Knights of the Ming Dynasty
The collapse of the nationalist Ming dynasty, which succeeded the Mongol empire in China, began with a mega-drought. What reveals are rings in the trees.
Generally, the end of the 17th century is attributed to political and economic causes.
But the Terrestrial Environment Institute (IEE), a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is now denying this idea: the major destabilizer of Ming hegemony was, in fact, a mega-drought.
The natural catastrophe, known as mega-seca de Wanli, occurred between 1585 and 1590 and is notable for its duration and severity, says .
It is very difficult to investigate climate events that are hundreds of years old, but what will only be published on December 1st in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology used an innovative method based on the historical reconstruction of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) for the period from July to September.
Using stable oxygen isotopes obtained from tree growth rings on the Loess Plateauin southwestern China, researchers were able to track climate variations from 1556 to 2015.
This is how the team, led byr Men Ren e Yu Liunoticed a significant weakening in the monsoon (seasonal winds) of Asian summer from 1561 to 1661. According to the LBV, these ten years coincide with the historical phase known as the “Weak Monsoon Period of the Late Ming Dynasty”.
This climate change, in addition to altering rainfall, also affected agricultural capacity at the time, which delayed the economic development of the region. This event may even have caused a climate of food insecurity and social discontent that may have weakened the dynasty’s power structures.
In addition to the Wanli and Chongzhen droughts, researchers noted that global climate phenomena, such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO — climate phenomenon that influences temperature and precipitation around the world), may have influenced the intensity of the Asian monsoon and, subsequently, drought conditions in China, writes the LBV, which leaves a note:
“Understanding the interaction between climate change and the development of civilizations through these historical records offers valuable lessons for facing today’s challenges.”
