Maoism is a political theory and practice derived from the teachings of Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. It represents a variant of Marxism-Leninism specifically adapted to the conditions of China, emphasizing peasant-based revolution, protracted guerrilla warfare, continuous revolution, and mass mobilization.
Maoism emerged from Mao Zedong's experience leading the Chinese Communist Revolution from nineteen twenty-one to nineteen forty-nine. Unlike traditional Marxism-Leninism which focused on urban industrial workers, Maoism emphasized the revolutionary potential of rural peasants. This adaptation was necessary because China was a semi-feudal, semi-colonial society with eighty percent peasant population, requiring entirely new revolutionary strategies.
The key principles of Maoism include four main elements. First, peasant-based revolution, which sees the peasantry as the main revolutionary force rather than urban workers. Second, protracted people's war, a strategy of guerrilla warfare starting from rural areas and gradually encircling cities. Third, new democracy, involving a multi-class alliance led by the Communist Party. Fourth, the mass line, a method of learning from the masses, synthesizing their ideas, and returning them as policy.
A central concept in Maoism is continuous revolution, the idea that class struggle continues even after the socialist revolution. This led to the Cultural Revolution from nineteen sixty-six to nineteen seventy-six, a mass campaign aimed at preventing capitalist restoration. The purpose was to purge bureaucracy, maintain revolutionary spirit, and prevent the formation of new elites. However, this resulted in massive social upheaval, educational disruption, and significant economic consequences.
To summarize, Maoism represents a significant adaptation of Marxist-Leninist theory to Chinese conditions. It emphasized peasant-based revolution over urban workers, introduced the strategy of protracted people's war, and promoted continuous revolution through mass mobilization. While controversial, Maoism has influenced revolutionary movements worldwide and remains an important political theory in understanding twentieth-century communist movements.