William Jardine: Architect of the First Opium War 107 William Jardine: partner James Matheson, Jardine owned the company that was the largest importer of opium into China, thus supplying the catalyst for Architect of the First Opium War the war. Also, after amassing a large fortune from the opium business, Jardine used his wealth and influence to sway the opinion Benjamin Cassan of both the public and the government towards war. And finally, through meetings and correspondence with Lord Palmerston, Jardine masterminded the military strategy that would be used in a successful campaign against China. He even helped determine some istory often overlooks the first Opium War, which was fought H of the demands that were to be met by the Treaty of Nanking. from 1840-1842.1 Not only did this war mark a major transition in Despite this evidence, some historians maintain that Jardine's role in Chinese history, opening up the isolated empire to foreign markets, the war has been exaggerated. Perhaps this is because they believe but it is also gives insight into the foreign policy of the British the Opium War would have been fought in a similar manner without Empire during the nineteenth century. Most historians who have Jardine's influence, or simply because they overlooked the details of written on the subject, however, focus largely on the controversy his involvement. Whatever the reasons, a close examination of surrounding the opium trade, instead of on the war itself. Some have William Jardine's actions leading up to the first British-Chinese even labeled the British Empire of this period as drug pushers, and Opium War shows that not only has his role been far from blame them for the opium addiction of millions of Chinese. John K. exaggerated, but in fact not has not been emphasized enough. Fairbank, a renowned scholar on the war, referred to the British William Jardine was born in Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire, opium trade as, “the most long-continued and systematic Scotland in 1784. Coming from a wealthy family, he was fortunate international crime of modern times.”2 enough to attend Edinburgh Medical School where he studied to be Opinions like these do not look favorably upon the actions a doctor. After he graduated in 1802, he took a job with the British taken by the British Empire, and begs an obvious question: why East India Company as a ship surgeon. Besides adhering to his would the British involve themselves in such a controversial trade, medical duties, Jardine engrossed himself in the trade business. and why would they go to war for it? Historians differ on why Taking advantage of one of the East India Company's policies, Britain went to war in China. Some believe Britain waged war in which allowed its employees to trade in goods for their own profit, China to preserve and expand its trading privileges there. Others Jardine eventually learned the trade business well enough to attain a theorize that the war was a result of the British wishing to defend job as junior partner for several different merchant houses. By 1820, their honor after Lin Zexu, the Imperial Commissioner, destroyed Jardine decided to go into business for himself and settled in 20,000 chests of British opium.3 While each of these theories has an Canton4, committing himself to trade in China. A shrewd element of truth, neither takes into account the role played by the businessman, Jardine indicated how precious his time was by not man who, in a real sense, was the driving force behind the war: having any available chairs in his office for visitors.5 His partner William Jardine, a British opium merchant. First, along with his James Matheson, also a Scot, had entered in to the Canton trade around the same time as Jardine. Both men were staunch supporters 1 The first Opium War was a conflict between the British Empire and the of free trade and wanted the monopoly the East India Company had Qing Empire in China from 1840-1842. The war was fought as a result of the enjoyed over the Eastern market to end. In 1828 the two men joined Chinese officials attempt to suppress the opium trade within their borders. 2 John K. Fairbank, ‘The Creation of the Treaty System’ in John K. Fairbanks, ed. The Cambridge History of China vol. 10 Part 1 (Cambridge University 4 City in southern China that served as the premiere port for Sino- Press, 1992), 213; quoted in John Newsinger, “Britain’s Opium Wars,” Monthly European trade since the early sixteenth century. Many European factories and Review (October 1997): 35. agency houses were built in Canton and served as permanent residences for 3 Peter Ward Fay, The Opium War, 1840-1842: Barbarians in the Celestial European merchants. Empire in the Early Part of the Nineteenth Century and the War by Which They Forced 5 Edgar Holt, The Opium Wars in China (Chester Springs, PA.: Dufour Her Gates Ajar (New York: Norton, 1976), 160. Editions, 1964), 37. 