Bowring Treaty

Last updated
Bowring Treaty
Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Siam
Bowring Treaty (TH Ver) 001.jpg
Thai version of the Treaty, written on Thai black books, prior to being sent to Great Britain to be affixed with the Royal seal.
TypeTreaty
Signed18 April 1855
Location Bangkok, Siam
Parties
Language Thai and English
Full text
Wikisource-logo.svg Bowring Treaty at Wikisource

The Bowring Treaty was a treaty signed between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Siam on 18 April 1855. The treaty had the primary effect of liberalizing foreign trade in Siam, and was signed by five Siamese plenipotentiaries (among them Wongsa Dhiraj Snid, one of the King's half-brothers) and Sir John Bowring, the British envoy and colonial governor of Hong Kong.

Contents

Background

The Burney Treaty had been signed between the Kingdom of Siam and the British Empire in 1826, coming about as a result of the two powers having a mutual opposition to the Ava Kingdom. [1] That treaty had failed to settle commercial issues, leading to the arrival of Sir John Bowring to Siam in order to negotiate a new one. The treaty negotiated by him allowed free trade by foreign merchants in Bangkok, as all foreign trade had previously been subject to heavy taxation by the Siamese Crown. [2] The treaty also allowed the establishment of a British consulate in Bangkok and guaranteed its full extraterritorial powers, and allowed British subjects to own land in Siam. [1]

Contents

The regulations in short were:

  1. British subjects were placed under consular jurisdiction—Britons could not be prosecuted by local Siamese authorities without consent from the British government. Thus, for the first time, Siam granted extraterritoriality to aliens from Great Britain.
  2. British subjects were given the right to trade freely in all seaports, and to reside permanently in Bangkok. They were to be allowed to buy and rent property in the environs of Bangkok; namely, in the area more than four miles from city walls but less than twenty four hours' journey from the city (calculated from the average speed of Siamese watercraft). British subjects were also to be allowed to travel freely in the interior with passes provided by the consul.
  3. Measurement duties were abolished and import and export duties fixed.
    1. The import duty was fixed at three percent for all articles, with two exceptions: opium was to be free of duty, but it had to be sold by the opium producer, and bullion was to be free of duty.
    2. Articles of export were to be taxed just once, whether the tax was called an inland tax, a transit duty, or an export duty.
  4. British merchants were to be allowed to buy and sell directly with individual Siamese subjects without interference from any third party.
  5. The Siamese government reserved the right to prohibit the export of salt, rice, and fish whenever these articles were deemed to be scarce in the country. [3]

Effects

The treaty's largest effect (after liberalizing foreign trade) was the legalization of opium exports into Siam, which had previously been banned by the Siamese Crown. [4] [5] The treaty was similar in nature to the unequal treaties signed between the Qing government and various Western powers after the First and Second Opium Wars. The Siamese delegation was concerned about Bowring's intentions given the fact that negotiations between Siam and the British Rajah of Sarawak, Sir James Brooke, just five years earlier had ended badly; Brooke had threatened to dispatch his fleet to bombard Siamese ports after negotiations broke down. [6] Despite this, Bowring established an amiable relationship between the Siamese delegation, being welcomed like foreign royalty and showered with pomp (including a 21-gun salute). Though Bowring had become frustrated by the obstinate attitudes of Qing diplomats, he relished the friendly attitude shown by the Siamese, which allowed for the treaty to be negotiated in far smoother terms than other treaties he negotiated. [6] [7] The treaty eventually led other Western powers to sign their own bilateral treaties, based on the terms set by the Bowring Treaty. [1] American diplomat Townsend Harris, while on his way to Japan, was delayed in Bangkok for a month by finalization of the Bowring Treaty, but had only to negotiate over a few minor points to convert it into the 1856 Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation with Siam. [8] The Bowring Treaty in particular ensured that the Western powers would not intervene in Siam's internal affairs, and allowed for Siam to remain an independent nation (in contrast to its neighbors). [2] The treaty is now credited by historians with ensuring the economic rejuvenation of Bangkok, as it created a framework in which multilateral trade could operate freely in Southeast Asia, notably between China, Singapore, and Siam. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

Treaty of Nanking 1842 treaty between Qing China and Britain which ceded Hong Kong and ended the First Opium War

The Treaty of Nanking (Nanjing) was the peace treaty which ended the First Opium War (1839–1842) between Great Britain and the Qing dynasty of China on 29 August 1842.

