Catastrophe and Contention in Rural China: Mao's Great Leap Forward Famine and the Origins of Righteous Resistance in Da Fo Village (Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics)

This book documents how China's rural people remember the great famine of Maoist rule, which proved to be the worst famine in modern world history. Ralph A. Thaxton, Jr., sheds new light on how China's socialist rulers drove rural dwellers to hunger and starvation, on how powerless villagers formed resistance to the corruption and coercion of collectivization, and on how their hidden and contentious acts, both individual and concerted, allowed them to survive and escape the predatory grip of leaders and networks in the thrall of Mao's authoritarian plan for a full-throttle realization of communism - a plan that engendered an unprecedented disaster for rural families. Based on his study of a rural village's memories of the famine, Thaxton argues that these memories persisted long after the events of the famine and shaped rural resistance to the socialist state, both before and after the post-Mao era of reform. Half-tilte......Page 3 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 15 Communist Party Secretary Bao Zhilong and His Network of Clients......Page 19 Other Important Characters......Page 20 Chronology of Important Events......Page 23 The Great Leap Forward Famine and Chairman Mao's Catastrophe......Page 27 The History of a Single Rural Village......Page 31 Memory, Politics, and Oral History Methodology......Page 36 Book Overview......Page 45 1 The Republican Era and the Emergence of Communist Leadership during the Anti-Japanese War of Resistance......Page 49 Saline Earth and Earth Salt......Page 51 The Crises of the Republican Period......Page 52 Large Landholders in the Republican Period......Page 59 The Japanese Invasion and the Two Poles of the Resistance......Page 65 The Da Fo Militia and the Second Pole......Page 67 Early Communist Party Governance and Protection in Da Fo......Page 71 Occupation by Yang Faxian's Puppet Regime......Page 77 The Second Pole in Occupied Da Fo......Page 84 The Land Revolution of 1945–1947......Page 96 The Civil War and Vigilante Violence, 1946–1949......Page 101 The Disappearance of the First Pole......Page 106 The Work Style of War......Page 109 3 The Onset of Collectivization and Popular Dissatisfaction with Mao’s "Yellow Bomb" Road......Page 115 Cooperativization: Mutual Aid Groups and Land-Pooling Associations......Page 117 The Introduction and Escalation of Unified Purchase and Sale......Page 123 The Failure of the Agricultural Production Cooperative......Page 127 The Path to the Liangmen People's Commune......Page 132 4 The Mandate Abandoned: THE DISASTER OF THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD......Page 144 Farming and Living Collectively......Page 145 Runaway Procurement and the Causes of the Famine......Page 149 Escalating Demands for Labor......Page 158 The Gender Bias of Maoist Forced Labor and the Attack on Motherhood......Page 165 Public Criticism......Page 169 5 Strategies of Survival and Their Elimination in the Great Leap Forward......Page 183 Foot-Dragging......Page 184 Remittances......Page 186 Migration......Page 188 The Black Market......Page 196 Begging......Page 202 Crop Theft......Page 203 Gleaning......Page 207 Grain Concealment......Page 211 The Nature of Resistance in the Early Years of the Great Leap......Page 214 Political Repression and the Lesson from Xinyang......Page 217 6 The Escape from Famine and Death......Page 225 Chi Qing: The Most Effective Hidden Strategy of Resistance......Page 226 The Death Rate in Da Fo......Page 233 Explaining Da Fo's Escape from the Great Leap Forward Famine......Page 241 Chi Qing as a Form of Anti-State Resistance......Page 252 7 Indignation and Frustrated Retaliation: THE POLITICS OF DISENGAGEMENT......Page 257 Alienation and Disengagement during the Great Leap Forward......Page 258 Resentment Unalleviated: The Anti–Five Winds Campaign and the Four Cleanups Campaign......Page 272 The Cultural Revolution and Its Complexities......Page 279 The Price of Restoring Order: Bao Zhilong Is Returned to Power......Page 288 8 The Market Comes First: THE ECONOMICS OF DISENGAGEMENT AND THE ORIGINS OF REFORM......Page 298 Hidden Smallholding within Collectivization......Page 300 The Land Division of 1982......Page 304 Hidden Market Reentry within Collectivization......Page 307 9 Persistent Memories and Long-Delayed Retaliation in the Reform Era......Page 322 The State Campaign to Manage the Memory of the Great Leap Forward Famine......Page 323 Obstacles to Creating a New Memory of the Great Leap Forward Famine......Page 331 Semantic Memories......Page 336 Habitual Memories......Page 341 Settling the Score......Page 342 Conclusion......Page 355 War Communism and Lumpen Leadership......Page 357 The Repression and Theft of Entitlement......Page 361 Resistance, Memory, and Communist Party Legitimacy......Page 364 The Cultural Revolution and Its Link to the Great Leap Famine......Page 369 The Great Leap's Legacy and Reform......Page 372 Reform and Revenge......Page 374 Chinese