History of the opium problem : the assault on the East, ca. 1600-1950 / by Hans Derks.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Derks, Hans, 1938-

Series:

Sinica Leidensia ; v. 105.

Sinica Leidensia ; v. 105

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Opium abuse--Asia--History.

Opium abuse.

Opium trade--Asia--History.

Opium trade.

East and West.

Imperialism--Social aspects.

Imperialism.

History.

Asia.

Physical Description:

xxvi, 824 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2012.

Summary:

Taking primarily a perpetrator's view, Dutch sociologist Derks provides a history of the production, consumption, and distribution of opium and its derivatives from the time they form an objective political, social, economic, or cultural problem in a specific period and place. He argues that the first time in world history this happened was on the west coast of India--Malabar or Kerala--after 1660 due to the Dutch assault in the framework of establishing their Asian trade empire. Before this time, he says, there was opium consumption but no opium problem, and after this time all the other opium-imperialists followed the Dutch example to one degree or another. His story encompasses the opium problem, the British assault, the Dutch assault, the French assault, the new imperialists, the victims, and the story of the snake and its tail. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9789004221581

9004221581

OCLC:

772715703