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Contribution short abstract:

This paper investigates factors other than climatic issues that caused adverse weather during the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815 to affect harvest conditions in Yunnan province, China.

Contribution long abstract:

This paper investigates factors other than climatic issues that caused adverse weather during the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815 to affect harvest conditions in Yunnan province, China. A thorough analysis of the primary sources and second-hand data will demonstrate the findings. The analysis reveals several key findings. First, it suggests a long-term institutional inefficiency of local governmental authorities, which failed to make the agricultural sector resilient to sudden climatic shocks. Derived from the local chronicles, it is noticeable that the authorities had only emphasized collecting heavy taxes from the farmers by imposing strict law enforcement.

Second, the agricultural sector had low-quality factor endowments. The area relied on an outdated irrigation system, necessitating intensive labor participation. Lastly, no evidence suggests that the grain varieties and soil could become resilient to low temperatures, further deteriorating the adverse weather conditions.

The conclusion suggests that when the agricultural sector possesses low-quality institutions and factor endowments, adverse weather will cause severe harvest failures and famine when climatic shocks occur.

Keywords: Agricultural History, China, Mount Tambora, Adverse Weather, Famine, Institution, Adaptation, Resilience, Factor Endowments