People overstate the stagnation of the Qing dynasty. That said, the cultural inertia and resistance to adapt to changing global patterns made China's 150 years

People overstate the stagnation of the Qing dynasty. That said, the cultural inertia and resistance to adapt to changing global patterns made China's 150 years after 1836, shall we say, full of change and commotion. To paraphrase Pericles, just because you do not take an interest in disruption doesn't mean disruption won't take an interest in you.