Grace, Richard J.

Opium and Empire

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ISBN 13:
9780773547261
author:
Grace, Richard J.
format:
Paperback
publisher:
McGill-Queens University Press
language:
English
Publication Year:
2016
Pages:
472
Dimensions:
15.2 x 3 x 22.9 cm
Genre:
Biography, Historical, 1701-1900,
Condition:
New
Availability:
Item usually sent within 10 working days
£23.25

Out of stock

Description

William Jardine and James Matheson were the driving forces behind the establishment of Jardine, Matheson & Company, the largest British trading company in East Asia during the 19th century. Their company's success was built on the export of teas and the import of opium, which they sold to Chinese smugglers. This book provides a nuanced exploration of the lives and careers of these two Scotsmen, moving beyond the caricatures of earlier accounts. It delves into their business strategies, standards of conduct, and inventiveness as "gentlemanly capitalists", as well as their journeys between Britain and China. The story of Jardine and Matheson reveals a great deal about the type of men who expanded the global markets of Victorian Britain and played major roles in changing the course of modern history in East Asia. By examining the complexities of Jardine and Matheson's lives, this book sheds new light on the opium trade and its impact on the region.

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