Mao Zedong and Jawaharlal Neru

Although Mao Zedong and Jawaharlal Nehru were both fighting for equality for the

majority of the citizens in their countries, and justice for those citizens they both had different

idealogical beliefs and goals as far as politics is concerned. Not only were their beliefs different

but many aspects of their lives were different which lead their political and social views to vary.

Zedong was a peasant in China growing up, he lived with his family and his father

worked hard to provide for them but was a tyrant, and Zedong viewed his family as two political

parties, his father was in one on his own.1 Zedong was very interested in stories of rebellion2 and

social reform which he later states influenced him heavily. Zedong did not want to grow up like

his father and be a peasant so he ran away from home to get an education.3 Throughout the years

Zedong attended different educational institutions, at one time even self educating himself going

to the library every day reading as much as he could on various topics, including communism.4

Zedong was looking for a new China, and was eager to help the reform in any way he could, so

by 1911 he joined the army to help complete the revolution to overthrow the manchu dynasty.5

This was very different to Nehru's upbringing where he was born into a privileged upper class

family6, so he did not face the same struggles as Zedong did growing up. But he did face his own

struggles with racism in a Britain occupied India where all Indians were treated like second class

citizens in their own country7. Nehru had a deep resentment towards the presence and behavior

of what he called the “alien rulers” of his country8. Although he felt this way he did not hate the

individual englishmen.

Since the two had different upbringings they had different views on many aspects of life,

including politics. Zedong believed that his countries new government ( which