108 Historia William Jardine: Architect of the First Opium War 109 forces, and by 1832 they had founded Jardine & Matheson Co. The an edict demanding that Napier leave Canton for Macao.9 Upon men quickly engaged in the lucrative, though illegal, opium trade and hearing of Napier's dismissal from Canton, William Jardine advised began importing the drug into Canton. In the season of 1820-1821, resistance, believing an open affront to the Crown's representatives 4,224 chests of opium were shipped from India into China. By 1830- was likely to anger the public and sooner bring about military 1831, the year Jardine and Matheson entered into the trade, the total action.10 Jardine even persuaded Napier to write a letter to Lord chests shipped increased to 18,956. Jardine and Matheson alone had Palmerston, the Foreign Secretary requesting, "three or four frigates disposed of more opium than the entire import of 1821 in their first and brigs, with a few steady troops."11 Palmerston ignored his year.6 request, and while in Canton, Napier contracted a very high fever. In 1833, Jardine and Matheson got their wish when the British Listening to doctor’s orders he sailed back to Macao where he died Parliament abolished the East India Company’s monopoly. The only a few days later. After Napier’s death, Jardine, along with following year, 40 percent more tea was shipped to Britain than the eighty-five other merchants, wrote a petition to the newly appointed year before, and as expected the sale of opium continued to soar. king, William IV, demanding that military action be taken in Between 1830 and 1836 the amount of opium chests shipped into response to Napier’s humiliation.12 By the time the petition had India went from 18,956 to 30,302.7 Certainly Jardine and Matheson reached home, the Duke of Wellington had replaced Lord profited considerably from this growing demand for opium. This Palmerston in the Foreign Office. Wellington, somewhat of a huge influx of opium into China, however, did not go unnoticed by pacifist and an isolationist, disregarded the petition and showed no the Chinese Emperor, and in 1836 he issued an edict banning both inclination toward using force in China. Though no military action opium importation and use. That same year the governor of Canton, ever convened in response to “Napier’s fizzle,” as early as 1834 Deng Tingzhen, arraigned nine prominent merchants on drug Jardine’s intentions to push Britain towards a war with China were trafficking charges, William Jardine was among them.8 Jardine simply made clear. ignored the order and went unpunished. A conflict between the John Francis Davis replaced Napier as Chief Superintendent of British merchants and the Chinese government was beginning to trade. This appointment did not last long however, as Davis resigned heat up. Jardine continued adding fuel to the growing crisis with his after only a few months. His resignation most likely had to do with involvement in what came to be known as “Napier’s Fizzle.” the fact that he did not want to deal with British merchants, like To replace the Old Select Committee, which oversaw trade in Jardine, whom he thought were trying to goad Britain into a full- Canton during the East India Company’s monopoly, the British scale war.13 Davis’s replacement, Sir George Robinson, also detested government appointed Lord William John Napier as Chief the British merchants. He even tried to halt the opium trade, and Superintendent of Trade. In 1834 he set out for China with recommended the British stop cultivating the drug in India. For instructions to directly communicate with Chinese officials. Upon what seemed to be a noble effort, Robinson was fired in 1836 and his arrival in Canton, Napier was immediately met with suspicion. replaced with Captain Charles Elliot. Like his predecessors, Elliot When he requested to meet with the Viceroy, Lu Kun, he was told also despised the opium trade but never openly expressed his he could only deal only with the Cohong, a group of Chinese feelings. His only concern was to make sure that the tea, for which merchants who dealt with all foreign traders. This treatment was not the British were trading opium, made it successfully out of China surprising since the Chinese viewed the British as barbarians, and and into Britain. Despite his best efforts to keep the peace and unworthy of directly communicating with high Chinese officials. Lu Kun saw this refusal as a victory over the barbarians, and later issued 9 Small peninsula located on the southern coast of China, colonized by the 6 Jack Beeching, The Chinese Opium Wars (London: Hutchinson, 1975), 38.