Convention of 1859

Convention of 1859. The Convention of 1859 was a significant diplomatic agreement signed between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing dynasty of China. It sought to clarify and implement certain provisions of the earlier Treaty of Tientsin, which had concluded the Second Opium War. The convention primarily addressed the contentious issue of foreign diplomatic residence in Beijing and the ratification process for the main treaty, becoming a flashpoint that led directly to a resumption of hostilities.

Background and context

The Convention of 1859 emerged from the unresolved tensions following the Treaty of Tientsin, signed in June 1858. That treaty, forced upon the Qing dynasty by Britain and France, ended the initial phase of the Second Opium War. Key provisions included the opening of additional treaty ports, freedom of movement for Christian missionaries, and the establishment of permanent foreign legations in Beijing. The Xianfeng Emperor and his court, particularly officials like Sengge Rinchen, were deeply resistant to the clause allowing foreign diplomats to reside in the capital, viewing it as a profound violation of tributary system protocols and a threat to imperial prestige. The treaty required formal ratification within a year, setting the stage for a diplomatic confrontation. The political landscape was further complicated by the ongoing Taiping Rebellion, which drained the dynasty's military and financial resources.

Negotiations and key figures

In June 1859, British envoy Frederick Bruce, brother of Lord Elgin, arrived off the coast of Tianjin aboard HMS *Furious* to exchange ratifications. He was accompanied by a formidable naval squadron under Admiral James Hope. The Qing dynasty was represented by senior officials Gui Liang and Hua Shana, who had been instructed to divert the foreign party to the quieter port of Beitang for negotiations, away from the fortified Dagu Forts. Bruce, insisting on the right to proceed directly to Tianjin and then Beijing as per his interpretation of the Treaty of Tientsin, refused this alternate route. The negotiations, conducted under mutual suspicion, quickly broke down. Frederick Bruce demanded unconditional adherence to the original terms, while the Qing representatives, under pressure from the Xianfeng Emperor and Sengge Rinchen, sought to renegotiate the clause on diplomatic residence.

Terms and provisions

The short-lived convention, signed on 28 June 1859 by Lord Elgin's proxy and Gui Liang, contained several specific articles. It formally confirmed the ratification of the Treaty of Tientsin. A central provision stipulated that the British ambassador would reside permanently in Beijing, or would at least have the right to make periodic visits to the capital. The convention also attempted to finalize the details for the opening of new ports, including Tianjin itself. However, the agreement was immediately rendered moot by the military clash at the Dagu Forts. The Qing court subsequently repudiated the document, arguing it had been signed under duress and without proper imperial authorization.

Aftermath and consequences

The immediate aftermath of the convention's signing was violent and decisive. Determined to force passage to Beijing, Admiral James Hope ordered an attack on the Dagu Forts on 25 June 1859. The assault resulted in a stunning defeat for the Royal Navy, with several gunboats sunk and heavy casualties. This victory emboldened the Xianfeng Emperor and Sengge Rinchen, leading to the formal rejection of the Convention of 1859. The defeat, however, provoked a massive military response from Britain and France. The subsequent allied expedition, led again by Lord Elgin and Jean-Baptiste Louis Gros, captured the Dagu Forts in 1860, advanced on Beijing, and resulted in the destruction of the Old Summer Palace. This culminated in the signing of the Convention of Peking, which harshly enforced and expanded upon the original Treaty of Tientsin.

Legacy and historical assessment

Historically, the Convention of 1859 is viewed as a critical diplomatic failure that made the Battle of Taku Forts and the final, devastating phase of the Second Opium War inevitable. It highlighted the fundamental clash between the Westphalian diplomatic system insisted upon by Britain and the Sinocentric world order defended by the Qing dynasty. The event underscored the intransigence of the Xianfeng Emperor's court and the determination of British imperialists to secure their demands by force. The ultimate consequence was the Convention of Peking, which further eroded China's sovereignty and cemented the unequal treaty system. The episode remains a potent symbol of imperialist aggression in modern Chinese historiography and a key case study in the collapse of Qing diplomatic policy.

Category:1859 treaties Category:Treaties of the Qing dynasty Category:Treaties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922) Category:Second Opium War Category:Treaties concluded in 1859