Mao and Dynastic History - Essay Example

Mao and Dynastic History Introduction According to the Chinese history, the political environment experienced hardships associated with the transition from one dynasty to another. Mao Zedong, at the age of sixteen years, felt some powerful revolutionary waves engulfing most of the Chinese societies. Moe, born in 1893 and died in 1976, played a critical role of revolutionary change in the 20th century China region. Notably, Mao was raised by peasant parents in a small village of Shaoshan in Hunan province within China. In his youth, he found communism interesting and played a role in the formation of Chinese Communist Party in 1921. This paper seeks to discuss Mao's rise to power, nature of his rule, and the comparison of his leadership with former emperors. Additionally, the paper will analyze the relationship among leaders, governments, people, and other issues related to governance. Discussion At an early age, Mao liked to read popular historical books concerning political turmoil and unconventional military heroes. He liked the artistic works of Kang Yuwei, a nationalist reformer in China, and admired the earlier political generations of Chinese history. Indeed, China's last dynasty started to succumb the moment Moa founded the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. Thirteen years later, the political party had a membership of more than eighty thousand individuals. Chiang Kai-shek, a commander of the Nationalist Army, ordered his army to pursue members of the Chinese Communist Party. Although faced with challenges and mistrust, Mao’s party formed an alliance with the Nationalists against the Japanese government during the Second World War. Later on, the Nationalists fled to Taiwan during a civil war that the communists won under Mao’s leadership. Surely, there exist considerable similarities between Mao’s rule and former emperors who ruled in China. For example, Mao established policies that allowed its government to redistribute some lands to peasant farmers. Mao provided a gateway to democracy and realization of human rights by providing college students with the freedom to carry out counter-revolutionaries. Similarly, the former emperors such as Liu Bang established friendly policies that lowered taxation rates and provided people with more freedom (Wu 1). However, Mao had a different leadership model that set in a motion of “Great Leap Forward” that aimed at safeguarding the industrial, agricultural, and construction sectors. Unfortunately, “Great Leap Forward” failed and resulted in unrest within China due to the looming famine. Mao’s successor, known as Deng XiaoPing, modeled the enterprising characteristic of the Chinese people. With the advice of his economists, Deng lifted the oppressive state economic policies hence making the economy to grow by double digits (Benko np). In China, individuals considered the title of ‘emperor’ as hereditary and traditionally acquired from father to son in every dynasty. About former dynasties, the eldest son of the Empress became the ruler of the throne. Based on “Mandate of Heaven “, as opposed to the traditional Japanese monarchy, the Chinese political approach provided a way for a change in the ruling family. Regardless of the social transformation and modernization of the economy, China’s political system experiences slow changes. Currently, the top-down Leninist structure dominates the Chinese societies whereby appointments and decision-making processes take place in secret. However, both Mao’s and Deng’s rule did not demonstrate the traditional hereditary succession of emperors in China. Instead, Mao depended on guerrilla warfare and peasantry in the revolution against the Nationalists Army to assume the role of Chinese leadership. On the other hand, Deng took over the country’s leadership as a pre-eminent leader after the death of Mao. As a matter of fact, after his fourteen years of leadership service, Deng stepped down hence depicting model that does not require a dynasty overthrow (Zhao 740). Moreover, the prevailing agendas require a proper review of the relationship between a leader, the government, and the people. The Chinese residents have always wanted more personal and frequent contact with their government. People place their needs for the leaders to fulfill them. During Mao’s tenure, his plans to redistribute lands brought relief to the peasant families. However, his government’s plan to transform China’s economy from the agrarian economy to an industrial economy brought about a famine that killed close to 40 million individuals. Some political analysts support Mao as a leader who ended imperialism from China. Besides, Deng came in and allowed the Chinese to establish independent enterprises (Naughton 501). Remarkably, China has a complex communist political system engulfed with an unprecedented economic growth for the last decades. The Chinese choose their state leaders after ten years. In most cases, leaders have to carry out their political campaigns from low-profiles as they advance to the next step of the political ladder. Likewise, Mao started his campaign as a youth communists, formed the Chinese Communist Party, and became the ultimate leader of China. As a small general in the Communist Army, Mao gained the trust of people (MacFarquhar, 235). After attaining the presidency, Mao’s governmental policies killed millions of people. Currently, the Chinese leaders have no power as compared to the days of Mao. However, the government represents the center of power in China. Conclusion In conclusion, Mao emerged as the Communist leader during his time, reinforced his philosophy, and regrouped his army that ruled over China. Mao ended dynasty system after the incidents of the Long March. Both Mao and shared a common purpose: to revive the economy of China. While Mao’s policies failed, Deng tried his best to stabilize the economy. Currently, China uses a communist system that has its merits and disadvantages. People have limited rights to vote for their leader. On the other hand, the government has more power as compared to leaders and the people in general. Reference Benko, R. “China: The Mao Dynasty Moves Toward Democracy and Human Rights.” N.p (2012). Web. 23rd October, 2015. MacFarquhar, R. ”The secret speeches of Chairman Mao : from the hundred flowers to the great leap forward.” Harvard Journals 230-260. Harvard University Press. PDF file. Naughton, B. “Deng Xiaoping: The Economist.” The China Quarterly 135.01 (1993): 491-514. Cambridge. PDF file. Wu, A. “The Han Dynasty”. N.p (2015). Web. 23rd October, 2015. Zhao, S. “Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour: Elite Politics in Post-Tiananmen China.” Asian Survey 33.8 (1993): 739-756. University of California Press. PDF file. Read More