The First Opium War is often seen as the beginning of China's 'Century of Shame' , a time when Foreigners ran rampant, and China lacked the ability to set its own destiny.

However even without the aggression of Great Britain,  China (Qing Dynasty) was undergoing a series of internal crisis, each with the potential to end the dynasty. 

Rebellion, Inflation, Ethnic Tension, Failures of Government, Piracy, and waning military power, all seemed to strike at once, and help explain why the Qing Dynasty would be so ineffective against the British during the 1840 Opium War.