Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879
Encyclopedia
The Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879 was a famine which occurred in late Qing dynasty
China
. It is usually referred to as Dīngwùqíhuāng (丁戊奇荒). A drought began to hit northern China in 1875. The provinces of Shaanxi
, Shanxi
, Hebei
(then named Zhili (直隸)), Henan
, and Shandong
were hit by the following famine. It was estimated that close to 10 million people died in the famine. The drought was influenced by ENSO
. Besides the years long drought, the failing political institution of the late Qing dynasty was also one of the causes of the famine.
One of the best popular accounts is to be found in the book Late Victorian Holocausts
.
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is usually referred to as Dīngwùqíhuāng (丁戊奇荒). A drought began to hit northern China in 1875. The provinces of Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
(then named Zhili (直隸)), Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, and Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
were hit by the following famine. It was estimated that close to 10 million people died in the famine. The drought was influenced by ENSO
El Niño-Southern Oscillation
El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years...
. Besides the years long drought, the failing political institution of the late Qing dynasty was also one of the causes of the famine.
One of the best popular accounts is to be found in the book Late Victorian Holocausts
Late Victorian Holocausts
Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World is a book by Mike Davis about the connection between political economy and global climate patterns, particularly El Niño-Southern Oscillation...
.