Episodes

  • The Opium Wars and the Treaty of Nanking's Hidden Clauses

    The Opium Wars and the Treaty of Nanking's Hidden Clauses
    Jun 11 2026
    This episode explores the Treaty of Nanking, the 1842 agreement that ended the First Opium War, focusing on its lesser-known clauses beyond the cession of Hong Kong and the opening of five treaty ports. Lucas and Luna discuss the war indemnity of 21 million silver dollars, the abolition of the Cohong monopoly, the most-favored-nation clause, and the legalization of opium imports. They examine how these terms reshaped Sino-British relations, weakened the Qing dynasty, and laid the groundwork for the unequal treaty system that would define China's foreign relations for a century. The episode also covers the treaty's negotiation process, the roles of British plenipotentiary Sir Henry Pottinger and Qing representatives Qiying and Yilibu, and the contested interpretation of the treaty's English and Chinese versions. Special attention is given to the tariff agreement that fixed Chinese customs duties at 5% ad valorem, a provision that severely limited China's fiscal sovereignty. The conversation concludes with reflections on how the treaty's terms set a precedent for subsequent unequal treaties with other Western powers. #TreatyOfNanking #FirstOpiumWar #SirHenryPottinger #Qiying #Yilibu #Cohong #MostFavoredNation #WarIndemnity #HongKong #UnequalTreaties #TariffAutonomy #QingDynasty #OpiumTrade #EastAsiaHistory #Imperialism #1842 #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 mins
  • The Opium Wars: The Pirate Who Fought for Both Sides

    The Opium Wars: The Pirate Who Fought for Both Sides
    Jun 11 2026
    Shap Ng-tsai was a pirate who terrorised the South China Sea with a fleet of hundreds of junks, but when the British arrived during the First Opium War, he made a deal that changed everything. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a notorious pirate became a British ally, raiding Chinese coastal towns under the Union Jack, only to be double-crossed and hunted by the same empire that had used him. The story of Shap Ng-tsai reveals the chaos of the Opium Wars from a rarely seen angle — the mercenaries, opportunists, and outlaws who navigated the conflict for their own gain. Along the way, Lucas explains how the British East India Company and Royal Navy recruited pirates as auxiliary forces, how Shap Ng-tsai's fleet clashed with the Qing navy, and why his name vanished from history. This episode also touches on the broader context of piracy in the Pearl River Delta and the uneasy alliances that formed as the war dragged on. #OpiumWars #ShapNgtsai #Pirate #SouthChinaSea #QingDynasty #BritishEmpire #RoyalNavy #PearlRiverDelta #Mercenary #FirstOpiumWar #EastIndiaCompany #Canton #History #ChinaHistory #NavalHistory #Piracy #FexingoHistory #Colonialism Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    5 mins
  • Opium Wars The Destruction of the Bogue Forts

    Opium Wars The Destruction of the Bogue Forts
    Jun 10 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna pick up the thread of the First Opium War after the initial skirmishes at Chuenpi and focus on the British assault on the Bogue Forts at Humen in February 1841. They discuss the strategic importance of the Bogue — the narrow entrance to the Pearl River — and the brutal effectiveness of the British bombardment, which used new Paixhans guns that fired explosive shells. The battle saw the death of Chinese admiral Guan Tianpei, who refused to retreat. Lucas explains why the fall of the Bogue Forts broke the last real barrier to Canton and forced the Daoguang Emperor to consider peace, while also touching on the technological disparity and Chinese defensive failures that have often been overlooked in Western accounts. The episode also explores the aftermath — how the British bombarded Canton but then withdrew under the Convention of Chuenpi, which both sides would soon repudiate, setting the stage for a larger war. #OpiumWars #BogueForts #Humen #GuanTianpei #PaixhansGun #BritishNavy #Canton #PearlRiver #DaoguangEmperor #Chuenpi #FirstOpiumWar #19thCentury #MilitaryHistory #ChinaHistory #ExplosiveShells #NavalWarfare #History #FexingoHistory Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • The Opium Wars: The Siege of Canton 1841

    The Opium Wars: The Siege of Canton 1841
    Jun 10 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the chaotic Battle of Canton in May 1841, when British forces under Sir Hugh Gough and Sir William Parker launched a brutal assault on the city. They explore the role of the Indian Army regiments, the storming of the Sanyuanli suburbs, and the ransom that saved Canton from full destruction. The episode also examines the legend of the Sanyuanli villagers who fought back with farming tools — a story that became a nationalist myth in modern China. Specific details include the siege lines, the heliograph signals, the role of the Madras Sappers, and the uneasy truce negotiated by Qiying. #OpiumWars #SiegeOfCanton #BattleOfCanton1841 #SirHughGough #SirWilliamParker #Qiying #Sanyuanli #MadrasSappers #IndianArmy #BritishEmpire #QingDynasty #DaoguangEmperor #Canton #PearlRiver #BogueForts #TreatyOfNanking #History #FexingoHistory Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • The Opium Wars: The Burning of the Summer Palaces

