# 1830s volcano eruptions linked to Agra, Madras famines

2026-08-07T19:08:48+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

A study in the Journal of Historical Geography links two volcanic eruptions in the 1830s, one in Japan (1831) and one in Nicaragua (1835), to the Agra and Madras famines that killed over nine lakh people. The eruptions cooled the planet, weakening the monsoon, while El Niño in 1833 worsened the drought. But the study also finds that decades of colonial over-taxation and environmental degradation turned the drought into a famine, reports india.mongabay.com. Author Richard Warren used historical weather data and climate models to establish the connection.

## Coverage

- india.mongabay.com <https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/volcanoes-el-nino-and-colonial-policies-fuelled-two-deadly-famines-in-india/>

Tags: climate history, colonial India, El Nino, famines, volcanoes
Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/1830s-volcano-eruptions-linked-to-agra-madras-famines/
License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources.
Cite: https://indianopinion.org/1830s-volcano-eruptions-linked-to-agra-madras-famines/#story-in-brief

Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.