early life early life chinese revolutionary politician covered years life born grew son wealthy farmer landowner sent local brought environment reacted early age developing political ideas pro western literature aged father organised marriage daughter land owning family denounced marriage moved away home began education capital came influence admirer republican revolutionary revolution broke republicans signed soldier conflict subsided left army months seeing intellectual heavily influenced classical began studying publications founded renovation people study society april discuss revolutionary ideas students graduating june childhood biographer asserted experienced relatively typical childhood commented reason previous biographers found difficult find fundamentally wrong early age hoped explain later development revolutionary birth born december familiar home rural village south central china typical villages situated narrow valley surrounded mountains village nearest town named local music mountain prominent feature local landscape sacred associations region village inhabited individuals surname clan traced lineage warrior moved mid fourteenth century fighting military campaign overthrow governed dynasty father born family poverty undergoing arranged marriage mother years old received years schooling read write conversely serving years regional saved wages leaving army pay family debts purchase lands father sold time birth owned half acres rice considered substantial standards region living hard work coming years able purchase acre employ farm laborers farm encompassing cow shed grain storage small mill expanding family wealth purchased peasants land landlord purchasing grain farmers village selling profit county seat amassed fortune thousand chinese silver dollars time majority china continued live poverty case biographer philip short assert family comfortably standards period according traditional lunar based chinese calendar birth fell ninth day eleventh month year snake birth mother previously sons died infancy worried welfare consulted buddhist nun lived mountains advice nun recommended prayers said child local temple dedicated requesting foster mother biographers suggested likely local traditional customs observed birth presented parents probably days birth event culturally appropriate opportunity guests view child child father expected add bath water mind health providing sacrifices spirits ancestors fortune employed draw child revealed lacking water element given personal according custom character deemed correct character dual meaning referring moisture implied kindness chose son east child mean east according traditional custom child given second unofficial specific ceremonial occasions orchard mother gave child named stone reflected child protecting linking protection offered traditional customs adhered baby head shaved weeks small hair left crown neck point child officially given according tradition visitors probably gathered ceremony bringing gifts money pork fish fruit decorated eggs growing family lived clay brick farmhouse constructed oversaw extension occupied eastern wing house neighboring family living western half building large allocated bedroom rarity time house pond rice pine bamboo grew building aside parents lived home paternal grandfather death paternal grandmother died years birth years old mother gave birth fourth child son born gave birth daughters died infancy soon birth couple adopted baby girl daughter paternal common time began embarking farming activities aged instructed watch cattle tend ducks habits heavily influenced peasant background biographer suggested took form lack social concern comfort appearances later life accustomed use instead retaining habit washing mouth tea similarly continued prefer cleaning steaming soap water reflecting peasant upbringing traditional cuisine developed lifelong love food practising buddhist encouraged sons follow buddhist teachings embracing faith accompanied visits local buddhist temple influencing hopes monk conversely largely surviving encounter tiger gave offerings gods thanks according account staunch beat children punishment perceived lack describing beating received occasion father public added mother try protect children 1930s claim resented father viewing contrasted affection received mother adopting perspective dividing family camps mother father biographers interpreted relationship different ways stated hated father conversely pointed accounts description nuanced simply hatred suggested expressed hatred father identification driven authoritarian like father far scale questioned account issue suggesting alleged bad relationship probably highlighting clearly went great efforts financially support son noted anti father wildly popular young chinese intellectuals 1930s account reflection reality keen eldest son gain basic education rooted dominant moral ideology chinese society deemed knowledge teaching essential allowing son develop key business administrative skills hope gain rice merchant taking family business supporting parents old age particularly adamant need learn losing lawsuit parcel land believed opponent victorious dispute result ability quote ancient chinese philosopher argument age sent gain basic education private adopting traditional method education school emphasised copying series classical chinese texts preaching morals character classic book names thousand character classic classic perceived failure resulted bamboo rod teacher like father stern mode education later asserted hated age expressing dislike accepted utility learning texts finding able win arguments including father selective use quotations far liking accounts war found great classical novels including romance kingdoms journey west morality emphasised need fight justice society possible texts inspired interest history according later account point attained strong belief justice began divide lunch share poorer boy afford food occasion got physical fight older classmate greatly upset mother held beliefs according later account point rebelled teacher tried punish permitting beaten rod marched school wooded mountains remained days discovered family member brought home despite education biographers commented moral ethical left trace soul conversely biographer asserted chinese children went underwent traditional education texts fixed underlying pattern thought rest life short went far suggest prove important noting later life speeches contained greater number quotations ancient chinese philosophers major marriage secondary education aged thirteen left pleased gotten away saw oppressive atmosphere decision father wanted devote family business working farm managing financial accounts relations father increasingly strained continued read free time staying late night bedroom read light angered father saw recreational reading pursuit point read book inspired interest politics words warning affluent age published book lamented deterioration chinese power argued technological economic political reform believing china abandoned absolute monarchy politically modelling representative constitutional western world political views shaped protests led elder brother society erupted following famine capital supported protesters demands armed forces suppressed executed leaders famine spread peasants seized father grain actions morally wrong claimed sympathy situation decided organise arranged marriage selecting seventeen year old daughter local landowner unhappy arrangement agreed marriage wedding taking place according later account marriage refused live instead claimed use connections maternal family leave parental home house unemployed student lived year continued reading enjoying tales ancient chinese rulers records grand historian history han dynasty influenced personal protests study compiled like book called china adopt foreign techniques strengthen use defend foreign aggression read pamphlet chinese revolutionary recounted china loss sovereignty japanese european claimed great influence reading felt depressed future country began realize duty people help save locally eventually died moved live brother family native village autumn requested father permit attend located miles unlike establishment taught modern subjects natural sciences agreed fund son tuition dormitory space sixteen year old set older cousin enrolled best friends school known later join communist movement biographers bullied rural classmates typically sons wealthy district proved successful student gaining respect teachers hard work ability compose essays classical style reading learned geography increased knowledge ancient chinese history began read foreign history coming particularly influenced book titled great heroes world learned inspired military prowess american george_washington believed school date real beginnings intellectual political development remained school seven months deciding middle school provincial capital early adulthood revolution convinced father allow attend middle school city revolutionary widespread animosity absolute monarchy emperor advocated transition constitutional monarchy revolutionaries advocated arguing elected presidency primary republican movement american educated christian led secret society known came influence sun newspaper political essay stuck school wall later admitting somewhat involved creation republic governed sun concessions having premier minister foreign affairs symbol rebellion monarch friend cut queue sign emperor forcibly cutting classmates inspired sun army rose emperor southern china sparking revolution initially remained control governor proclaiming martial law quell protest infantry brigade guarding city defected revolution governor fled leaving city republican hands supporting revolution joined rebel army private soldier involved fighting northern provinces remained loyal emperor hoping avoid civil war proclaimed provisional president supporters compromised general monarchy abolished creating president revolution resigned army months soldier time discovered socialism newspaper article proceeding read pamphlets student founder remained interested idea returning education enrolled dropped police academy soap production school law school economics school father approved lectures english didn understand abandoned government run soon dropped finding rooted undertaking studies independently spent time public library reading core works classical wealth nations spirit laws works western scientists philosophers viewing intellectual years later admitted time thought better working people inspired work liberal emphasis led believe strong individuals bound moral codes greater good end means seeing use son intellectual pursuits father cut forcing teacher enrolled teacher training college high standards low fees cheap accommodation months later merged widely seen best school professor ethics urged read radical newspaper creation friend dean chinese nationalist argued china look west adopting democracy science order published article study physical culture april instructing readers increase physical strength serve revolution joined society study revolutionary group founded wished emulate philosopher han resistance invasion school year befriended older student went walking tour begging writing literary obtain food popular student remained active school politics elected secretary position forge association student self government leading protests school rules spring elected command students volunteer army set defend school soldiers troops makeshift bamboo spears wooden rifles increasingly interested techniques war took keen interest events world war began develop sense solidarity workers undertook feats physical endurance describing heroes taken romance kingdoms young revolutionaries formed april debate ideas personal societal transformation society gained members including females join communist_party graduated june ranked year
Early life of Mao Zedong