Q.Discuss the ‘Great Leap Forward’ of China.
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The Great Leap Forward, launched in China in 1958, was a mass campaign to transform the country almost overnight from an agrarian society into a modern industrial and communist one through the sheer mobilisation of its huge population. Understanding it means grasping both its ambition and why such a radical drive can fail.
Under the campaign, people were urged to industrialise on a vast scale. Households were encouraged to set up 'backyard furnaces' to produce steel even from scrap like pots and pans. In the countryside, private plots were abolished and farming was collectivised into enormous communes where land was cultivated and output shared in common, with the state directing labour. The idea was that collective effort and self-reliance would multiply production of both grain and steel simultaneously. …
The Great Leap Forward campaign in China aimed at rapid industrialisation and collectivisation. …
Great Leap Forward (1958): rapid mass industrialisation and collectivisation of agriculture into communes.
The 'Great Leap Forward' (GLF) campaign, launched in China in 1958, aimed to industrialise the country rapidly and on a massive scale and to modernise the economy quickly. Its chief features were encouraging people to set up industry in their own backyards (backyard steel furnaces) and collectivising agriculture by organising farming into large communes. (Its intention was rapid growth, though in practic …
Showing the 12 most recent of 18 on this concept.
- CBSE 2026Set 58/1/11 markMCQQ.Arrange the following events in China’s economic development history in correct chronological sequence and select the correct option : I. Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. II. Great leap forward III. Introduction of Economic Reforms IV. Launch of the First Five Year Plan Options : (A) II, IV, III, I (B) IV, II, I, III (C) II, IV, I, III (D) IV, I, II, III
›Reveal solutionSolution
China's post-1949 economic trajectory moved from Soviet-style planning (First Five Year Plan, 1953) through radical experiments (Great Leap Forward, 1958; Cultural Revolution, 1966–76) to market-oriented reforms under Deng Xiaoping (1978 onwards).
After the Communist Party came to power in 1949, China embarked on a series of economic experiments that would reshape the nation over three decades. Understanding the sequence of these events reveals the evolution from rigid central planning to the mixed economy that emerged by the late twentieth century.
The First Five Year Plan (1953–57) came first. Modelled closely on the Soviet system, it prioritised heavy industry, collectivised agriculture, and established state control over the means of production. This was China's initial attempt at planned industrialisation under Mao Zedong's leadership.
The Great Leap Forward (1958–61) followed as Mao's ambitious—and ultimately catastrophic—campaign to rapidly transform China into an industrial power through mass mobilisation. Communes were formed, backyard steel furnaces dotted the countryside, and agricultural output was grossly exaggerated. The result was a famine that cost millions of lives and forced a temporary retreat from radical policies.
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966–76) came next, though it was more a political upheaval than an economic programme. Mao launched it to reassert his authority and purge "capitalist roaders" within the Party. Universities closed, intellectuals were persecuted, and economic activity was severely disrupted. The chaos lasted a decade, ending only with Mao's death in 1976. …
- CBSE 2026Set 58/3/11 markMCQQ.Read the following text carefully : “Between 1966 – 67, Mao introduced this movement under which professionals and students were asked to work and learn from the countryside of China.” Identify the correct option with reference to the aforesaid text. (A) Commune System (B) Great Leap Forward (C) Open Door Policy (D) Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
›Reveal solutionSolution
The movement launched by Mao in 1966–67 that sent professionals and students to the countryside to work and learn was the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.
The years 1966–67 mark one of the most turbulent chapters in modern Chinese history. Mao Zedong, concerned that the Communist Party had grown bureaucratic and that revolutionary fervor was fading, launched a radical campaign to purge what he saw as capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society. This was the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, a mass movement that would reshape China for a decade.
At the heart of the Cultural Revolution was Mao's belief that the revolution needed constant renewal. He feared that professionals, intellectuals, and party officials had become a new elite, disconnected from the masses and the original spirit of the Communist struggle. To combat this, he mobilized young people—particularly students—into groups called the Red Guards, who were tasked with attacking the "Four Olds": old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits.
One of the defining features of the Cultural Revolution was the policy of sending educated youth, professionals, teachers, and students to the countryside. This was not merely symbolic. Mao wanted these groups to engage in manual labor alongside peasants, to "learn from the masses," and to be "re-educated" through physical work. Millions of urban youth were dispatched to rural areas, where they worked in fields, factories, and communes. The idea was to break down the distinction between mental and manual labor, between city and countryside, and to instill revolutionary values through direct experience of peasant life.
NoteThis rustication movement affected an entire generation of Chinese youth. Many spent years in remote villages, their formal education interrupted, their careers derailed. The experience left a profound mark on Chinese society.
