The People’s Republic of China (PRC) was formally proclaimed by Mao Zedong on 1 Oct 1949 at 3:00 pm in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. Chairman Mao chose the new capital although Nanjing had been the capital of the former Republic of China. He brought back the old name Beijing expunging the name Beiping. This is the chart we use for modern China.

Previously we had concluded that “Saturn Daśā of previous Republic chart (1943-52) brings Communism to China” and we see this confirmed in the new “People’s Republic of China” Chart which has Makara Lagna (Sat), Makara Rāśi (Sat śubhapati) and it was a Saturday (Sat) afternoon.

Three Daśā

• Again, the unstable combination of 7^th lord in lagna → Dvisaptati Sama daśā applicable. Marriage, partnership, foreign affairs are important and decide wealth/poverty matters.
• However, this is a powerful chart with mālavya yoga (Venus 10H-kendra in Li) → Caturāśīti Sama daśā applicable. Rājayoga, achievement of its purpose and objectives, work, development, employment is to be examined from this daśā.
• Moon is in Lagna in Śukla pakṣa, day-time birth → Vimśottari daśā applicable. This daśā will be the leader of all and shall have the final say in all matters just as a king can overrule the cabinet ministers.

With three daśā working together in this chart, we will have to steer very carefully through the choppy waters of China’s fortunes.

Mao Zedong, having led the Communists (CCP) to victory against the Nationalists (KMT) after two decades of Chinese civil war, founded the People’s Republic of China om 1 Oct 1949.

Moon is in nakṣatra gaṇḍānta indicating radical changes to the structure.

Initial Years of People’s Republic

Vimśottari Moon daśā indicates that the general population is gradually adopting to the new system due to the radical changes from the nationalists to the communists. Vimśottari shows the general thinking and the planned way forward. Mao’s three proclaimed tasks were

• National unity: The Moon has ‘motherhood’ as its chief goal and likes to keep the family together – by any means
• Social and economic change: more social since that is the nature of the Moon while economics are more for sustaining the population
• Freedom from foreign interference: As the 7^th lord, the Moon does have a focus on foreign affairs and relations with neighbours. Being in gaṇḍānta, it wants to bring an end to the old methods of foreign influence. As such the Moon hates its 12^th bhāva – which in this case, also happens to be the 12^th house from lagna – bringing forth a xenophobic attitude in foreign affairs.

On 1^st May 1950 Moon daśā-antara, Mao personally delivered the new marriage law that gave women freedom of choice. It provided a civil registry for legal marriages, raised the marriageable age to 20 for males and 18 for females, and banned marriage by proxy; both parties had to consent to a marriage.  Marriage had to be based on free choice of partners, monogamy, equal rights for both sexes, and on the protection of the lawful interests of women and children. Simultaneously there was the freedom of divorce, the ban on polygamy and taking concubines, and the ban on child marriages.

Dvisaptati daśā showed what really happened around for men and materials. This was the period of Mercury daśā (1949-58) which is the 6^th lord of enemies (KMT was the proclaimed enemy of CCP). Examine Mercury to know about the enemy –

• Mercury is exalted: enemy is idealistic, well lettered, cultured
• Mercury is combusted: Enemy will be defeated and about 50% of their wealth and belongings will be taken away [see strengths for more details]
• Mercury is conjoined Ketu, the bādhakaśa: Enemy will flee to an island [bādhaka shows a foreign land or one across major water body; Ketu ruling Sc can show island] in the eastern direction [conjoins Sun]; Native will attack enemy by surprize with strange methods and weapons [Ke] that will cause great hardship [+Su 8L]

In Dec 1949 (Me-Me-Ju) two million soldiers of KMT followed Chiang Kai-shek into exile to Taiwan and set up a government there. Although initially some moved to Hong Kong, later they went to Taiwan. As the 12^th Lord in 12^th bhāva, Jupiter will always give an escape route for the enemy thereby sparing their lives. This may infuriate Makara Lagna but then, it does have the graha doṣa of Guru. China does not fear foreign armies, but it does fear monks (Jup) who can easily overcome the communist propaganda.

