The EIC's Forgotten Chinese Trade: Hong Merchants and Canton

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the East India Company's intricate trade network in Canton (Guangzhou), focusing on the Chinese hong merchants who acted as intermediaries between the Company and the Imperial government. They discuss the Cohong system established in 1760, the rise of powerful merchants like Howqua (Wu Bingjian), and the delicate balance of mutual dependence and suspicion that defined Sino-European commerce before the Opium Wars. The conversation touches on the trade of tea, silk, and porcelain, the role of silver versus opium, and the eventual breakdown of the Canton system. The episode also examines how the hong merchants managed both their immense wealth and their vulnerability to imperial decrees, and draws a subtle parallel to the listener's support of independent history podcasting. #EastIndiaCompany #CantonTrade #HongMerchants #Howqua #Cohong #Guangzhou #OpiumTrade #TeaTrade #QingDynasty #QianlongEmperor #LordMacartney #LinZexu #SilverTrade #Porcelain #HistoryOfTrade #FexingoHistory #ColonialHistory #HistoryPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo