Question : The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution aimed to:
Option 1: Promote cultural diversity
Option 2: Eliminate traditional Chinese culture
Option 3: Restore ancient Chinese traditions
Option 4: None of the above
Correct Answer: Eliminate traditional Chinese culture
Solution : The correct answer is (b) Eliminate traditional Chinese culture.
The movement, initiated by Mao Zedong in China from 1966 to 1976, sought to enforce Maoist ideology and remove perceived bourgeois and counter-revolutionary influences from Chinese society, including within the Communist Party. As part of the revolution, traditional Chinese culture, values, and practices were targeted and criticized as remnants of the old society and the "Four Olds" (old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas). Cultural artifacts, historical sites, and traditional practices were often attacked, destroyed, or deemed irrelevant to the revolutionary ideology. The Cultural Revolution was characterized by a radical transformation of Chinese society, with a focus on promoting Maoist principles and a revolutionary culture.
