The eruption of Mount Parker in the Philippines in 1640 may have been one of the factors that led to the fall of China's Ming dynasty. This conclusion was reached by researcher Richard Warren from the Institute of History at the University of Bern.
Oxu.Az reports that this information was published in the South China Morning Post.
According to the study, the volcanic eruption occurred during a prolonged drought that had already gripped part of China. After the eruption, the drought continued for another three years, and scientists say it was the most severe drought in the region in five centuries.
The resulting food shortage led to famine, widespread disease, and peasant uprisings. Amid this tension, rebel leader Li Zicheng captured Beijing. After the city's occupation, the last emperor of the Ming dynasty committed suicide, ending the dynasty's 276-year rule.
It is noted that R. Warren studied 13 major volcanic eruptions between 1440 and 1900, during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The study also analyzed the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.
