Charles Elliot (義律)

Overview

The translated histories identify Charles Elliot as a diplomat, envoy, and official. This record brings together 9 passages from 2 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Charles Elliot	義律	Yilü
Title	British consul	英國領事
Personal name	Charles Elliot	義律	Yìlǜ
Personal name	Charles Elliot	義律	Yilü
Alternate name	Elliot	義律

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · qingshigao:378:s0050
Value: male
Strongly inferred · qingshigao:369:s0046

Roles

Diplomat
Envoy
Official

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 十九年 · Western Year: AD 1839
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:378:s0051, qingshigao:378:s0049
Source Date: Text: 道光十九年至二十年 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1839 · End: AD 1840
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:369:s0046, qingshigao:369:s0081

Origins and identity

Name: British / 英國
Explicit · qingshigao:369:s0046

Career and standing

Label: British consul / 英國領事 · Action: held
Explicit · qingshigao:369:s0046

Places and affiliations

Polity: Britain / 英吉利 · Relation: served
Explicit · qingshigao:378:s0051

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: attacked-Kowloon · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 七月 · Western Year: AD 1839
Explicit · qingshigao:369:s0054
Kind: diplomatic · Role: counterpart · Action: opium-handover-and-conflict · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 十九年 · Western Year: AD 1839 · Other Person Id: Lin Zexu (林則徐)
Explicit · qingshigao:369:s0046, qingshigao:369:s0048, qingshigao:369:s0052
Kind: diplomatic · Role: consul · Action: refused restraint; war opened
Explicit · qingshigao:378:s0051
Kind: diplomatic · Role: petitioner · Action: wrote-to-Qishan-at-Tianjin · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 七月 · Western Year: AD 1840 · Other Person Id: Qishan (琦善)
Explicit · qingshigao:369:s0081

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 369Volume 369 Biographies 156: Lin Zexu, Deng Tingzhen, Da Hong A · 8 passages

Open chapter

檄諭英國領事義律查繳煙土，驅逐躉船，呈出煙土二萬餘箱，親蒞虎門驗收，焚於海濱，四十餘日始盡。 He ordered British consul Charles Elliot to surrender all opium and expel the receiving ships. More than 20,000 chests were turned over; Lin personally supervised their receipt at Humen and had them burned on the shore, a process that took more than forty days to complete.

他國皆聽命，獨義律枝梧未從。 Merchants of other nations complied, but Elliot alone stalled and refused.

義律請令赴澳門載貨，冀囤煙私販，嚴斥拒之，潛泊尖沙嘴外洋。 Elliot asked to be allowed to load cargo at Macao, evidently intending to stockpile opium for illicit sale. Lin refused him sharply, and Elliot lay at anchor secretly off Chunshui Tsui.

七月，義律藉索食為名，以貨船載兵犯九龍山砲台，參將賴恩爵擊走之。 In the seventh month Elliot, claiming he needed provisions, sent merchant ships carrying troops against the Kowloon Hill battery. Assistant Commander Lai Enjue repulsed them.

尋義律浼澳門洋酋轉圜，原令載煙之船回國，貨船聽官查驗。 Elliot soon asked the foreign chief at Macao to mediate, agreeing that opium ships would return home while cargo vessels would submit to official inspection.

九月，商船已具結進口，義律遣兵船阻之，開砲來攻，關天培率游擊麥廷章奮擊敗之。 In the ninth month merchant ships that had signed bonds were entering port when Elliot sent warships to block them and opened fire. Guan Tianpei, with Battalion Commander Mai Tingzhang, fought back vigorously and routed them.

七月，義律至天津，投書總督琦善，言廣東燒煙之釁，起自則徐及鄧廷楨二人，索價不與，又遭詬逐，故越境呈訴。 In the seventh month Elliot reached Tianjin and wrote to Governor Qishan, blaming Lin and Deng Tingzhen for the Guangdong opium burning, claiming they had refused compensation and driven him out, and had therefore come north to petition.

琦善至，義律要求賠償煙價，廈門、福州開埠通商，上怒，復命備戰。 When Qishan arrived, Elliot demanded compensation for the destroyed opium and the opening of Xiamen and Fuzhou to trade. The emperor was enraged and ordered war preparations resumed.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 378Volume 378 Biographies 165: Huang Juezi, Jin Yinglin, Chen Qingyong, Su Tingkui, Zhu Qi · 1 passage

Open chapter

英領事義律不就約束，兵釁遂開。 The British consul Charles Elliot refused to comply, and war broke out.