Modern Era
Destruction of Opium at Humen (1839): Lin Zexu's Stand
More than 1,000 tonnes of opium were destroyed; the confrontation with Britain that followed led to the First Opium War.
Region
Asia
Modern Era
First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842): The Retreat from Kabul
British failure; the Kabul garrison was destroyed in retreat, and after a punitive campaign Britain withdrew and Dost Mohammad returned to power.
Modern Era
First Opium War (1839-1842): Britain, China and the Opium Trade
British victory; the Treaty of Nanking ceded Hong Kong, opened five treaty ports and began the era of unequal treaties.
Modern Era
Treaty of Nanking (1842): The First of China's Unequal Treaties
China ceded Hong Kong Island, opened five ports, abolished the Cohong and paid 21 million dollars, beginning the era of unequal treaties.
Modern Era
Anglo-Sikh Wars (1845-1849): The British Conquest of the Punjab
British victory in both wars; the Sikh Empire was annexed by the East India Company in March 1849.
Modern Era
Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864): Hong Xiuquan's Heavenly Kingdom
The Qing dynasty survived after retaking Nanjing in 1864, but the war devastated central China and shifted military power to regional armies.
Modern Era
Nian Rebellion (1851-1868): Cavalry Insurgency in Northern China
The Nian were defeated in 1868 after Qing commanders used blockade lines and regional armies to pin down their cavalry.
Modern Era
Perry Expedition (1853-1854): The Black Ships Open Japan
The Convention of Kanagawa of 31 March 1854 opened Shimoda and Hakodate to American ships and began the end of Japan's seclusion policy.
Modern Era
Third Plague Pandemic (1855-1960): Bubonic Plague Returns
Bubonic plague killed an estimated 12 to 15 million people, mostly in India and China, and research during the pandemic identified the plague bacterium and its spread by rat fleas.
Modern Era
Panthay Rebellion (1856-1873): Du Wenxiu's Sultanate in Yunnan
The Qing retook Dali in late 1872 and the last rebel strongholds in 1873, after years of war that sharply reduced Yunnan's population.
Modern Era
Second Opium War (1856-1860): Britain, France and the Qing Empire
Anglo-French victory; the Treaties of Tianjin and the Convention of Peking opened more ports, legalised the opium trade, placed envoys in Beijing and ceded Kowloon to Britain.
Modern Era
Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi: Warrior Queen of the 1857 Rebellion
Jhansi fell to British forces in April 1858, and the Rani was killed in battle near Gwalior on 17 or 18 June 1858.