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Brief: This article recounts the Opium War era. Daoguang Emperor sent Lin Zexu to ban opium; Lin destroyed over 20,000 chests at Humen. Britain launched a war, defeated the Qing, and imposed the 1842 Treaty of Nanjing — China’s first unequal treaty, ceding Hong Kong and opening ports, starting a century of national humiliation.
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Brief: This article recounts the 1813 Forbidden Gate Incident. Members of the Tianli Sect attacked the Forbidden City with help from eunuchs. Prince Mianning (later Daoguang Emperor) defended the palace bravely. The shocked Jiaqing Emperor issued a self‑reproach edict. The crisis weakened his health and foreshadowed the Qing’s decline.