Historical Figure
Lin Zexu
Chinese scholar-official (1785–1850)
About Lin Zexu
Lin Zexu, courtesy name Yuanfu, was a Chinese political philosopher and politician. He was a head of state (Viceroy), Governor General, scholar-official, and under the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing dynasty best known for his role in the First Opium War of 1839–42. He was from Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Lin's forceful opposition to the opium trade was a primary catalyst for the First Opium War. He is praised for his constant position on the "moral high ground" in his fight, but he is also blamed for a rigid approach which failed to account for the domestic and international complexities of the problem. The Emperor endorsed the hardline policies and anti-drugs movement advocated by Lin, but placed all responsibility for the resulting disastrous Opium War onto Lin. However, Lin's efforts against the opium trade was appreciated by drug prohibition activists and revered as a culture hero in Chinese culture, symbolizes drug abuse resistance in China.Wikipedia ↗
Associated Events
War1839 CE – 1860 CE
Opium Wars
Two wars (1839-1842 and 1856-1860) fought by Britain (and France in the second) against Qing China to force open Chinese markets and protect the profitable opium trade, resulting in "unequal treaties" and beginning China's "Century of Humiliation."
Treaty1842 CE – 1842 CE
Treaty of Nanking
The first of the "unequal treaties" ending the First Opium War, forcing China to cede Hong Kong Island to Britain, open five treaty ports to foreign trade, and pay a large indemnity — beginning what Chinese historians call the "Century of Humiliation."