Autocracy and China’s Rebel Founding Emperors: Comparing Chairman Mao and Ming Taizu

What kind of ruler was Mao Zedong? This question continues to intrigue analysts in China and the West long after the great Helmsman’s death. It is now common to hear Mao referred to as a modern-day emperor . The authors argue that Mao can best be compared to a specific imperial predecessor, Ming Taizu, the 14th century peasant rebel who founded the Ming dynasty. Both rulers created autocratic regimes that violently purged political enemies; both used the power of their own world to transform the masses. Using a rich mix of analysis and new translations, the book examines imperial predecessors and the elements linking Mao and Taizu, as well as critiques of western and Chinese scholarship. The authors conclude that Mao used anti-elitist rhetoric to gain popular support for heightened autocracy, while repressing genuine anti-statist critics. The book also contains translations with commentary by PRC scholars of Taizu and Mao, showing the evolution in Chinese thought towards both rulers from the Cultural Revolution to the Deng Xiaoping era.