Written/Print Sources......Page 379 Western-Language Sources......Page 382 Index......Page 395 ISBN-13: 9780521897495 Half-tilte 3 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Acknowledgments 15 Cast of Characters: DA FO VILLAGE (GREAT BUDDHA),1920–1993 19 Communist Party Secretary Bao Zhilong and His Network of Clients 19 Other Important Characters 20 Chronology of Important Events 23 Introduction 27 The Great Leap Forward Famine and Chairman Mao's Catastrophe 27 The History of a Single Rural Village 31 Memory, Politics, and Oral History Methodology 36 Book Overview 45 1 The Republican Era and the Emergence of Communist Leadership during the Anti-Japanese War of Resistance 49 Saline Earth and Earth Salt 51 The Crises of the Republican Period 52 Large Landholders in the Republican Period 59 The Japanese Invasion and the Two Poles of the Resistance 65 The Da Fo Militia and the Second Pole 67 Early Communist Party Governance and Protection in Da Fo 71 2 The Ascent of the Vigilante Militia: THE VIOLENT ANTECEDENTS OF MAO'S WAR COMMUNISM 77 Occupation by Yang Faxian's Puppet Regime 77 The Second Pole in Occupied Da Fo 84 The Land Revolution of 1945–1947 96 The Civil War and Vigilante Violence, 1946–1949 101 The Disappearance of the First Pole 106 The Work Style of War 109 3 The Onset of Collectivization and Popular Dissatisfaction with Mao鈥檚 "Yellow Bomb" Road 115 Cooperativization: Mutual Aid Groups and Land-Pooling Associations 117 The Introduction and Escalation of Unified Purchase and Sale 123 The Failure of the Agricultural Production Cooperative 127 The Path to the Liangmen People's Commune 132 4 The Mandate Abandoned: THE DISASTER OF THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD 144 Farming and Living Collectively 145 Runaway Procurement and the Causes of the Famine 149 Escalating Demands for Labor 158 The Gender Bias of Maoist Forced Labor and the Attack on Motherhood 165 Public Criticism 169 5 Strategies of Survival and Their Elimination in the Great Leap Forward 183 Foot-Dragging 184 Remittances 186 Migration 188 The Black Market 196 Begging 202 Crop Theft 203 Gleaning 207 Grain Concealment 211 The Nature of Resistance in the Early Years of the Great Leap 214 Political Repression and the Lesson from Xinyang 217 6 The Escape from Famine and Death 225 Chi Qing: The Most Effective Hidden Strategy of Resistance 226 The Death Rate in Da Fo 233 Explaining Da Fo's Escape from the Great Leap Forward Famine 241 Chi Qing as a Form of Anti-State Resistance 252 7 Indignation and Frustrated Retaliation: THE POLITICS OF DISENGAGEMENT 257 Alienation and Disengagement during the Great Leap Forward 258 Resentment Unalleviated: The Anti–Five Winds Campaign and the Four Cleanups Campaign 272 The Cultural Revolution and Its Complexities 279 The Price of Restoring Order: Bao Zhilong Is Returned to Power 288 8 The Market Comes First: THE ECONOMICS OF DISENGAGEMENT AND THE ORIGINS OF REFORM 298 Hidden Smallholding within Collectivization 300 The Land Division of 1982 304 Hidden Market Reentry within Collectivization 307 9 Persistent Memories and Long-Delayed Retaliation in the Reform Era 322 The State Campaign to Manage the Memory of the Great Leap Forward Famine 323 Obstacles to Creating a New Memory of the Great Leap Forward Famine 331 Semantic Memories 336 Habitual Memories 341 Settling the Score 342 Conclusion 355 War Communism and Lumpen Leadership 357 The Repression and Theft of Entitlement 361 Resistance, Memory, and Communist Party Legitimacy 364 The Cultural Revolution and Its Link to the Great Leap Famine 369 The Great Leap's Legacy and Reform 372 Reform and Revenge 374 Bibliography 379 Chinese Written/Print Sources 379 Western-Language Sources 382 Index 395 This Book Documents How China's Rural People Remember The Great Famine Of Maoist Rule, Which Proved To Be The Worst Famine In Modern World History. Ralph A. Thaxton, Jr., Sheds New Light On How China's Socialist Rulers Drove Rural Dwellers To Hunger And Starvation, On How Powerless Villagers Formed Resistance To The Corruption And Coercion Of Collectivization, And On How Their Hidden And Contentious Acts - Both Individual And Concerted - Allowed Them To Survive And Escape The Predatory Grip Of Leaders And Networks In The Thrall Of Mao's Authoritarian Plan For A Full-throttle Realization Of Communism - A Plan That Engendered An Unprecedented Disaster For Rural Families.--jacket. The Republican Era And The Emergence Of Communist Leadership During The Anti-japanese War Of Resistance -- The Ascent Of The Vigilante Militia : The Violent Antecedents Of Mao's War Communism -- The Onset Of Collectivization And Popular Dissatisfaction With Mao's Yellow Bomb Road -- The Mandate Abandoned : The Disaster Of The Great Leap Forward -- Strategies Of Survival And Their Elimination In The Great Leap Forward -- The Escape From Famine And Death -- Indignation And Frustrated Retaliation : The Politics Of Disengagement -- The Market Comes First : The Economics Of Disengagement -- Persistent Memories And Long-delayed Retaliation In The Reform Era. Ralph A. Thaxton, Jr. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 349-364) And Index.