During the reign of the Qing Dynasty, the United States was waging a war of independence and striving for national independence, while Britain was also engaged in industry, which had not yet developed into the future "empire".
In other words, as long as the Qing dynasty is willing to catch up bravely at this time and still has the opportunity to develop its own science and technology, the century-old humiliation of China will not happen. Regrettably, however, the Qing Dynasty failed to "open its eyes to see the world".
Perhaps at this time, some people want to defend the Qing dynasty, thinking that the Qing dynasty is not unwilling to "open its eyes to see the world", but does not have this opportunity. In fact, it is not without this opportunity. Britain once gave the Qing Dynasty such an opportunity.
During the reign of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty, the Qing government implemented the policy of banning the sea for the simple reason that it was to prevent Zheng Chenggong and other overseas adherents of the Ming Dynasty from successfully restoring with the help of the sea. Later, the Qing Dynasty successfully recovered Taiwan Province Province. From then on, there was no threat from the sea in the Qing Dynasty, and the maritime trade in the Qing Dynasty naturally resumed.
During the Qianlong period, British businessmen visited the Qing government, hoping that the Qing government could expand the scale of overseas trade, which was rejected by the Qing government. Not only that, the British businessman's action also aroused the vigilance of the Qing government, which led to the closure of three customs offices in the Qing Dynasty, when there were only four customs offices. Facing the trade barriers of the Qing government, even though Britain had completed the industrial revolution at that time, it was still in a state of trade deficit with Qing.
In order to ensure their own interests and increase profits, King George V of England at that time specially sent envoys to visit the Qing emperor, hoping to expand the scale of trade between the two sides.
According to historical records, the British envoys visited Qing Dynasty for four main purposes: first, they hoped to obtain a concession like Macao; Second, I hope that the Qing Dynasty can increase the number of trading ports; Third, it shows that Britain is willing to abide by the opium ban in Qing dynasty; Fourth, I hope the two sides can send ambassadors to each other and strengthen exchanges.
Judging from the four purposes of British envoys, except for the first one, the other three generally have more advantages than disadvantages for the Qing Dynasty, and there seems to be no reason to refuse. Even the British envoy brought a personal letter from King George V as a gesture of friendship.
Moreover, at that time, in order to please Emperor Qianlong, British envoys brought many gifts, including but not limited to: large globes, telescopes, howitzers, weapons made of special steel and so on. Even the King, Britain's strongest warship, was brought with it by a British messenger.
Obviously, Britain did have full sincerity in this visit and exchange, otherwise Qianlong would not have received so many gifts, which were the epitome of the most advanced science at that time.
I thought that with these gifts, the British envoys thought it was enough to make Qianlong interested in the development of the world, thus expanding the trade scale of the Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, the British emissary is doomed to disappointment.
For these overseas envoys, Gan Long showed enough sincerity, not only gave them the highest standard reception, but even told the officials in charge of foreign affairs of the Qing government: If the two sides failed to reach an agreement, there was no need to enforce the three-kneeling and nine-knocking gifts of the Qing Dynasty, as long as they followed British etiquette and customs.
It can be seen from here that Gan Long is still open to these foreign envoys. However, this so-called enlightenment is only based on an inexplicable sense of superiority that "China is superior to the country"
In Gan Long's eyes, except for the Qing Dynasty, all other countries are barbaric small countries, including Britain. He is so "enlightened" because he is unwilling to accept the efforts of barbarians.
Obviously, the British messengers didn't know what Qianlong thought, but Qianlong's attitude towards the gifts they brought surprised them. In the face of gifts brought by British messengers, Qianlong was only interested in one of the clocks, and the others were lacking in interest.
Faced with the doubts of the British emissary, Qianlong specially ordered someone to show them the treasure house of Jehol Palace. Facing the treasure house of Jehol Palace, the British emissary was also amazed. The exquisite degree of the artworks in it is far from the gift he brought.
Looking at the astonished British emissary, Qing officials said: Compared with the treasures collected in Yuanmingyuan, the treasures in the palace are like the gap between fireflies and the bright moon.
Hearing the words of the Qing officials, the British envoy exclaimed: I wonder how rich the emperor of China is?
After the visit, the British emissary didn't say much, and returned to England with the emissary. As for the expansion of British-Qing trade, it naturally ended in nothing.
Although compared with the works of art collected in the Qing Dynasty, the gifts brought by British messengers were indeed insufficient in exquisiteness and artistic beauty, but these gifts represented the epitome of the most advanced science in the world at that time. However, in the face of this scientific crystallization, no one in the Qing Dynasty paid enough attention to it, which also led to the gift left by the British envoy being collected by Qianlong in the treasure house to eat ash.
More than 40 years later, Britain visited the Qing Dynasty again, but this time, instead of taking a friendly attitude, they directly blew the door of the Qing Dynasty with powerful ships and guns.
After more than 20 years, Britain and France once again "visited" the Qing Dynasty. This time, Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty fled, and the Yuanmingyuan, representing the "wealth of the Chinese Empire", was completely burned by the British and French allied forces. In this process, the British and French allied forces actually discovered the howitzer specially given to the Qing Dynasty by the British special envoy during his visit to the Qing Dynasty.
According to the memory of the invaders, it seems that these howitzers have never been passive. 67 years later, they are still brought here by British envoys.
Everyone knows what happened after the British and French allied forces burned the Yuanmingyuan, and China began humiliation for nearly a hundred years.
In fact, when British messengers delivered howitzers, as long as Qianlong showed enough attention, even if these howitzers were copied, even if their power was not as good as that of British "real goods", at least in the Opium War, China would not have lost so badly, and the history of humiliation for a hundred years might not have happened.
It is a pity, however, that the Qing emperor chose to turn a blind eye to the opportunity that Britain gave him to change history!