 18th Century, where when Opium started to get criminalized the drug. It was during the 19th Century, after trade imbalances between the Europeans and Chinese, that the EIC started importing Opium to China, the Qing government started clamping down even harder on the Drug use, which eventually lead to the Opium Wars.
In this alternate history, what if the Qing Dynasty never rose? Instead, an ethnic-Han Chinese Dynasty remains (Whether it'd be a new Dynasty, like the Shun or another, or even if the Ming still continues on). Assuming this hypothetical dynasty makes it to the 18th-19th Centuries, how would this effect the Opium trade?
Now, to be fair, the Opium Wars wasn't just started because of the opium trade. It was the build-up of decades of trade imbalance between Europeans and Chinese merchants, and the destruction of opium without compensation was just a casus belli. But also, assuming the Opium trade is legalized and taxable like in the Ming Dynasty, how would this effect any justification for war? Or would a European power (Mostly Britain) go to war for better trade balance?
Contrary to what some people will assume, Opium didn't suddenly appear out of a blue when the Europeans needed a better trade good with China. The drug actually has been in China since the Tang Dynasty, introduced by Arab merchants, and was used for medicinal purposes. During the Ming Dynasty, while still used for medicine, it also started to be used as recreational aphrodisiac, and even Ming Emperors took the drug. It was also listed as a taxable commodity and was legal till the end of the Ming Dynasty.
It was during the Qing Dynasty in the 18th Century, where when Opium started to get criminalized the drug. It was during the 19th Century, after trade imbalances between the Europeans and Chinese, that the EIC started importing Opium to China, the Qing government started clamping down even harder on the Drug use, which eventually lead to the Opium Wars.
In this alternate history, what if the Qing Dynasty never rose? Instead, an ethnic-Han Chinese Dynasty remains (Whether it'd be a new Dynasty, like the Shun or another, or even if the Ming still continues on). Assuming this hypothetical dynasty makes it to the 18th-19th Centuries, how would this effect the Opium trade?
Now, to be fair, the Opium Wars wasn't just started because of the opium trade. It was the build-up of decades of trade imbalance between Europeans and Chinese merchants, and the destruction of opium without compensation was just a casus belli. But also, assuming the Opium trade is legalized and taxable like in the Ming Dynasty, how would this effect any justification for war? Or would a European power (Mostly Britain) go to war for better trade balance?