Now let's briefly consider why the other options don't fit:
- Commune System (A): This refers to the collectivization of agriculture into large communes during the Great Leap Forward (1958–61), where land, labor, and resources were pooled. It was an economic reorganization, not a movement focused on sending students and professionals to learn from the countryside. …
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.In China, commune system is related to ________ sector.(a) agriculture(b) industry(c) service(d) None of the above
›Reveal solutionSolution
China's commune system was a collectivised agricultural institution, formed to organise farming (not industry or services) on a cooperative basis.
As part of China's development strategy after 1949 (and especially under the "Great Leap Forward," 1958), the Chinese government organised its agricultural sector through a system of communes — large collective farming units in which land, labour, livestock, and tools were pooled together and worked collectively, rather than farmed by individual households. The aim was to mobilise large-scale rural labour for both agricultural and local industrial projects, achieve economies of scale, and distribute produce and resources communally.
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- CBSE 2025Set 58/6/11 markMCQQ.Mao initiated the ‘Great Leap Forward’ movement in the year __________. (Choose the correct option to fill in the blank) (A) 1951 (B) 1955 (C) 1958 (D) 1962
›Reveal solutionSolution
The Great Leap Forward movement was initiated by Mao Zedong in China in 1958, aiming for rapid industrialisation and agricultural collectivisation.
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the new government under Mao Zedong embarked on a path of economic development that sought to transform the largely agrarian nation into a modern, industrialised power. The initial years saw the government bringing critical sectors of the economy, including enterprises and lands, under state control. This laid the groundwork for more ambitious campaigns aimed at accelerating economic growth.
Mao Zedong, the then Chairman of the Communist Party of China, believed that China could achieve rapid economic transformation by mobilising its vast population. He envisioned a path where China would quickly catch up with and even surpass industrialised Western nations. This ambition led to the launch of a significant economic and social campaign known as the 'Great Leap Forward'.
The Great Leap Forward (GLF) campaign was initiated in 1958. Its primary objective was to industrialise the country on a massive scale and simultaneously revolutionise agricultural production. The core ideas behind the GLF included:
- Rapid Industrialisation: People were encouraged to set up small-scale industries, particularly steel production, in their backyards. The idea was that widespread, decentralised production would quickly boost industrial output.
- Agricultural Collectivisation (Commune System): In rural areas, the existing collective farms were merged into larger units called communes. Under this system, people collectively cultivated lands, and resources were pooled. The communes were intended to increase agricultural efficiency and output, providing food for the growing industrial workforce. …
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Choose the correct alternative showing chronological order of the following events:(i) First Five-Year Plan in India(ii) First Five-Year Plan in Pakistan(iii) Economic Reforms in China(iv) Economic Reforms in India Select the correct option using the codes given below.(a) (i), (ii), (iii),(iv)(b) (iv), (iii), (ii),(i)(c) (ii), (i), (iv),(iii)(d) (iii), (i), (iv), (ii)
›Reveal solutionSolution
The chronological order is exactly as listed: India's first plan, then Pakistan's first plan, then China's reforms, then India's reforms — option (a).
- India's first Five-Year Plan began in 1951.
- Pakistan's first Five-Year Plan came somewhat later, in the mid-1950s.
- China initiated its market-oriented economic reforms in 1978, decades after both countries had begun their planning era. …
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Which campaign initiated industrialization in China?
›Reveal solutionSolution
The Great Leap Forward (1958) was China's campaign to kick-start rapid industrialization.
Launched by the Chinese leadership in 1958, the Great Leap Forward aimed to rapidly transform China from a primarily agrarian economy into an industrialised one through mass mobilisation of labour, backyard industrial production (such as small-scale steel furnaces), and the organisation of agriculture into large communes to free up labour for industrial work. While the campaign is also remembered for …
- CBSE 2023Set 58/1/11 markMCQQ.The Great Leap Forward (GLF) campaign in China focused on ________. (Choose the correct alternative to fill up the blank) (A) Widespread industrialisation (B) New agricultural strategy (C) Privatisation (D) Economic reforms(OR)India is not a member of which of the following regional / global economic groups ? (A) European Union (B) BRICS (C) G20 (D) SAARC
›Reveal solutionSolution
Part (a): The Great Leap Forward focused on widespread industrialisation → (A). Part (b): India is not a member of the European Union → (A).
