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Did volcanic eruptions ruin China’s Ming dynasty and undermine the Qing?

South China Morning Post 15 June 2026 14h ago
Did volcanic eruptions ruin China’s Ming dynasty and undermine the Qing?
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By many historical accounts, the Ming dynasty’s doom was sealed when Li Zicheng, the leader of a peasant rebel army, invaded Beijing in 1644. Less than 24 hours after the rebel forces breached Beijing’s inner defences, Chongzhen, the Ming dynasty’s emperor, hanged himself on Jing Hill behind the Forbidden City. The moment marked the end of 276 years of Ming rule. The Ming dynasty’s eunuch dictator
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