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China Still Hates India Because of These Flowers From the 1800s
Innocent-looking poppy fields can cause the end of civilizations… if the British get their hands on them
The century of humiliation. Ever heard of it?
It’s the basis for China’s current aggressive geopolitical maneuvers; a desperate sense of wanting to snatch power so that the country never again suffers under Western colonial oppression and invasion.
The century of humiliation started with a harmless plant that had actually been used medicinally for centuries. It was only after people started to smoke it, however, that someone got the bright idea to sell it.
By the early 1800s, Chinese exports such as silks, tea, and dishware were flooding the European market, and China was so self-sufficient that they only accepted silver in return.
Britain wanted more to bargain with, so naturally started scheming about hot new products to introduce to the market — even if it resulted in the destruction of their number one civilizational rival at the time.
