Empires in Collision

Just at looking at the tittle, i think the chapter will about Europeans, Middle Eastern and East Asians fighting within themselves. There were empires such as Ottoman Empire which is in Iran, Ethiopia and Siam which is in Thailand and many more. By, the start of the 19 century many of the great empire were collapsing and China's long established imperial state had collapsed, and the country had been transformed from a central presence in the global economy to a weak and dependent participant in a European dominated world system in which Great Britain was the major economic and political player. 

It was a stunning reversal of fortune for a country that in Chinese eyes was the civilized center of the entire world in their terms, the Middle Kingdom. Because of Chinese economy, chinese population were 100 million people in 1685 and in around 1853 population was increased to 430 million. Because of growth of population, the state was increasingly unable to effectively perform its many function, such as tax collection, flood control, social welfare and public security. 

Opium was a massive addiction problem in China. It was recognized a mounting problem on any levels. Because opium importation was illegal, it had tone smuggled into china, thus flouting Chinese law. They were many many corrupted official at that period of time. Because of that addiction, it caused a serious economic imbalance.