Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · History
Course version: 1HI0 · Version from Sept 2016
Key topic 4: Life in Mao’s China, 1949–76 - 4 Cultural change: Reasons for…
Full specification wording
Option 32: Key topic 4: Life in Mao’s China, 1949–76 - 4 Cultural change: Reasons for attacks on Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam and ancestor worship.
The Chinese Communist Party attacked religion and traditional beliefs because they were viewed as ideological threats to Maoism.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 3
- 2 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The Chinese Communist Party attacked religion and traditional beliefs because they were viewed as ideological threats to Maoism. Buddhism and Islam were targeted as they provided alternative sources of loyalty, particularly in regions like Tibet and Xinjiang, threatening national unity. Christianity was persecuted as a symbol of Western imperialism and foreign interference. Confucianism and ancestor worship were violently suppressed because they represented the 'Four Olds' and reinforced traditional family hierarchies, contradicting the communist ideal of absolute loyalty to Mao. By eradicating these diverse beliefs, the CCP aimed to create a unified, atheistic society entirely devoted to revolutionary ideology and the state.
What earns the marks
- Buddhism and Islam were attacked to break the cultural identity and autonomy of minority regions like Tibet and Xinjiang.
- Christianity was targeted due to its associations with Western capitalist nations and historical foreign imperialism in China.
- Confucianism was condemned for promoting traditional class hierarchies and respect for the past, which opposed revolutionary Marxist-Leninist principles.
- Ancestor worship was suppressed to shift absolute loyalty and devotion away from the family unit and towards Mao and the Communist Party.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating all religious persecution as having the exact same motive.
Put it right: Distinguish between motives, such as Christianity being linked to Western imperialism, while Buddhism and Islam were linked to regional separatism.
Stating that religion was completely wiped out.
Put it right: Note that while public worship was heavily suppressed and institutions destroyed, underground practices and private beliefs survived.
Forgetting to mention ancestor worship.
Put it right: Explicitly include ancestor worship as a target, explaining it was attacked to destroy traditional family loyalties.
Exam tips
- Link the attack on Confucianism directly to the campaign against the 'Four Olds' during the Cultural Revolution.
- Use the concept of 'competing loyalties' as a central argument for why the CCP felt threatened by organised religion.
- When discussing Christianity, mention the expulsion of foreign missionaries as a specific action taken by the state.
Try the lesson
The start of the Option 32: Key topic 4: Life in Mao’s China, 1949–76 - 4 Cultural change: Reasons for attacks on Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam and ancestor worship. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
According to the Chinese Communist Party, why was religion generally viewed as a threat to the state?
Listen
The Chinese Communist Party attacked religion and traditional beliefs because they were viewed as ideological threats to Maoism. Buddhism and Islam were targeted as they provided alternative sources of loyalty, particularly in regions like Tibet and Xinjiang, threatening national unity. Christianity was persecuted as a symbol of Western imperialism and foreign interference. Confucianism and ancestor worship were violently suppressed because they represented the 'Four Olds' and reinforced traditional family hierarchies, contradicting the communist ideal of absolute loyalty to Mao. By eradicating these diverse beliefs, the CCP aimed to create a unified, atheistic society entirely devoted to revolutionary ideology and the state. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Buddhism and Islam were attacked to break the cultural identity and autonomy of minority regions like Tibet and Xinjiang. Christianity was targeted due to its associations with Western capitalist nations and historical foreign imperialism in China. Confucianism was condemned for promoting traditional class hierarchies and respect for the past, which opposed revolutionary Marxist-Leninist principles. Ancestor worship was suppressed to shift absolute loyalty and devotion away from the family unit and towards Mao and the Communist Party. A common slip: Treating all religious persecution as having the exact same motive. Instead, Distinguish between motives, such as Christianity being linked to Western imperialism, while Buddhism and Islam were linked to regional separatism. Exam tip: Link the attack on Confucianism directly to the campaign against the 'Four Olds' during the Cultural Revolution.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Religious persecution
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Ideological control
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Religious persecution
- Attacks on Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam and ancestor worship because they were viewed as ideological threats to Maoism.
- Ideological control
- Eradicating diverse beliefs so as to create a unified, atheistic society entirely devoted to revolutionary ideology and the state.
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