Paper Blog on Tea

Written and edited by 1eL in LVA

(Langue Vivante Approfondie)

May 2019

The Opium Wars I and II

Prince Zhi of the First Rank

Reign : 1813-1820 Born: September 16, 1782 in Xiefang Hall, Forbidden City Died : February 26, 1850 (aged 67) in Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall, Old Summer Palace

The first Opium War was a commercial and military conflict between the United Kingdom and the Qing Empire in China from 1839 to 1842.

”When I discovered that people were paying money for a very expensive but toxic drug, opium, I declared war against the UK to stop that commerce. The latter made a lot of money, so didn’t want to stop the sale. They attacked China and took Hong Kong and Nanking.”

The second Opium War lasted from 1856 to 1860 and pitted China against France and the United Kingdom. This war can be considered an extension of the first Opium War, in which these powers wished to impose the authorization of the opium trade on the Manchu Empire of the Qing Dynasty.

China lost both wars and was forced to allow trade in opium financed by HSBC, and to sign unequal treaties, resulting in the opening of some ports and the legacy of Hong Kong to Great Britain. These events eventually brought the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911.

Tea in exchange for opium

In 1711, the East India Company established a trading post in Canton in China, to import tea to Europe. Then, beset by financial difficulties, it set up an ingenious economic system but with disastrous human consequences : selling opium produced in India to the Chinese and then using the collected money to buy Chinese tea. China quickly banned the sale of the drug, only, opium was smuggled from Bengal.

The trading post

Tea from China

Opium Opium is the name given to dried latex in

poppies. It is from this substance that morphine

is extracted, from which heroin is derived. Opium itself is a drug, because of the presence of morphine, so people absorb drugs while smoking opium.

It is also used in medicine, for example in painkillers like morphine, but also in less powerful drugs such as codeine.

Tea grown in India

Hello, my name is Ram Dass. I am the servant of the lovely Sara Crewe,

a beautiful rich and clever woman that I

follow everywhere. I am a native of India, where I have grown up and where I first served Carmichael Carrisford, a friend of Sara's father. We are

currently in Pondicherry in lady Crewe's first

house. Sara was born in India but her father was English and her mother

French. Unfortunately her mother died and her

father decided to send her to England to learn

English manners.

As you know, tea is important in England and in India too. So today I was thinking

of writing an article about tea, but in particular in India.

Contrary to the preconceived idea, tea wasn't brought by the Chinese who

had traveled to Europe. In fact the Camellia sinensis is native to India

and grew in the wild long before its true worth was realized. Nevertheless,

it was more employed for its medicinal properties. So natives would cook

the leaves and used them in soup or other dishes. Later, after English

people introduced tea in India, it became very popular.

So actually, Indians like to take black tea with milk and a little bit of

sugar along with spices like ginger.

Forum : Anonymous : So, do you have a picture of Sara Crewe?

Answer : It doesn't match with the subject of the article so I am sorry to tell you

I can't answer your request.

Anonymous : Do you know the favorite tea flavor of Miss Crewe ?

Answer : Actually Miss Crewe likes Assam black tea with a bit of milk and no

sugar. Sometimes she also takes a

Darjeeling tea.

So, as I said, tea wasn't consumed like today. It was introduced formally to Indians by the British because of their wish to overthrow China's monopoly on Tea. The Indian soil was suitable to cultivate these plants. Assam valley and the mountains of Darjeeling were chosen to be the sites for planting the Chinese seedlings.

Tea garden in Assam Tea garden in Darjeeling

The story is that Scotsman Robert Bruce

was introduced to the Singpho people who

were drinking something very similar to

Chinese tea. And so after many trials and

extended periods of dedicated efforts,

the first British-led commercial tea

plantation in India was established in 1837 in Chabua in Upper Assam. The tea

industry in India started to take shape

around the early 1840s. Chinese tea plants,

which were first tried in Assam but didn't

succeed, were later tested in the regions of

Darjeeling and Kangra, where they grew far

better. Tea planting in Darjeeling offi-

cially began in 1841. Later, in 1847, an

official tea plant nursery was established

in Darjeeling. Soon after, the first commer- cial plantation was established with the

setting up of Tukvar Tea Estate in

Darjeeling in 1850.

A tea storage unit of an Assam tea garden in the late 1850s

Comments : Lady Barry : Very interesting article. It actually inspires me for my next novel.

James : a good summary of the origins of tea in India which permits to know more about it.

Good Job!

