Set of five Parliamentary Papers on the Second Opium War and its aftermath, 1859-71:

Five scarce parliamentary reports covering the Second Opium War, the Taiping Rebellion, and the Tianjin Massacre. Together they represent the decade in the 'Century of Humiliation' that solidified the privileges of Western nations in China and freedom of religion and evangelisation by Christian missionaries.

The first paper contains letters sent during the Second Opium War 1859-61 between John Russell (1792-1878), then foreign secretary, to James Bruce, Earl of Elgin (1811-1863) and High Commissioner and Plenipotentiary in China, and his brother Frederick Bruce (1814-1867), envoy, superintendent, and right hand man. James Bruce looms large in the history of the China as the destroyer of the Old Summer Palace (Yuanming Yuan) in response to Chinese treatment of British prisoners: here the letter from Prince Kung that Elgin found unsatisfactory is given in full, as well as Elgin's reply stating that 'The demolition of Yuen-ming-yuen will take place immediately'.

The second and third papers relate to the Taiping Rebellion as it faltered in 1862 and 1863. Repeated attempts by the Taipings to capture Shanghai in 1861 and 1862 failed, in large part to the success of the British led 'Ever Victorious Army', and was the turning point for the Qing reconquest, at least in the eastern provinces. The Yangtze connected the Taiping capital Nanking with Shanghai, which threatened trade and was a considerable factor in Britain lending military support to the Qing dynasty. Many of the letters, and 5 maps, are concerned with Ningpo (Ningbo) which was in the hands of Taiping forces between 9 December 1861 and 10 May 1862.

The fourth and fifth papers cover the Tianjin Massacre of 1870 and the effects it had on the renegotiation of the 1858 Treaty of Tianjin. The Tianjin Massacre saw the French Catholic mission at Tianjin stormed and destroyed in a riot stirred up by rumours of child kidnapping and mutilation, with a death toll of around 60. The event was condemned by all sides but caused a major diplomatic incident between the Chinese, French, and British, and weakened the Chinese renegotiation of the Treaty of Tianjin. Included are the full set of articles agreed between the British Consul and China, as well as the letter revealing that the British government refused to ratify the terms.

Scarce, very few UK institutional copies (A few of each paper scattered amongst SOAS, BL, Kew, Cambridge, and Eton - fourth paper not found in any UK institution).

First editions; 5 vols in 1, 4to (32 x 22 cm); in total 11 lithograph maps, 10 of which folding, discreet stamps to titles of vol 1 and 3; later half green calf, marbled boards, spine in six gilt ruled compartments with gilt red morocco lettering piece, all edges speckled red, a fine copy; viii, 275; iv, 158; vii, 196, [4]; vii, 247; viii, 467 pp.