James Flint and the 1759 Petition: The Influence of British Intermediaries on the East India Company's China Trade and Sino-British Encounters

2025/08/06 by Gongchen Yang · 1 voice
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Historical Economic and Social Studies #Colonialism, slavery, and trade #Australian History and Society

paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/03086534.2025.2540304

Abstract

This article reexamines a pivotal yet understudied episode in Sino-British relations: the British East India Company's 1759 petition to the Qing Emperor. It highlights the critical role of intermediaries in the Company's eighteenth-century trade with China. Central to this exploration is James Flint, the Company's first Chinese interpreter, whose life and career, drawn from previously overlooked biographical sources, illustrate the complexities of cultural interactions in Qing China. Flint's experience underscores how diverse groups navigated the cultural contact zones, shaping both Sino-British relations and the Company's ties with the British state. By situating Flint's case within a broader context, the article also illuminates key themes, including the interaction between the metropole and the Company, the Canton system, the tributary system, and intellectual exchanges between Britain and China.

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