When the Qing Dynasty began to decline has become a controversial topic in history.
During the Qianlong period in the sixties of the eighteenth century, at a time when industrial globalization was booming, the Qing court was immersed in the illusion of self-strength, unaware of the impending crisis.
It was not until the Opium War that the Qing court was unable to resist and was forced to pay reparations to cede land to maintain the peace, and signed the first unequal treaty in Chinese history.
Although the Qing Dynasty had the opportunity to become powerful, the rulers ignored it and led the Qing Empire to irretrievable decline.
However, looking back 47 years ago, Britain gave Qianlong three pieces"Birthday gifts", but did not attract attention, and even presented foreign envoys"High-tech"Gifts are assumed"Garbage"It wasn't until the cannon was fired that it was too late.
Why did Emperor Qianlong turn a blind eye to the friendship and goodwill from afar, and treat the gifts that foreign envoys had painstakingly brought with arrogance?
This question has become the key for future generations to interpret this historical event.
In 1792, at the time of the rise of British industry, remarkable achievements were made in the fields of textiles, mining, and metalworking.
In particular, James Watt's improved steam engine made mechanized production possible.
Why did Britain target the Qing Dynasty?In fact, Britain did not come to stammer, but to seek cooperation.
However, the Qing Dynasty misunderstood the other side's intentions and looked down on the British. At that time, the Qing Dynasty was relatively advanced, and the wealth and territory created by Yongzheng were dazzling.
Britain saw the vast market potential of the great eastern powers, and if it could cooperate with it, it would achieve a qualitative leap in industrial development.
When the British merchants asked the Qing court what they thought, the Qing court ignored it and regarded it as an ordinary tribute-paying country.
However, the meeting failed for a number of reasons.
The British envoys stayed in the Qing Dynasty for more than a month and were unable to see Qianlong, during which unpleasant events prevented them from entering the Forbidden City.
The final place of the consecration was arranged in the Imperial Palace, which was another contempt for the English envoys. After giving the gift, Qianlong's performance disappointed the British envoy even more.
The three gifts given by the British were carefully selected, but they were regarded by Qianlong"Garbage"。
The first gift was a luxurious carriage, but it was abandoned because the groom was too high.
The second gift was a sophisticated celestial orbiter, which Qianlong regarded"Western Evil"。
The third gift was a new heavy mortar, which, despite its excellent design, did not work well when presented.
These gifts did not arouse Qianlong's interest and even became a laughing stock. After returning home, the British envoy relayed the experience of this trip to **, and unanimously decided to abandon the cooperation plan with the eastern powers.
It could have been a win-win situation, but it was missed because of misunderstandings and contradictions between the two sides.