First Opium War 1839–1842 war between Great Britain and China

The Anglo-Chinese War, also known as the Opium War or the First Opium War, was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese seizure of private opium stocks at Canton to stop the banned opium trade, and threatening the death penalty for future offenders. The British government insisted on the principles of free trade and equal diplomatic recognition among nations, and backed the merchants' demands. The British navy defeated the Chinese using technologically superior ships and weapons, and the British then imposed a treaty that granted territory to Britain and opened trade with China. Twentieth century nationalists considered 1839 the start of a century of humiliation, and many historians considered it the beginning of modern Chinese history.

Treaty ports Ports in East Asia opened to trade with Western countries

Treaty ports were the port cities in China and Japan that were opened to foreign trade mainly by the unequal treaties forced upon them by Western powers, as well as cities in Korea opened up similarly by the Japanese Empire.

Opium Wars Two 19th-century conflicts involving China and the British Empire

The Opium Wars were two wars waged between the Qing dynasty and Western powers in the mid-19th century. The First Opium War, fought in 1839–1842 between Qing China and the United Kingdom, was a conflict triggered by the dynasty's campaign to enforce its prohibition of opium against British and American merchants who sold opium produced in India and Turkey. The Second Opium War was fought between the Qing and the United Kingdom and France, 1856–1860. In each war, the European force's modern military technology led to easy victory over the Qing forces, with the consequence that the Qing government was compelled to grant favourable tariffs, trade concessions, reparations and territory to the Europeans.

In international law, extraterritoriality is the state of being exempted from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations.

Mongkut King of Siam (Thailand) from 1851 to 1868

Mongkut was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai is Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibodi Sri Sinthara Mahamakut Phra Mongkut Phra Siam Deva Mahamakut Wittaya Maharaj.

Treaty of Tientsin 1858 unequal treaty between Qing China and the UK, France, Russia, and the US

The Treaty of Tientsin, also known as the Treaty of Tianjin, is a collective name for several documents signed at Tianjin in June 1858. The Qing dynasty, Russian Empire, Second French Empire, United Kingdom, and the United States were the parties involved. These treaties, counted by the Chinese among the so-called unequal treaties, opened more Chinese ports to foreign trade, permitted foreign legations in the Chinese capital Beijing, allowed Christian missionary activity, and effectively legalized the import of opium. They ended the first phase of the Second Opium War, which had begun in 1856 and were ratified by the Emperor of China in the Convention of Peking in 1860, after the end of the war.

Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932) Fourth kingdom in the history of Thailand (1782 to 1932)

The Rattanakosin Kingdom, or known as Siam is the fourth and present Thai kingdom in the history of Thailand, which was formerly known as Siam until 1939, and briefly in 1946. It was founded in 1782 with the establishment of Rattanakosin (Bangkok), which replaced the city of Thonburi as the capital of Siam. This article covers the period until the Siamese revolution of 1932.

Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan) 1858 trade agreement between the U.S. and Tokugawa Japan

The Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and the United States, also called the Harris Treaty was a treaty signed between the United States and Tokugawa Shogunate, which opened the ports of Kanagawa and four other Japanese cities to trade and granted extraterritoriality to foreigners, among a number of trading stipulations. It was signed on the deck of the USS Powhatan in Edo Bay on July 29, 1858.

Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation 1894 treaty between the United Kingdom and Japan

The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation signed by Britain and Japan, on 16 July 1894, was a breakthrough agreement; it heralded the end of the unequal treaties and the system of extraterritoriality in Japan. The treaty came into force on 17 July 1899.

Somdet Chaophraya Sri Suriwongse

Somdet Chaophraya Borom Maha Sri Suriwongse, whose personal name was Chuang Bunnag, was a prominent 19th century Thai figure who served as the regent during the early years of the reign of King Chulalongkorn.

The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 or Bangkok Treaty of 1909 was a treaty between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Siam signed on 10 March 1909, in Bangkok. Ratifications were exchanged in London on 9 July 1909, and the treaty established the modern Malaysia–Thailand border. The area around modern Pattani, Narathiwat, southernmost Songkhla, Satun, and Yala remained under Thai control, where decades later the South Thailand insurgency would erupt. Thailand relinquished its claims to sovereignty over Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu which entered the British sphere of influence as protectorates. These four states, along with Johor, later became known as the Unfederated Malay States.