China entered the Korean war in Oct 1950 (Moon daśā Mars antara). Mars in 7^th bhāva as debilitated bādhaka can take Chinese troops to foreign lands and show merciless destruction in war. Yet at times it will also show extreme compassion and kindness, since it is alone.

On 27 July 1953 (Dvisaptati Me-Sa, Vimśottari Mo-Ju) the Korean War ended with an armistice. With the Moon bringing fame and Saturn as lagneśa also aspecting lagna to give fame, China ended up on top securing a strong ally – North Korea. It also established itself as a power to reckon with. The agreement drew a new boundary near the 38th parallel that gave South Korea an extra 1,500 square miles of territory and created a 2-mile-wide “demilitarized zone” that still exists today.

Caturāśīti sama daśā shows the finances and wealth of the nation. The entire period of the Sun Oct 1949 – 61 was going to be very difficult. To study the daśā trend, we divide it into three parts – one each for (a) daśā planet (b) it’s visitors and (c) it’s associations. Benefics generally come first and the worst is kept for the end. But this can vary based on position, yogas etc. The 12-year Sun daśā has the worst phase from 1957-61. It was during this period that Chairman Mao started the campaign ‘The Great Leap Forward’ in 1958. Objective was to transform the agricultural base of China’s society into an industrial one by imposing a commune system that organized peasants and forbade private farming. The plan flopped – necessary yield was not produced and famine followed. This directly led to 56 million deaths, including 3 million by suicide! Although a five-year economic plan, the campaign had to be dropped after two years and fully shut down by 1962. For some reason the Sun is very malefic for communist regimes. See the erstwhile Soviet Union also.

…to be continued

Recent History of China

Previously at the turn of the century (1899-1901), the “Boxer Rebellion” in Northern China tried to squeeze the Qing administration, push out dominant foreign influence of Japan and Russia and restore ancient traditional rule. But they failed.

On April 5, 1911 a railway contract was given to a four-power group of foreign bankers. But the modus operandi behind the compensation for the local company finally resulted in an open revolt in Sep 1911.  This was the Xinhai Revolution after the year of the Chinese calendar in which it occurred. On 10 Oct 1911 the revolutionaries attacked and overwhelmed imperial forces in the city of Wuchang. ‘10 Oct’ was later declared the National Day of the Republic of China and is also known as ‘Double Ten Day’.

These revolts ultimately led to proclamation of “Republic of China” on 1 Jan 1912 and delegates from provinces elected Sun Yat-sen (Sun Zhongshan) as the first Provisional President. On 12 Feb 1912, the boy emperor was compelled to abdicate. By a proclamation the government was transferred to the people’s representatives. It further declared that the constitution should be republican and gave Yuan Shikai full powers to organize a provisional government. The Qing dynasty (also known as the Manchu dynasty), had ruled from 1644–1912.

Republic of China

Since 7^th Lord Mars is in lagna we are required to examine the chart with Dvisaptati Sama daśā. The revolutionary turned President of Republic Sun Yat-sen is seen by Mars in lagna [the one who is praised] while his close associate Song Jiaoren is indicated by Mercury [in trines]. The tenth lord Rāhu shows Yuan Shikai, one who gets president through political manoeuvring rather than participation in revolution. His associate who became vice-president by manipulating the strings Li Yuanhong, is shown by debilitated Saturn.

In the 9^th bhāva Mercury (Song Jiaoren) will try to establish dharma. In Aug 1912 (Mars daśā Saturn antara) the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) was founded as Saturn is 9^th Lord for elections. In the national elections of Feb 1913 (Ma-Sa) for the new bicameral parliament, Song campaigned against the Yuan administration (largely Republican Party), led by Liang Qichao. An able campaigner [Mercury is an orator] Song won most seats leading the Kuomintang to victory.

