Jiang Qing

Jiang Qing or Chiang Ch’ing, (1914-1991), Chinese social and cultural activist, third wife of Mao Zedong and leader of the Gang of Four. Jiang became an actor in the 1930s, using the stage name Lan Ping (Lan P’ing). In 1937 she joined the Chinese Communist Party camp in Yan’an, where she met and married Mao. After the Communists gained control of mainland China in 1949, Jiang became influential in cultural circles; during the 1960s she revolutionized Peking opera by replacing the traditional repertoire with works emphasizing Mao’s doctrine. She subsequently became a central figure in the Cultural Revolution of 1966 to 1976 and, because of her closeness to Mao, one of China’s most powerful leaders. After Mao’s death in 1976, however, she and three of her radical cohorts, dubbed the Gang of Four, were arrested and charged with a series of crimes, including treason; they were tried in late 1980. Convicted, Jiang drew a death sentence, which was, however, commuted to a life sentence in 1983. She reportedly committed suicide on May 14, 1991.