Modified letter to Queen Victoria from Lin Zexu from • http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/com-lin.html

1. Name ___________________________________________________________________ per _____
Standard Proficiency H.S.10 “Letter by Lin Tse-Hsu to Queen Victoria”
1. But after a long period of commercial intercourse (trade), there appear among the crowd of
barbarians both good persons and bad. Consequently there are those who smuggle opium to
seduce the Chinese people and so cause the spread of the poison to all provinces (states). Such
persons who only care to profit themselves, and disregard (ignore) their harm to others, are not
tolerated by the laws of heaven and are hated by human beings. His Majesty the Emperor, upon
hearing of this, is in a towering rage. He has especially sent me, his commissioner, to come to
Kwangtung, to investigate and settle this matter.
2. I have heard that the smoking of opium is very strictly forbidden by your country; that is because
the harm caused by opium is clearly understood. Since it is not permitted to do harm to your own
country, then even less should you let it be passed on to the harm of other countries -- how much
less to China!
3. Suppose there were people from another country who carried opium for sale to England and
seduced your people into buying and smoking it; certainly your honorable ruler would deeply hate
it. We have heard (heretofore) that your honorable ruler is kind. Naturally you would not wish to
give unto others what you yourself do not want.
4. Of all that China exports to foreign countries, there is not a single thing which is not beneficial to
(good for) people: they are of benefit when eaten, or of benefit when used, or of benefit when
resold. Is there a single article from China which has done any harm to foreign countries? Take tea
and rhubarb, for example; the foreign countries cannot get along for a single day without them.
5. We have further learned that in London, Scotland, Ireland, and other places, no opium has been
produced. Only in several places of India under your control has opium been planted from hill to
hill. For months and years work is continued in order to accumulate the poison. The obnoxious
odor ascends, irritating heaven and frightening the spirits. Indeed you, O Queen, can eradicate
(get rid of) the opium plant in these places, hoe over the fields entirely, and sow in its stead the
five grains [millet, barley, wheat, etc.]. Anyone who dares again attempt to plant and manufacture
opium should be severely punished. This will really be a great, benevolent government policy that
will increase the common weal and get rid of evil.
6. ….. if there are still those who bring opium to China then they will plainly have committed a willful
violation and shall at once be executed according to law, with absolutely no clemency or pardon.
7. After receiving this dispatch will you immediately give us a prompt reply regarding the details and
circumstances of your cutting off the opium traffic. Be sure not to put this off.

2. H.S.10 Evaluatea historical sourcefor point of view and historical context.
1. Imperialismcreated a climate that spawned global confrontations then and today.
2. How did the indigenous groups respond to Imperialcontrol?
Evaluate a historical source for Pointof View.
 Use paragraph form.
 Label your answers and include the question in your answer.
 Include direct quotes from the document to support your answers.
Paragraph 1
1. What is the purpose of Lin Tse-Hsu’s letter to Queen Victoria?
2. What word does Lin Tse-Hsu use instead of the word foreigner? What does this tell you about the
Chinese attitude towards outsiders?
Paragraphs 2-5
3. There are 4 moral arguments made by Lin Tse-Hsu against the Opium trade and/or for stopping
the Opium trade. Choose 3 to explain. Identify the paragraph where you find the argument.

3. Paragraph 6 and 7.
4. What is the law regarding Opium trade according to the Emperor of China?
5. What does Lin Tse-Hsu warn in paragraph 7?

4. Evaluate a historical source for historical context.
1. Explain why the British began the Opium trade in China.
2. Does Queen Victoria answer Lin Tse-Hsu’s letter? What happens instead?
3. How do the British force the Chinese to continue the Opium trade? (Include the names of the
Wars and the Treaties that end them.)
4. Extra credit: In paragraph 4 India is discussed. What historical event happened in India as a result
of Opium production?