History glossary
Arrow incident
the 1856 dispute over Qing officers boarding a Chinese-owned vessel at Canton.
- Category
- Qing China and imperial conflict
- Region
- China
- Date range
- 1856–1861
What it means
Its expired Hong Kong registration and disputed flag claims made Britain’s justification for military action contested.
Stories using this term
The First Opium War
From the opium trade at Canton to the Treaty of Nanking, the First Opium War brought Qing law and British imperial power into collision.
The Opium Wars
From the Canton System to the fall of Beijing, the Opium Wars turned illegal trade, imperial power and Qing weakness into a new unequal treaty order.
The Second Opium War
A disputed boat seizure at Canton leads to Anglo-French invasion, expanded treaty privileges and the destruction of the Old Summer Palace.
