- Production of a tea in emperor rise of the middle kingdom full#
- Production of a tea in emperor rise of the middle kingdom free#
Earlier tea caddies were made of either porcelain or faience. Until about 1800 they were called tea canisters rather than caddies. 1) They had lids or stoppers, likewise of china, and were most frequently blue and white. The earliest examples that came to Europe were of Chinese porcelain, and approximated in shape to the ginger-jar. The word Caddy is believed to be derived from catty, the Chinese pound, equal to about a pound and a third avoirdupois. Because it was such a valuable commodity those who could afford to buy it wanted to preserve its quality and keep it safe, which leads to The Tea Caddy. In 1701 less than 70lb of tea was imported rising to about a million by 1730 and nearing twenty million by the last decade of the century.Īs the eighteenth century progressed and demand rose, the inevitable result was greed for more profits by more people – and especially the Exchequer. The government of the day saw its chance of augmenting revenue by imposing heavy import duties on tea, which was perceived to be a rare and precious beverage. There, the Company established their warehouses and carried their transactions through the Chinese Hong merchants. It allowed them to stay in the trading quarters, down river from Canton and only during the trading season.
Production of a tea in emperor rise of the middle kingdom free#
China did not allow free range to foreign traders. In 1637 the first Company ships sailed to China with a view to exploring trading possibilities in the Far East. The whole operation was administered by the British East India Company, which was set up in 1600 and granted trading rights in India early in the 17th century by the Mogul Emperor. The opium was derived from the poppy, grown in Britishcontrolled India for the purpose of selling it to China. Many grand houses and fortunes were made and sustained by trading opium for tea. Many an English bank was set up on money earned from opium and tea dealing. However, the ups and downs of tea are much more complex and can only be glimpsed at by understanding the underpinning policy of trade colonisation which links it with opium. More teahouses and tea gardens opened and more homes prepared it as an after dinner delight. Even so, legitimate imports continued to rise making tea more accessible to a wider section of society. Smuggling and adulteration with, amongst other things, dried sheep droppings and cow dung, became rife. This made it impossible for poor people to afford and, amongst other ways, they obtained their tea by buying second hand leaves from inns. There were claims of £10 a pound early on but by the end of the eighteenth century it settled to about 16 shillings per pound. It is not easy to be certain how much tea was sold for. William Pitt tried to address this problem in his Commutation Act of 1784, which reduced taxes on tea and halved its price. However by the second half of the 18th century, smuggled tea was so widely available, that it was a matter of course (even for respectable people) to buy it illegally for less money. Tea was – and remained extremely expensive for over a hundred years and therefore sparingly used.Īt first tea was only sold through apothecaries, coffee houses, snuff shops and through shops catering for ladies needs. Holland and Portugal were fifty years ahead of England in importing tea. In 1662 when Charles II married the Portuguese Catherine of Braganza, she introduced tea to the English Court.
It was prepared in advance in large containers for the excise man to levy his duty before it was sold. At first, the drink was enjoyed in the established coffee houses frequented by the intellectuals and the men of the world. In England people accorded it time and space and this alone must have had the effect of producing a sense of wellbeing. The health benefits of tea were known in the East for thousands of years. At the time of its introduction, tea was believed to be therapeutic as well as delicious. We also have to realise that the tea and opium trade were inextricably interlinked.
Production of a tea in emperor rise of the middle kingdom full#
To understand the full impact of the importation of tea we have to consider the fiscal implications of this newly introduced commodity. Tea was pivotal in the history of Britain in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Together with the fragrant leaf came the respect for this drink and the ceremonial way in which it was to be prepared and drunk. Although there are earlier references of its use by traders in China, it was not until 1657 that we have the first account of its sale in England. Tea was introduced to England from China sometime in the middle of the 17th century. TEA AND THE TEA CADDY A BRIEF STUDY OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF TEA AND ITS CONTAINERS