Cascading impacts of the Maunder Minimum on rainfall and society in the Joseon dynasty

Human civilization's evolution is shaped by climate change, with solar energy input into the Earth's system as the primary external driver. This influence should be more pronounced during agricultural stages and periods of extreme solar activity. The late Joseon Dynasty of Korea serves as an ideal civilization sample of political continuity and stability, maintaining a 285-year-long meteorological diary and rainfall records with a temporal resolution of up to 2 hours, perfectly encompassing the Maunder Minimum (MM). Here we quantitatively reconstruct the rainfall patterns, revealing a rare, nearly century-long drought around the MM, accompanied by decadal climate fluctuations correlated to the sunspot cycle. Quantitative socio-environmental analyses further indicate that the convergence of cold, arid conditions and heightened climate instability ultimately precipitated cascading ecological and societal crises during the late Joseon Dynasty. Our findings offer new perspectives for understanding and addressing the impacts of future periods of extreme solar activity on modern civilization.