East India Company in China

>>1592049
O p i u m

>>1592049

You should ask that on /tg/

>>1592062
>1600s

It would be tea

File: 4L_AisPDAte.jpg (115KB, 554x439px) Image search: [Google]

115KB, 554x439px

>>1592085
I thought you guys might know more about it

>>1592049

China to Britain: tea, porcelainware, silk, exotic chinese crafts (furniture, jewelry, etc.)
Britain (and its colonies) to China: opium, silver

>>1592049
>Early to mid 1600s

Did the East India Company even have a presence in China in the 1600s? I thought that was back when it was still Portugal's turf.

>>1592049
China.

>>1592105
/tg/ has more posters that read actual books than any other board. /his/ is lightly history-themed meme trading by people who read the info boxes in video games.

>>1592049
Mostly tea, opium and silk.

If you're in a good Uni with decent journal and academic subscriptions, you can get access to the letters and stuff of that era. Might help if you're looking to go really in-depth.

>>1592049

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A36730.0001.001?view=toc

>>1592049
It didn't really get going until the 18th century, but-
To Britain: Tea, Porcelain, Silk
To China: Silver

China lacked major deposits of precious metals, so they were dependent on the West for their supply of currency. The Qing otherwise had no interest in imports.
The limeys got addicted to tea, but they ran out of silver, so they eventually started smuggling opium in to sell.