China was easily defeated by the british in the first opium war because china’s navy was no match for britain’s advanced weaponry. britain had from its allies in europe to fight the chinese. china never had a chance after britain’s surprise attack. britain’s navy outnumbered the chinese navy by fifty to one.

China was easily defeated by the British in the first Opium War because China´s navy was no match for Britain´s advanced weaponry. British warships carried more guns than the chinese ones. Also, the British had steam ships, and the soldiers had better rifles and equipment.

China’s navy was no match for Britain’s advanced weaponry.

Further Explanation:

The Opium war was a series of military engagements that took place between Great Britain and the Qing Dynasty of China. This all started when the Chinese officials suppressed on the opium trade that was banned and also they threatened the death penalty to the people who will be offenders of this in future and that caused a rise in tensions towards the British government as the British used to dominate the trade and also had stronger military.

In the year 1839, the Daoguand Emperor of the Quin dynasty rejected proposals to legalize as well as to tax the opium and also ordered his viceroy to visit Canton and halt Opium trade there completely. His viceroy wrote to Queen Victoria and appealed her to stop Opium trade in China and to counter this request, the East India Company started to grow Opium in Bengal and also smuggled it to China illegally and that led to increase of Opium addicts in China and that worried Chinese government. His Viceroy also stopped all the shipment of Opium to china and confiscated 20283 chests of Opium and against this act the British government decided to send military force to China and that was led by the Royal Navy and Royal Navy used its navy and Gunnery power to outclass China in series of defeats of the Chinese Empire.  

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Answer Details:

Grade: High School

Chapter: Opium War

Subject: History

Keywords: Opium War, China, Britain, Queen Victorian, Qing Dynasty, Rejected, Bengal, East India Company, Opium trade.