Roderick Lemonde MacFarquhar (1930–2019), also known by his Chinese name Ma Ruode, was a British historian and political scholar, an expert on Chinese affairs, and a specialist in the history of the Cultural Revolution. He served as a professor in the Government Department at Harvard University.
MacFarquhar was born in Lahore, British India (now part of Pakistan), to Sir Alexander MacFarquhar, a British diplomat. In 1953, he graduated from Keble College, Oxford University, with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He continued his studies at Harvard University, earning a master's degree in Far Eastern Studies in 1955. In 1960, he founded The China Quarterly, an academic journal on Chinese politics and economics, published by Cambridge University. In 1974, he was elected to the British House of Commons as a Labour Party candidate but lost his seat in 1979 amidst the conservative wave led by Margaret Thatcher. He joined Harvard University as a faculty member.
MacFarquhar was a senior scholar of the Cultural Revolution, renowned for his three-volume work The Origins of the Cultural Revolution, which is considered a classic in the field. His research not only focused on the violence and power struggles of the Cultural Revolution but also delved deeply into the elite factional struggles of Mao Zedong's era, exploring the political strategies and ideological motivations behind Mao's actions. In addition to this work, he co-authored The Cambridge History of China, Volume 15, The People's Republic of China: Revolution Within the Revolution 1966-1982 (with John K. Fairbank), and Mao Zedong's Last Revolution (with Michael Schoenhals).
In MacFarquhar's obituary published in the New York Times, his early student, China researcher Minxin Pei remarked, "He was deeply interested in political purges, and the Cultural Revolution was one of the largest political purges in history. Unlike many historians who focused on the violence of the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution, MacFarquhar concentrated on the factional struggles that began in the 1950s. He had also worked as a journalist and served as a member of the British Parliament in the 1970s, which helped him understand political operations. By focusing on Mao Zedong's brutal political maneuvers, MacFarquhar illuminated the leader's mindset and uncovered the disaster of the Cultural Revolution.”
MacFarquhar's scholarly work significantly influenced understanding of contemporary Chinese politics. His books were translated into Chinese and circulated among unofficial historians, influencing contributors to samizdat Chinese publications, such as Remembrance (记忆). He served as the director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University from 1986 to 1992 and again from 2005 to 2006. Under his leadership, the center attracted a wide range of individuals—from entrepreneurs and diplomats to journalists—who sought to understand China through debates and academic research. After the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, he welcomed Wang Dan, a leader of the student protest, to study at the Fairbank Center, providing a crucial platform for exiled Chinese scholars to research Chinese history and politics.
MacFarquhar passed away on February 10, 2019, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the age of 88.
MacFarquhar was born in Lahore, British India (now part of Pakistan), to Sir Alexander MacFarquhar, a British diplomat. In 1953, he graduated from Keble College, Oxford University, with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He continued his studies at Harvard University, earning a master's degree in Far Eastern Studies in 1955. In 1960, he founded The China Quarterly, an academic journal on Chinese politics and economics, published by Cambridge University. In 1974, he was elected to the British House of Commons as a Labour Party candidate but lost his seat in 1979 amidst the conservative wave led by Margaret Thatcher. He joined Harvard University as a faculty member.
MacFarquhar was a senior scholar of the Cultural Revolution, renowned for his three-volume work The Origins of the Cultural Revolution, which is considered a classic in the field. His research not only focused on the violence and power struggles of the Cultural Revolution but also delved deeply into the elite factional struggles of Mao Zedong's era, exploring the political strategies and ideological motivations behind Mao's actions. In addition to this work, he co-authored The Cambridge History of China, Volume 15, The People's Republic of China: Revolution Within the Revolution 1966-1982 (with John K. Fairbank), and Mao Zedong's Last Revolution (with Michael Schoenhals).
In MacFarquhar's obituary published in the New York Times, his early student, China researcher Minxin Pei remarked, "He was deeply interested in political purges, and the Cultural Revolution was one of the largest political purges in history. Unlike many historians who focused on the violence of the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution, MacFarquhar concentrated on the factional struggles that began in the 1950s. He had also worked as a journalist and served as a member of the British Parliament in the 1970s, which helped him understand political operations. By focusing on Mao Zedong's brutal political maneuvers, MacFarquhar illuminated the leader's mindset and uncovered the disaster of the Cultural Revolution.”
MacFarquhar's scholarly work significantly influenced understanding of contemporary Chinese politics. His books were translated into Chinese and circulated among unofficial historians, influencing contributors to samizdat Chinese publications, such as Remembrance (记忆). He served as the director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University from 1986 to 1992 and again from 2005 to 2006. Under his leadership, the center attracted a wide range of individuals—from entrepreneurs and diplomats to journalists—who sought to understand China through debates and academic research. After the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, he welcomed Wang Dan, a leader of the student protest, to study at the Fairbank Center, providing a crucial platform for exiled Chinese scholars to research Chinese history and politics.
MacFarquhar passed away on February 10, 2019, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the age of 88.
