The opium monopoly in Hong Kong, 1844-1887

Abstract

(Uncorrected OCR) Abstract of thesis entitled 'The Opium Monopoly in Hong Kong, 1844 - 1887', submitted by CHEUNG TSUI PING, LUCY for the degree of MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY at the University of Hong Kong in SEPTEMBER, 1986.

The period between 1884 - 1887 was one of rapid consolidations following the establishment of Hong Kong

as a British Crown Colony. The British colonial administration and the local mercantile community began to establish a firm base for a major commodity - opium.

My thesis examines in detail the initiation and development of the monopoly/farm. This internal, small-

- scale retail sale of opium was handled by Chinese hongs.

The monopoly/farm was the colonial government's device to raise revenue through granting the right to the highest bidder to sell a certain amount of opium within Hong Kong. Although small in scale, the opium monopoly/farm had been a vital source of income to the colonial administration since its inception in 1844.�Besides being an important source of revenue indispensable to the smooth running of

a government, the monopoly/farm created social and economic repercussions within the Chinese communities in Hong Kong which brought about far-reaching results in the history

of the colony during its formative years. Moreover, the

opium monopoly/farm produced a number of wealthy Chinese businessmen in Hong Kong. Some of them, especially those in the 1870s and 1880s, were men of philanthropic disposition and they were socially involved in such a way that they became part of the channel of communication between the Hong Kong government and the Chinese communities.

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