Burney Treaty Treaty between the Kingdom of Siam and Great Britain in 1826

The treaty between Kingdom of Siam and Great Britain commonly known as the Burney Treaty was signed at Bangkok on 20 June 1826 by Henry Burney, an agent of British East India Company, for Britain, and King Rama III for Siam. It followed an earlier treaty of 24 February 1826, in which Siam became an ally of Britain against the Kingdom of Ava (Burma), with which Britain was at war. A Siamese army was raised and equipped, but took no serious part in the war due to ill-feeling and suspicion arising from the Siamese invasion of Kedah in 1821.

The Treaty of the Bogue was a treaty between China and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, concluded in October 1843 to supplement the previous Treaty of Nanking. The treaty's key provisions granted extraterritoriality and most favored nation status to Britain.

Ansei Treaties 1858 series of Japanese treaties

The Ansei Treaties (Japanese:安政条約) or the Ansei Five-Power Treaties (Japanese:安政五カ国条約) are a series of treaties signed in 1858, during the Japanese Ansei era, between Japan on the one side, and the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Netherlands and France on the other. The first treaty, also called the Harris Treaty, was signed by the United States in July 1858, with France, Russia, Britain and the Netherlands quickly followed within the year: Japan applied to the other nations the conditions granted to the United States under the "most favoured nation" provision.

In countries outside of its borders, a foreign power often has extraterritorial rights over its official representation. If such concessions are obtained, they are often justified as protection of the foreign religion such as the ahdname or capitulations granted by the Ottoman Sultan to commercial Diasporas residing in the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan did not see this agreement as a bilateral agreement between equals, but merely as acknowledging the nation of foreigners living within his territory and offering them privileges similar to those given to non-Ottoman subjects. However, the European states viewed the ahdname as formal and official and therefore had difficulty enforcing the privileges to their satisfaction on many occasions.

The Treaty of Amity and Commerce between His Majesty the Magnificent King of Siam and the United States of America, or Roberts Treaty of 1833, was the first treaty between the United States and an Asian nation.

History of opium in China Aspect of history

The history of opium in China began with the use of opium for medicinal purposes during the 7th century. In the 17th century the practice of mixing opium with tobacco for smoking spread from Southeast Asia, creating a far greater demand.

The Mackay Treaty was a sixteen article treaty signed by the governments of Great Britain and the Chinese Qing dynasty on 5 September 1902. Under the terms of the treaty, the likin system of taxation was abolished and the first moves made to abolish extraterritoriality for foreign nationals.

Robert Hunter (merchant)

Robert Hunter was a Scottish merchant and unofficial diplomat in Siam during the reign of King Rama III. Hunter settled in Bangkok in 1824 and served as an intermediary between Westerners and the court until his departure from the country in 1844 over a trade dispute with the king.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Siam"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 7.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ode to Friendship, Celebrating Singapore-Thailand Relations: Introduction". National Archives of Singapore. 2004. Archived from the original on 2007-03-03. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
  3. ↑ Ingram, James C (1971). Economic Change in Thailand 1850-1970 . Palo Alto: Stanford University Press. pp.  34. ISBN   9780804707824.
  4. ↑ Peter Dale Scott, Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus, 1 Nov. 2010, Volume 8 | Issue 44 | Number 2, "Operation Paper: The United States and Drugs in Thailand and Burma" 米国とタイ・ビルマの麻薬
  5. ↑ Carl A. Trocki, "Drugs, Taxes, and Chinese Capitalism in Southeast Asia," in Opium Regimes: China, Britain, and Japan, 1839–1952, ed. Timothy Brook and Bob Tadashi Wakabayashi (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000), p. 99
  6. 1 2 "King Mongkut—the Scholar King at the Crossroad in Thai History". Government of Thailand Public Relations Department. 2004-08-20. Retrieved 2007-04-24.[ dead link ]
  7. ↑ "Impacts of Trade liberalization under the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) of the World Trade Organization: A Case Study of Rice". Rural Reconstruction and Friends Alumni, Asia Pacific Research Network. 2002-12-01. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
  8. ↑ "Royal Gifts from Thailand: 1b. Harris Treaty of 1856". National Museum of Natural History . June 21, 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.