The East India Company

Hello, my name is Theodore Groves, I’m a British Royal Navy officer in the Caribbean serving at Port RoyaI, and I must serve the British Crown under the orders of Lord Beckett.

First of all let me introduce the East India Company. This company has a monopoly on trade in the East Indies. It received a royal charter by Queen Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, granting it the monopoly of trade with the East Indies for 15 years. But in 1609, the charter of the Company was renewed: it was granted the monopoly of trade with the East Indies for an indefinite period, including a clause stipulating that it would cease if the Company’s business became unprofitable three years in a row. With the rise of its governor, Lord Cutler Beckett, the Company expanded into the Caribbean in 1740.

Maybe you’ve already seen this symbol but you don’t really know its meaning, so let me

help you! The East India Company uses a known trademark that is registered and

painted on all goods loaded on ships. The symbol is a cross of three branches, each

separating the initials of the Company (EICo for "East India Company"), which also

appears on the flags of the ships of the Company, be they merchant or military.

Moreover, it was also used in order to threaten and to keep pirates away.

This is my governor, Lord

Cutler Beckett; he made lots

of expeditions for the

Crown. I think that he’s an

example we must follow ! I’ll tell you how Lord Beckett contributed to our world. He signed the

EIC and benefited from an agreement which was signed between

England and the large « Moghol Jahagir ». This pact opened the gate

of India : Burma, Singapore, Hong Kong and some trading posts in

China.

With commercial trips sponsored by British merchants hoping to enjoy paprika, cotton, silk, indigo, ivory, saltpetre and tea, the Company grew in size and power. The uniform of the officers working for the Company was different from that of the officers of the Royal Navy. The Company branded the pirates it captured with a “P”. The Company was managed from its headquarters in London by a governor and 24 directors who formed the Court of Directors, managing the administrative affairs. The East India Company looked to the Caribbean because of its rich plantations. This expansion was led by its governor, Lord Cutler Beckett, based in Port Royal, the seat of the British Empire in Jamaica, which he took control of. The Company’s trade grew in all the Caribbean and was enriched by the exorbitant fees and surcharges it charged merchants who went to ports controlled by the Company, an action that was equivalent to legal piracy, which could be even worse.

Forum

Well well well…

Do you know his

favorite flavor or

is it a secret ? ;)

Let me tell you… He

loves a lemon tea with

a bit of milk... Don’t

tell him that it was

me !

Do you have any left?

Let’s make a deal …

Tell me the secret of

your tea and I’ll give

you the key ….

I’m sorry, I don’t do

deals with an octopus.

Please follow my adventures !

Very interesting. Well

done Theodore !

According to a legend that nobody really knows… tea

was really important for him… It was his guilty

pleasure ! For him, it was a delicate drink which

allowed him to create his machavellian plans or

strategies ! Moreover, he did have a sense of honor,

drinking tea on his flagship the HMS Endeavor before

going into battle. He was also manipulative and

smooth talking, and would use any means necessary

to get what he wanted. He was passionate about the

details of the teapot. If he hadn’t drunk his cup of tea,

then the fight was already lost ! I think that his

passion led him to the East India Company !

Tea had been introduced to Europe in the middle

of the seventeenth century. After 1704, its

consumption became popular in England. To

meet the public's demand the company sought

regular access to China but faced resistance from

the Chinese government. To pay for the tea, the

ships carried mainly silver. The Chinese were little

interested in European manufactures. Black tea

mixed with milk and sugar became a staple in

Britain’s industrialised cities, and companies such

as the EIC grew thanks to the import of tea leaves

into the United Kingdom.

Tea in Jane Austen’s novels All my inspiration comes from her famous novels : Pride and Prejudice

& Sense and Sensibility.

Love Kate.

Hi everybody. My name is

Kate and I’m really happy

to talk with you today! It’s

been a long time since I

posted and I’m really sorry,

but presently I’m going to

show you my article about

tea in Jane Austen’s novels!

Don’t forget the forum if

you have questions.

Xoxo, Kate.

This novel takes place in the aristocracy in England.

Traditionally, a lot of aristocrats drink tea all the

time.

At that time, tea was a way to discuss. In this novel

especially, tea time allows characters to talk about

money or marriage settlement.

(Don’t forget if you take some tea with aristocrats,

don’t add sugar or milk : it’s frowned upon...)

@little_story_of_kate

Forum time @Mary : Hello I'm not sure about something… Why you don’t put

some sugar or milk in the tea in the

aristocracy? Thanks for you answer

guys.

Xoxo.

