Great Plague in the late Ming dynasty
Great Plague in the late Ming dynasty | |
---|---|
Disease | Plague |
Bacteria strain | Yersinia pestis |
Location | Ming dynasty, China |
First outbreak | Shanxi |
Index case | 1633 |
Deaths | 200,000+ |
The Great Plague in the late Ming dynasty (Chinese:
History[edit]
In 1633, during the sixth year of the Chongzhen Emperor, the plague epidemic started in Shanxi.[2]
In 1641, the plague arrived in Beijing, the capital of the Ming dynasty.[2] At the same time, historical records indicate that more than half of the population in northern Zhejiang fell ill in 1641, and 90% of the local people died in 1642.[4]
In 1643, the epidemic reached its peak, killing more than 200,000 people in Beijing alone, accounting for 20%-25% of the local population.[1][3] The “pimple plague” and “vomit blood plague,” recorded in Chinese literature at the time, were possibly bubonic plague and pneumonic plague.[1][2]
In March 1644, Beijing was under siege by Li Zicheng's troops, whereas the defending force in Beijing weakened significantly due to the plague, with some 50,000 soldiers left–down from the original 100,000.[3] Soon, Li won the Battle of Beijing and the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide, marking the end of the Ming dynasty,[1][2][3] although Li was subsequently defeated in the Battle of Shanhai Pass by the allied forces of the former Ming general Wu Sangui and the Manchu-led Qing dynasty.
Wu Youke (1582–1652) developed the idea that some diseases were caused by transmissible agents, which he called Li Qi (
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Ch’iu, Chung-lin. "The Epidemics in Ming Beijing and the Responses from the Empire's Public Health System".
中央 研究 院 歷史 語 言 研究所 集 刊 : 331–388. - ^ a b c d e f Cao, Shuji. "
鼠 疫流行 与 华北社会 的 变迁 ( 1580—1644年 )" (PDF). 历史研究 (in Chinese) (1) – via China Academic Journal Electronic Publishing House. - ^ a b c d "专家谈明
朝 灭亡:鼠 疫或为重要 原因 ". China News Service (in Chinese). 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2021-01-18. - ^ Brook, Timothy (September 1999). The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-22154-3.
- ^ Joseph, P Byre (2012). Encyclopedia of the Black Death. ABC-CLIO. p. 76. ISBN 978-1598842548. Retrieved 24 February 2019.