History glossary
Treaty of Nanjing
the 1842 agreement ending the First Opium War, which forced the Qing to open five ports to British trade, cede Hong Kong Island, and pay an indemnity.
- Category
- Treaty
- Region
- China and Britain
- Date range
- 1842
What it means
Signed on 29 August 1842 at Nanjing, also written Nanking, the treaty ended the First Opium War between Britain and Qing China. It opened five Chinese ports to British trade, ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain, and required a large indemnity. It became a leading example of the unequal treaties imposed on China after military defeats. Additional foreign privileges, including British extraterritorial rights, were established through subsequent agreements.
Related terms
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 Qing Dynasty
From Manchu conquest to republican revolution, the Qing dynasty built China's largest empire, oversaw centuries of prosperity, and then struggled to survive foreign intervention, rebellion, and the collapse of imperial legitimacy.
