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Mrs. Muller
Mrs. Jones
World History
November 6, 2014
Tea has had an interesting impact on the economic, political and cultural history of Great
Britain. Consumed in China for thousands of years before its discovery by western merchants, it quickly
became the beverage of choice in the British Isles and in its colonies. “Its popularity in Europe helped to
open lucrative trade routes with the East and underpinned imperialism and industrialization on an
unprecedented scale, enabling Britain to become the first global superpower.” (Standage 5). Cultivation
spread from China to India and Indonesia, and even to England.
In China, tea was first discovered, the legend goes, in 2737 B.C. “when a few leaves were stirred
by the wind. As his servant boiled drinking water in a pot, the leaves fell in and so accidentally resulted
in the world’s first cup of tea. To this day, every cup of tea enjoyed around the world comes from the
same plant; the Camellia sinensis.” (History of Tea). Tea has become known for its medicinal, social and
religious significance. By the end of the third century AD, tea had become China’s number one beverage,
and by the eighth century AD the Chinese were trading tea to Tibet, the Arab lands to the West, to the
Turks, to the nomadic tribes of the Himalayas, and along the “silk road” into India (A Brief History of
Tea). The cultivation of tea spread to Japan after it was introduced by Chinese merchants and monks.
During the Nara and Heian periods in Japan, many envoys were sent to Tang-dynasty China. On
several occasions, these envoys were accompanied by Japan's leading Buddhist scholars, including
Saicho, Kukai and Eichu. These Buddhist monks brought back with them tea seeds from Tang China,
which are said to be the origin of tea in Japan (History of Tea).
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Although there was increasing demand for tea, green tea did not hold up well during the long
shipping voyages. It was the European export market that first saw rise to the innovative introduction of
new processes that resulted in black tea. Allowing the leaves to oxidize naturally before drying resulted
in the dark color and produced a tea which stood up better to foreign export (A Brief History of Tea). The
British were desperate for tea because, especially in London, they could not drink water from their own
wells. It could kill them! So they drank beer, sometimes with breakfast (A Brief History of Tea). However,
it was not only because tea offered an alternative to beer for breakfast that it became popular in
England.
The reign of Charles II, begun in 1662, brought a number of changes crucial to the introduction
of tea in England. Catherine of Braganza, the queen-consort of Charles II of England, had much to do
with tea becoming a fashionable and widely drunk beverage. Portuguese traders imported it to their
homeland from the East, and its high price and exoticism helped it to become very fashionable in
aristocratic circles and at the royal court, where Catherine grew up. By the mid-seventeenth century, it
was very popular there. Tea had also gained popularity in elite society in Holland, through Dutch trade in
the East, and in neighbouring countries. But at this stage, Britain somewhat lagged behind. After their
marriage, Charles gave the East India Company “unprecedented powers to occupy by military force
places with which they wished to trade …so long as the people there were not Christians” (Catherine of
Braganza). Catherine also brought Bombay in India (now called Mumbai), as part of her dowry. This port
was taken over by the East India Company, for an annual rent of £10 in gold. (Catherine of Braganza).
The East India Company was “established as part of a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1600, at
its peak the company reportedly employed a third of the whole British workforce, accounted for around
half of the world's trade and dominated commodities such as cotton, silk, salt and tea.” (East India Co.
Eyes Branded Service Apartments). The famous English diarist Samuel Pepys first mentioned drinking tea
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in his diary entry for 25 September 1660. He wrote that he had been discussing foreign affairs with some
friends, 'And afterwards did send for a Cupp of Tee (a China drink) of which I never drank before.” (qtd.
In Catherine). This entry from his diary helps identify when tea first became a beverage for Englishmen
not of the nobility. In addition to providing an alternative to alcoholic drinks it happens that tea,
especially green tea promotes health as well.
In addition to the effect of tea on trade and commerce in England, the health effects of tea have long
been claimed. Just recently in the South African newspaper The Independent on Saturday, the journal
Osteoporosis International reported a study in which Chinese researchers analyzed data from almost
200,000 people from across the world. They found that drinking two to three cups of tea per day
reduced the risk of hip fractures by 37% (A cuppa - or three - a day can keep frail bones away). In a 2010
article, Dr. Carolyn M Matthews reported green tea has been shown to contain many health benefits—
“from cancer prevention, heart disease prevention, reduction of plaque and gingivitis, reduction of
insulin resistance, and reduction of hypertension, among others—that it could be considered a
panacea.” (142). Tea has been consumed in China for over 4000 years, and the Kissa Yojoki (Book of
Tea), written in 1191 by a Zen priest named Eisai, documents multiple medicinal uses for green tea. Still
another, in relating a tale about Bodidharma, the priest who is credited with the founding of Buddhism,
Esai states that, “in a fit of anger after repeatedly falling asleep while attempting to practice meditation,
Buddha cut off his eyelids. This is one reason why he was often portrayed in art with an intense wideeyed stare. Upon touching the ground, they sprung up as the first tea plant. The first two of these
legends are like others that seem intended to offer instruction in religious truths or in the importance of
concentration in religious practice. The third provided a folkloric basis for the traditional practice among
Zen monks of drinking strong tea in order to stay awake during meditation.” (qtd. In Stefon). It also
provided an account of the introduction of tea into East Asia.
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Works Cited
"A Brief History of Tea." Tregothnan. n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. <https://tregothnan.co.uk/about/teaplantation/a-brief-history-of-tea>.
"Catherine of Braganza.". UKTea & Infusions Association. UKTea & Infusions Association. 2014. Web. 19
Oct. 2014. http://www.tea.co.uk/catherine-of-braganza.
"A cuppa - or three - a day can keep frail bones away." Independent on Saturday (South Africa).
World History in Context. 18 Oct. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic/
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eng/allabout_greentea/history_of_tea.html>.
Okakura, K. Book of Tea. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2014. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/tea.htm>.
Matthews, Carolyn M. “Steep Your Genes in Health: Drink Tea.” Proceedings. Baylor University Medical
Center. 23.2 (2010): 142-144. Web. 1 Nov. 2014. < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
articles/PMC2848091/>.
Standage, Tom. Introduction. A History of the World in Six Glasses. New York: Walker & Co., 2005. 5. Print.
Stefon, Matt. “Bodhidharma.” 14 April 2014. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2014. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.britannica.com/ EBchecked/topic/70979/Bodhidharma>.