Righteousness before Revenue: The Forgotten Moral Crusade against the Indo-Chinese Opium Trade

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Abstract
The earliest moral crusade against opiates occurred in Britain. The Society for the Suppression of the Opium Trade (SSOT) was led by Quakers and Protestant missionaries to China who attempted to end the Indo-Chinese opium trade by mobilizing public opinion and agitating in Parliament. In 1893, the anti-opiumists had gained so much political power that they almost ended the trade. However, the British government, by appointing a Royal Commission on Opium (1893–95), managed to delay ending the trade for a dozen years. In 1906, the anti-opiumists and growing international pressure convinced the British to forgo the opium revenue. The moral claims of these anti-opiumists and their agitation against opium provided the basis for modern opium policy.

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