The British insisted on farmers growing opium in India to
balance their trade with China. Tea became extremely popular
in England, and by 1830, over 30 million pounds of tea was
being imported from China. The British could buy tea from China
only by paying in bullion. Hence, there was nothing that England
could offer to the Chinese in exchange for tea, except
money. Opium was used in Chinese medicine, but was banned
for use due to its addictive qualities. The British started an illegal
opium trade, and by 1839, there were an estimated 12 million
opium smokers in China. All the supplied opium came from India
and it formed an easy, cheap way to pay for the tea imported
from China.
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