Part (a)
The Great Leap Forward (1958–61), launched by Mao Zedong, aimed to transform China rapidly from an agrarian economy into an industrial power through mass mobilisation, communes and thousands of small "backyard" steel furnaces. Its defining focus was widespread (rapid) industrialisation — not a new agricultural strategy, privatisation, or the market reforms that came later under Deng Xiaoping. …
- CBSE 2023Set 58/3/11 markMCQQ.(A) Identify the correct alternative with reference to the following statement : "Between 1966 – 76, Mao introduced this movement under which professionals and students were asked to work and learn from real life situations prevailing in the countryside of China."(a) Commune System(b) Great Leap Forward(c) Open Door Policy(d) Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution(OR)(B) Read the following statements carefully : Statement 1 : In the agricultural sector, communes were established, where land holdings were allocated to individual households for ownership. Statement 2 : Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were established to attract foreign investments and technology. In light of the given statements, choose the correct alternative from the following :(a) Statement 1 is true and Statement 2 is false.(b) Statement 1 is false and Statement 2 is true.(c) Both Statements 1 and 2 are true.(d) Both Statements 1 and 2 are false.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Part (a): The 1966–76 movement is the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution → (d). Part (b): Statement 1 false (communes = collective ownership), Statement 2 true (SEZs) → (b).
Part (a)
Between 1966 and 1976 Mao Zedong launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, under which students and professionals were sent to the countryside to work and learn from rural life. The Commune System (1958) was about collective farming, the Great Leap Forward (1958–61) about rapid industrialisation, and the Open Door Policy (post-1978) about foreign trade — none fit the 1966–76 description. …
- CBSE 2023Set 58/4/11 markMCQQ.Arrange the following events of China in chronological order and choose the correct alternative :(i) Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution(ii) Great Leap Forward Campaign(iii) Introduction of Economic Reforms(iv) First Five Year Plan Alternatives :(a) (ii), (iv), (iii),(i)(b) (iv), (ii), (i),(iii)(c) (ii), (iv), (i),(iii)(d) (iv), (i), (ii), (iii)
›Reveal solutionSolution
This question tests your knowledge of the sequence of major economic and political events in China's post-1949 history. The correct chronological order is the First Five Year Plan, followed by the Great Leap Forward, then the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, and finally the Introduction of Economic Reforms.
Understanding the sequence of these pivotal events is crucial for grasping China's economic development trajectory. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the nation embarked on a path of socialist transformation, heavily influenced by the Soviet model initially, and later by its own unique interpretations of communism. These events represent distinct phases in China's journey, each with profound implications for its economy and society.
Let's examine each event and its approximate timeline:
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First Five Year Plan (FFYP): China's First Five Year Plan was implemented from 1953 to 1957. Following the Soviet model, this plan prioritized the development of heavy industry, with significant state control over economic resources and production. The goal was to lay the foundation for industrialization and strengthen the socialist economic structure.
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Great Leap Forward Campaign (GLF): Immediately following the First Five Year Plan, the Great Leap Forward was launched in 1958 and continued until 1961. This was an ambitious and radical campaign initiated by Mao Zedong, aiming for rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture. It sought to bypass traditional stages of development by mobilizing the vast rural population for large-scale infrastructure projects and backyard steel production. The campaign ultimately led to severe economic disruption and a devastating famine.
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Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Cultural Revolution): After the failures of the Great Leap Forward and a period of economic readjustment, Mao Zedong initiated the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in 1966. This was a complex and tumultuous socio-political movement that aimed to purge capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society and reassert Mao's ideological dominance. It caused widespread social upheaval, political purges, and significant disruption to education and economic activity, lasting until Mao's death in 1976. …
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- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.When was “The Great leap forward” campaign started in china?(a) 1947(b) 1965(c) 1958(d) 1956
›Reveal solutionSolution
The Great Leap Forward campaign began in 1958 — option (c).
The 'Great Leap Forward' (GLF) campaign was launched in China in 1958 to industrialise the country rapidly and to collectiv …
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.China launched its First Five-Year Plan in the year(a) 1951(b) 1952(c) 1953(d) 1954
›Reveal solutionSolution
China's First Five-Year Plan began in 1953, under centrally planned, Soviet-style development after the 1949 revolution.
After the Communist Party came to power in China in 1949, the country adopted a centrally planned economic model, with all key resources owned/controlled by the state and collective farming. China's First Five-Year Plan was launched in 1953, giving primacy to the expansion of heavy industry under state ownership, …
- CBSE 2022Set MARCH1 markMCQQ.'Great Leap Forward' adopted in(a) India(b) China(c) Pakistan(d) Nepal
›Reveal solutionSolution
The Great Leap Forward was launched in China (1958).
Studied in the Kerala Plus One (DHSE) economics chapter Comparative Development Experiences of India and Its Neighbours, the Great Leap Forward (GLF) was a campaign initiated in China in 1958 to industrialise the country on a massive scale. People were encouraged to set up industry in their backyards, and in rural …
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