Amitav Ghosh plunges deep into the research about how the opium trade between British Colonisers, Dutch, Americans with China ruined that country and shaped the history of Asian continent in the 19th century and its repercussions in today’s world.
We are well aware about the other forms of exploitations the colonisers tried upon colonised. But we know little about the Role of the Opium. Trade in the so called glory and wealth of the European colonisers and Americans.
England imported tea from China and having sold it to other countries earned the great profits. It used to pay in the silver bullions but as silver became scarce the forced China to sell the tea in replacement of Opium. Opium ruined China absolutely. And there were two Opium wars.
This book is a research about the cruelty,greed of the colonisers and tragedy of the colonised.
The book is well researched put into the words superbly with a flow and style. Ghosh provides the robust statistical evidence. The descriptions of the opium factories are picturesque. It throws the light on the less known facets of of the Asian fate.
by sachinketkar