Unequal treaties
Topic: Paths to Modernisation: Japan, China, Korea · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Unequal treaties were agreements forced on China, Japan and Korea in the 19th century. Western powers imposed them first, and Japan later did the same. They opened treaty ports, which were towns where foreigners could live and trade. They fixed tariffs (taxes on imports) at low rates. They also gave extraterritoriality, which meant foreigners were tried by their own consuls and not by local courts. For reformers in China, these treaties were a symbol of national humiliation and lost sovereignty.
Example
China signed the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842, after the first Opium War. It handed Hong Kong to Britain and opened five treaty ports, including Canton and Shanghai.
Don't confuse with
- Treaty of Kanagawa (1854): This was Japan's first treaty with the USA. It opened ports only for supplies. The full unequal trade treaties with tariff limits and extraterritoriality came in 1858.
Related concepts
- Commodore Perry
- Treaty of Kanagawa
- Meiji restoration
- Charter Oath 1868
- Fukoku kyohei
- Emperor system
- Meiji education system
- Imperial Rescript on Education
- Hiragana and katakana
- Satsuma Rebellion 1877