    The Opium Wars: The Burning of the Summer Palaces
    Jun 9 2026
    In October 1860, British and French troops marched on Beijing and destroyed the imperial Summer Palaces — a complex of hundreds of buildings, gardens, and priceless art. This episode explores the looting and burning of the Yuanming Yuan under Lord Elgin, the diplomatic breakdown that led to it, and the cultural loss that still echoes in China today. Lucas and Luna discuss the role of the Xianfeng Emperor, the Convention of Peking, and the lasting bitterness over the destruction of what some called the 'Garden of Gardens.' #OpiumWars #SecondOpiumWar #SummerPalaces #YuanmingYuan #LordElgin #XianfengEmperor #ConventionOfPeking #BritishEmpire #FrenchEmpire #QingDynasty #Beijing #CulturalHeritage #Looting #History #FexingoHistory #19thCentury #Imperialism #China Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • The Opium Wars: How Captain Elliot Defied London

    The Opium Wars: How Captain Elliot Defied London
    Jun 9 2026
    Captain Charles Elliot was the British superintendent of trade in Canton during the First Opium War — and he was caught between an uncompromising Emperor Daoguang, a furious Lord Palmerston in London, and the opium merchants of Jardine & Matheson. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Elliot's controversial role: his desperate attempts to avert war, his secret diplomacy with Lin Zexu, his disastrous decision to retreat to Macau, and the betrayal that saw him recalled in disgrace. Along the way, they uncover the Conventions of Chuenpi, the unofficial cession of Hong Kong, and the clash between a naval officer's conscience and imperial commerce. A story of one man who tried to stop a war — and was punished for it. #OpiumWars #CharlesElliot #LinZexu #Palmerston #HongKong #Chuenpi #Canton #Daoguang #JardineMatheson #BritishEmpire #QingDynasty #FirstOpiumWar #TreatyOfNanking #Diplomacy #NavalHistory #19thCentury #FexingoHistory #History Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • The Opium Wars: The Battle of Amoy and the Fall of Fujian

    The Opium Wars: The Battle of Amoy and the Fall of Fujian
    Jun 8 2026
    In this episode of The Opium Wars, Lucas and Luna turn to the summer of 1841, when British forces pushed north along the Chinese coast after the capture of Canton. We focus on the Battle of Amoy (Xiamen), fought on 26 August 1841, and the broader campaign to seize the rich trading ports of Fujian. We discuss the strategic importance of Amoy as a center of tea and sugar exports, the British fleet under Admiral Sir William Parker and Hugh Gough, and the Chinese resistance organized by Governor Yan Botao and the local militia. We examine the role of the island of Gulangyu, the use of Congreve rockets, and the collapse of the Qing coastal defense system. The episode also touches on the impact of the defeat on local merchants and the subsequent Treaty of Nanking negotiations, which opened Amoy as a treaty port. We end with a brief reflection on how the war reshaped Fujian's economy and society. #OpiumWars #BattleOfAmoy #Xiamen #Fujian #SirWilliamParker #HughGough #YanBotao #Gulangyu #CongreveRockets #QingDynasty #TreatyOfNanking #TeaTrade #BritishEmpire #ChineseHistory #19thCentury #NavalWarfare #History #FexingoHistory Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • The Opium Wars: How the Second Opium War Broke Out

    The Opium Wars: How the Second Opium War Broke Out
    Jun 8 2026
    In the wake of the Treaty of Nanking, the British had the Bogue Treaties and most-favored-nation status — but the Chinese still dragged their feet. In 1856, a small ship called the Arrow sparked a new conflict that would change everything. Lucas and Luna explore the Arrow Incident, the role of Governor-General Ye Mingchen, the bombing of Canton, and the burning of the Thirteen Factories. They also discuss British Commissioner John Bowring's aggressive diplomacy, the Franco-British alliance, and the capture of the Bogue Forts. This episode gets into the messy, petty, and violent collapse of the first treaty settlement, leading to the Treaty of Tientsin and the legalization of the opium trade. A story of pride, miscommunication, and imperial overreach. #OpiumWars #SecondOpiumWar #ArrowIncident #YeMingchen #JohnBowring #Canton #ThirteenFactories #TreatyofTientsin #HongKong #Imperialism #19thCentury #ChinaHistory #BritishEmpire #CantonSystem #BogueForts #History #FexingoHistory #EastAsia Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    5 mins