HIS LEGACY
After he was banished and life's work destroyed by leaving the government, Lin actually still made a comeback to redeem himself to the Qing Government. In his exile, he worked on irrigation projects, river dike repairs, and helped the Chinese world in any way he could. He was later put back in government for his loyalty and devotion, after the wars were over, becoming governor-general of two provinces. Later, as he led an army to stop the Taiping Rebellion, he died on the way on 1850.
In this project, one might ask: Why is Lin even important? In a cynical way of thought, all he did of significance was fighting some traders and writing a letter to the Queen of Britain. Yet, even though he lacked direct actions towards the wars, his indirect impacts, legacies, and significances were very important.
First and foremost, his death signified the end of an old age in China and transition to the modern world. In a world where free and worldwide trade were important, China's old thoughts, like the deeply Confucian ones of Lin (i.e. obedience and sticking to tradition), simply did not work anymore. His prominence as a government figure and fall only helped quicken imperial China's end, paving the way for Marxist, Capitalist, and later Communist ideas coming in to China. China was no longer the great country that lives in tales in Marco Polo's time; the 17th century was a time where trade power was everything. Like the Qing government, he could not have stopped this fall.
Yet, though Lin made many mistakes, he was still regarded as a national hero and inspiration for his spirit and patriotism. His loyalty to his country was something unrivaled by many, which lived on forever in history books. He has statues in New York and all over China, and even now, the day he burned opium at Humen is China's anti-drug day. Even though he didn't have the same mindsets of Chinese nationalists, he was still respected and seen as a source of inspiration.
Finally, as talked about from earlier, Lin set off the movement in China named later as the "Self-Strengthening Movement." As he was caught between two opposite ends of how to progress as a nation (Dynastic rule and British Capitalism), it was only natural for him to try to find a balance.
In this project, one might ask: Why is Lin even important? In a cynical way of thought, all he did of significance was fighting some traders and writing a letter to the Queen of Britain. Yet, even though he lacked direct actions towards the wars, his indirect impacts, legacies, and significances were very important.
First and foremost, his death signified the end of an old age in China and transition to the modern world. In a world where free and worldwide trade were important, China's old thoughts, like the deeply Confucian ones of Lin (i.e. obedience and sticking to tradition), simply did not work anymore. His prominence as a government figure and fall only helped quicken imperial China's end, paving the way for Marxist, Capitalist, and later Communist ideas coming in to China. China was no longer the great country that lives in tales in Marco Polo's time; the 17th century was a time where trade power was everything. Like the Qing government, he could not have stopped this fall.
Yet, though Lin made many mistakes, he was still regarded as a national hero and inspiration for his spirit and patriotism. His loyalty to his country was something unrivaled by many, which lived on forever in history books. He has statues in New York and all over China, and even now, the day he burned opium at Humen is China's anti-drug day. Even though he didn't have the same mindsets of Chinese nationalists, he was still respected and seen as a source of inspiration.
Finally, as talked about from earlier, Lin set off the movement in China named later as the "Self-Strengthening Movement." As he was caught between two opposite ends of how to progress as a nation (Dynastic rule and British Capitalism), it was only natural for him to try to find a balance.