Unfold Criticism of «Water Margin» and Capitulationism

#PUBLICATION NOTE

This edition of Unfold Criticism of «Mater Margin» and Capitulationism has been translated, prepared, and revised for digital publication by the Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism under the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Switzerland on the basis of the following editions:

  • Unfold Criticism of «Mater Margin», in Beijing Review, Vol. 18, No. 37 (12th of September, 1975)
  • Directives From Chairman Mao's Commentary on the «Water Margin» and His Critique of Capitulationists, Cultural Revolution Translators, December 2021.

#INTRODUCTION NOTE

This is a comment by Comrade Mao Zedong on the classical Chinese novel Water Margin, made on the 14th of August, 1975. First published as Document No. 196 of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the 18th of August, 1975.

The Movement to Criticize Water Margin and Capitulationism was part of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, and, together with the Movement to Study the Theory of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, served to bridge the gap between the larger Movement to Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius and Movement to Criticize Deng Xiaoping and Beat Back the Right-Deviationist Attempt to Reverse Correct Verdicts. The intended targets of the criticism of capitulationism were Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlai, who had made a number of concessions to US imperialism in China's foreign policy that tended toward capitulationism.

#Workers and oppressed people of the world, unite!

#UNFOLD CRITICISM OF WATER MARGIN AND CAPITULATIONISM

#Mao Zedong
#14th of August, 1975

#★

The merit of the book Water Margin1 lies precisely in the portrayal of capitulation. It serves as teaching material by negative example to help all the people recognize capitulationists.

Water Margin is against corrupt officials only, but not against the Emperor. It excludes Chao Gai2 from the 108 people.3 Song Jiang4 pushes capitulationism, practises revisionism, changes Chao's Juyi Hall to Zhongyi Hall,5 and accepts the offer of amnesty and enlistment. Song Jiang's struggle against Gao Qiu6 is a struggle waged by one faction against another within the feudal class. As soon as he surrenders, Song Jiang goes to fight Fang La.7

The leaders of the insurgent peasant army are no good, because they capitulate. Li Kui, Wu Yong, Ruan Xiao'er, Ruan Xiaowu, and Ruan Xiaoqi8 are good, because they are unwilling to capitulate.

Lu Xun commented well on Water Margin. He said:

One volume of Water Margin makes it very clear that, because the rebels do not oppose the Emperor, they surrender when the Emperor's big army arrives, and they are enlisted into the Emperor's army to attack other rebels for the State. They are not at all rebels who «enforce justice on behalf of Heaven». In the end, they are nothing but lackeys.9

Jin Shengtan10 cut out over 20 chapters from the original edition of Water Margin. Cutting them out made the book unreal. Lu Xun was very dissatisfied with Jin Shengtan, and he specifically wrote an article commenting on Jin Shengtan, called On Jin Shengtan.

We need to publish both the 100-chapter edition, the 120-chapter edition, and the 71-chapter edition of Water Margin. Print that comment of Lu Xun's in the front of the book.

  1. Editor's Note: Water Margin is a classical Chinese novel describing a peasant war toward the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). It has been in circulation for several hundred years. ↩

  2. Editor's Note: Chao Gai is the founder of the insurgent peasant army in the novel. ↩

  3. Editor's Note: This refers to the 108 captains of the peasant insurgents. ↩

  4. Editor's Note: Song Jiang is a main character in the novel who has usurped the leadership of the insurgent peasant army. ↩

  5. Editor's Note: This refers to the assembly hall where the peasant insurgents in the novel meet to discuss matters. What Chao Gai means by juyi is to unite and rise up in revolt; what Song Jiang means by zhongyi is to be loyal to the Emperor. ↩

  6. Editor's Note: Gao Qiu is a corrupt official in the novel and a faithful lackey of the Emperor. ↩

  7. Editor's Note: Fang La is the leader of another insurgent peasant army in the novel. ↩

  8. Editor's Note: Li Kui, Wu Yong, Ruan Xiao'er, Ruan Xiaowu, and Ruan Xiaoqi are some of the captains of the insurgent peasant army who refuse to accept Song Jiang's surrender to the Emperor. ↩

  9. Source: Lu Xun: The Transformation of Hooligans (1930) ↩

  10. Editor's Note: Jin Shengtan was a literary critic in the late Ming and early Qing periods. In 1641, he wrote a commentary on Water Margin and republished the book with extensive revisions and without the original ending consisting of Chapters 71-120, thus giving the impression that the insurgent peasant army never surrendered to the Emperor. ↩