I'm liking the careful construction of this timeline. Hopefully China when better organized and modernized will avoid getting bullied by the European powers. On the other hand, Korea and Japan may be screwed TTL if France and Britain are unable to wring concessions from China and decide to focus on smaller countries that its possible to take over outright (whereas even with a situation closer to OTL I don't think Britain could have occupied China while also managing India).
Oh just wait, we'll get to the Lanfang Republic and more later, I know it would've been touched on already, but there's a reason for it.
Korea maybe not due to its Tributary status and yes Japan might not be so lucky this timeline.
Japan is still in its isolation phase at this point, and Korea is a protected Tributary
The Qing didn't lift a finger when the French and the Americans launched punitive expeditions against the Joseon OTL.
So far, we're a bit into the 19th century, so we still have plenty of time to see how the Emperor(s) will adapt to the new coming challenges.
Part 6-The Anglo-Chinese War
The Anglo-Chinese War (The Opium War); 1830s-1840s
Following the seizure of millions of pounds of European opium in the canton port, and increased military presence in the Indian border territories and waters around Canton, the British government authorized the use of the Royal Navy and British troops to pressure the Qing Emperor into withdrawing his tough position. The Qing had expected to meet tough resistance if the war was to be offensive, and thus waited for the British to make the first move, which finally came. In September of 1839, before the full outbreak of war, a British schooner and cutter landed in Kowloon, a Chinese port, to buy basic necessities and supplies to remain on the water. The commander of the Kowloon fort, however, refused, withdrawing the peasants and refusing any demands for the sale of supplies. The resulting clash left 15 dead British sailors and soldiers, and 20 dead Qing soldiers and peasants.
The following month, the barque Royal Saxon broke the British blockade of Canton, and was thus given warning shots from two other vessels operating said blockade. The Qing quickly reacted, sending out their nearby ships to protect the Royal Saxon. The resulting conflict was an embarrassment for British naval commanders, resulting in two lost British vessels and one lost Qing junker (which were still in use despite modernization, as the Qing had begun using modern steamships), as well as Qing acquisition of the Royal Saxon. Outraged, the British set forth hard demands, which were of course denied, and war was declared. The British armies in India, including the Indian armies themselves, the British army and royal marines quickly began skirmishes on the Qing-India border territories, with small scale looting and insignificant battles for the opening of the war.
Over the next two years of conflict, the British and Qing were unable to make any significant gains against one another, other than exchange of ships and small advancements of Qing troops into Indian territory. After the short conflict became a drain on British supply, a peace offer was made. Due to the Qing's domination position, the British were demanded to cease all illegal smuggling of Opium into China, with the punishment for smugglers being death. Also, Britain would not be compensated for any seized or destroyed Opium.
Despite the embarrassing terms of peace, the British were forced to accept. The Qing had once again proven their worth against a European powerhouse on their doorstep, and repelled the British barbarians. The Indian states now looked upon the British with a new light, but for now, they remained relatively unchanged. The Sikh Empire, a rising power in northern India, had interests in both British India and Qing Western lands. The ground was laid for another conflict in India.
Interesting, Franklin D Roosevelt's grandfather Warren Delano was a opium smuggler in otl.
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/28/opinion/the-opium-war-s-secret-history.html
And also john kerry's ancestor
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Blackwell_Forbes
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/28/opinion/the-opium-war-s-secret-history.html
And also john kerry's ancestor
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Blackwell_Forbes
In this order:
1. Qing and Meiji Japan
2.The Korea/Qing relations
3.The Chinese Immigrant States
4. Qing-Sikh relations.
1. Qing and Meiji Japan
2.The Korea/Qing relations
3.The Chinese Immigrant States
4. Qing-Sikh relations.
Part 7-The Era of Prosperity (P1)
The Era of Prosperity Part 1; 1840s-1870s: the Sino-Skih War and Aftermath
Following the Victory of the Qing Empire against the British, the illegal smuggling of Opium had not significantly decreased, but had slowly begun the process or elimination within China. The Emperor knew such a process would not be immediate, and that many of his subjects suffered from addiction and poverty because of it. Rehabilitation soon became an empire-wide phenomenon, as many who had used opium were pressed into it, a means of cutting off the lifeline of the drug. The great treasury was opened and used as a means of funding the capture of smugglers, their punishment, and aiding the people of China away from opium use.
Much like his ancestor, the Emperor soon had to push aside matters of state for those outside his own borders, to his tributaries and those of India. Following the advance of the Qing into British controlled India, the Sikh Empire began a policy of raiding and pillaging not only the their nearby Indian princely states, but also British outposts in India. Rapid expansion began, annexing their nearest states and even dominating the nearby British territory. The Heavenly Emperor, of course, watched with great interest, and decided to send an envoy to the Sikh Emperor with demands of tribute. The envoy was sent back empty-handed. 'Such a poor decision,' the Emperor thought.
The Qing mustered an army, in 1844, into the mountainous Tibetan west, in order to combat small raids from Sikh troops in their borders. The terrain brought difficulty to the Qing's new European-style warfare, dragging the war on for years. Despite advantage in technology and tactics, the Chinese found themselves fighting a difficult war with the Sikh and their armies. Finally, by 1847, the Sikh's treasuries had begun to dry up, and Qing's armies marched ever closer to his capital. A peace was made, granting China a small land which had been claimed by the Sikh Emperor as Tibetan, and the Sikh would no longer refuse tributary payments.
India had, for the longest time, been out of the reach of the Qing Emperors, but now at last it had begun to fall under their sway, with the Northern Indian states slowly beginning their proper tributary payments to the true, Heavenly Emperor.China, and the rest of Asia, after the Sino-Skih War, 1848