@Lucy : Hi Mary, according to

custom, sugar and milk mask the soft

flavour of the tea. Only the lower

and working classes add milk and

sugar because the tea is too strong

without.

Love , Lucy

In this novel, tea allows to exteriorize one’s

feelings. Both sisters are dealing with a big

conflict that mingles love, money, and treason.

English cottage

This photo is a illustration of a typical

English drawing-room where tea was

usually served. It allows us to be immersed

in the atmosphere of Jane Austen’s novels.

Love, Kate

Hello ! Welcome to my blog , my name is Mulan and today we will be talking about tea in movies and TV shows. And I am going to show you how tea takes place in the movie of my life made by Disney. Enjoy!

Tea in movies and series

Name : Mulan Surname : Fa Date of Birth: 06/19/1998 Place of birth: China Sex: F

In movies, tea is also portrayed as an integral part of life, not just something to have when one isn’t feeling well, the way Hollywood shows it . For example: the scene in “Working Girl” when Harrison Ford’s character offers a totally tired Melanie Griffith’s character a cup of tea because, as he says, it always sounds good to him when he’s in her condition. Several British films made during or shortly after World War II show tea being readily available in railway station snack rooms and in tea rooms. The tea is usually already brewed and kept warm in a large dispenser (like a large coffee urn) with a plug. Sugar and milk are routine additions. Something about this image seems very welcoming. To the British, nothing says hospitality like a good cup of tea.

Previous Next

Tea in movies Furthermore in: “To the Manor Born,” “Inspector Morse” (especially the episode “The Ghost in the Machine” where the hostess asks Morse if he wants Indian or Chinese). These show a much different approach to tea. I know that there is a teapot that had been pre-warmed with hot water. There is also loose tea being spooned into a teapot that was then carried over to the stove where the kettle was just reaching a perfect boil, the steaming water being poured in over those dried leaves, so full of flavor and the promise of a delightful taste. That is a very appreciated beverage cherished all over the world, starting in China thousands of years ago. This was how I wanted to experience tea, not just as a bag full of leaves or dust.

In the movie of my life called “Mulan”, for example, there are a few scenes where you can see me preparing or drinking some Chinese tea, but I would like to focus on a special scene where I have a good manners test and I have to serve the tea.

Previous Next

Thanks to these moments we can observe that the tea is something very important for Chinese people: it is a part of their traditions because there is a way to serve it and it is very different from that in the United Kingdom.

Forum Kevin : Hi Mulan, how r u ? Your blog is cool and very informative, but I wanted to know why you chose this subject rather than another ? Sarah: Hey guys , to answer Kevin, I think she chose tea in movies to make the link with the movie of her life and also to show us that the Chinese have other tea traditions that in the UK as she said. Austin : I totally agree with you Sarah, good explanation dude! Elle: I think that you said something very interesting Sarah, but Mulan, is what Sarah said right? Is it what you wanted to say?

The Boston

•Hello dear readers, my name is Thomas

Hutchinson. I was born in 1711 and died in

1780. For three years between 1771 and

1774, I was the governor of the province of

Massachusetts Bay. During The Boston Tea

Party, indeed, I forbade boats to leave without

unloading their cargo.

What is The Boston Tea Party ?

The BTP was a political revolt led in Boston against the

British Parliament which took place on 16th December

1773. That event participated in engendering the birth

of the United States of America.

Indeed in May 1773, the Tea Act was voted and it

imposed a new tax on tea on us, the American people,

even if we had NO member in Parliament to represent

us. This institution had been created by Elizabeth I

because of an economic crisis in Great Britain. We

were offended and not able to do anything.

Man of the day

When boats were ready to

unload, we took our chance to

revolt against the English Crown: I

forbade boats to leave .

However people in the colonies

climbed into in the boats to throw

the tea in the sea. We did not

understand at that moment, but

it was maybe the best thing to do.

The arrival of boats in an American harbor

The throwing of tea overboard by colonists.

Tea Party A Little More

Nowadays, we can find different ways

of remembering The Boston Tea Party,

for example, in the video game

Assassin's Creed III, in which there is a

mission which takes place during The

BTP.

Forum

Hi ! You talked about the BTP but you

don't mention the end of the revolt.

Yes, you are right, at the end of the BTP, the

British Parliament decided to make us pay for this

revolt and increased the taxes. This led to the

American Revolution.

Where did the boats come from?

They came from London, and before it was from

the British colonies in the East.

Join us here

Cover of the videogame

Modern Tea box