A month after the election, Song was assassinated in Mars daśā Rāhu antara (Mar 1913). There is a strong possibility that Yuan Shikai (Rāhu) was responsible. Mars in Lagna dominating the chart, attempts at parliamentary rule was not going to last as Mars shows use of military force. In July 1913 seven southern provinces rebelled against Yuan but he defeated them. Sun Yat-sen was forced to flee to Japan on 1 Sep 1913 (Ma-Ra battle continues). [When the 7^th lord is in Lagna or vice-versa the native will have to leave home to seek fortunes abroad. Here Mars shows fleeing after battle for shelter rather than a journey for seeking fortune].

Yuan could not be bothered by the parliament which was still dominated by the popular Kuomintang. So, he simply dissolved it in Jan 1914 in the same Rāhu antara. On 12 Dec 1915 Yuan declared himself emperor of China – rebellion followed and in three months on 22 Mar 1916, he stepped down and died soon on 6 June 1916 in Moon antardaśā. True to its calling, Moon pulled Rāhu down, but more so as it is in the 8^th house from Rāhu in Aries it also led to his death. In a way, China had ceased to be a republic the day Yuan crowned himself.

Sun Yat-Sen Era (1916-25)

Mercury daśā was starting in a month and the totalitarian Mars had to give way but strangely all it did was promote a feudalism of a lowly nature.  Mercury in Capricorn in proximity to the Sun, with the aspect from debilitated Saturn can be deemed a pāpa-graha as there are no redeeming aspects from natural benefic planets.

Li Yuanhong (Saturn) became the President (10^th bhāva) after Yuan (Rāhu) with Duan Qirui as Premier. He was even more authoritarian and his disregard for the constitution made Sun Yat-sen et.al., to promulgate a new government in Guangzhou (Canton) in Sep 1917 when Mercury daśā Jupiter antara started. They waged a ‘Constitutional Protection War’ through 1918 (Me-Ju and Me-Ve). Again defeated by internal politics and sidelined, Sun Yat-sen left. But to his good fortune the ‘Fourth May Movement’ [started on 4 May 1919 Me-Ve period] brought him back to limelight. In Oct 1919 he re-established the Kuomintang (KMT) in exile thereby countering the government in Beijing being led under a succession of warlords but interestingly still maintained its legitimacy with the West! It is interesting that Europe preferred to deal with warlords than support an elected government.

About 1921 (Me-Ra) the Soviet Union supported the CCP (new Chinese Communist Party) in addition to Sun Yat-sen. Rāhu again showed its head and Sun Yat-sen was going to become uncomfortable. In 1922 (Me-Su) the Kuomintang-warlord alliance in Guangzhou was ruptured, and Sun fled to Shanghai. Sun Yat-sen died of cancer in Beijing in Mar 1925 [Me-Ma-Ra].

Centralization (1925-34)

In many ways this daśā of Jupiter was a golden period of the republic. It was “one of consolidation and accomplishment under the leadership of the Nationalists, with a mixed but generally positive record in the economy, social progress, development of democracy and cultural creativity. Some of the harsh aspects of foreign concessions and privileges in China were moderated through diplomacy. In May 1930 the government regained the right to set its tariff, which before then had been set by the foreign powers.” – Wikipedia

Perhaps the only dissatisfied ones were the Kumulik Uyghurs who got the support of Hui muslim Gen. Ma Zhongying to overthrow Jin Shuren, governor of Xinjiang. The Kuomintang (KMT) clandestinely supported the Uyghurs while the CCP supported governor Jin who was close to the soviets. This was the first major shearing between KMT and CCP. It lasted between 1931-34 with the Soviet invasion of Xinjiang. As Jupiter daśā ended and Venus started, the Red Army’s Long March in 1934 led to more power for the central government over that of the warlods and other foreign powers.

War and Destruction (1934-43)

Venus in the 8^th bhāva saw a great struggle and many wars and destruction. It was on 7 July 1937 (Ve-Ra-Ju) that the Chinese refused to budge any further at the Marco Polo Bridge in Beijing, as the Japanese pushed for territory. China saw a lot of destruction during this period and was on the opposite side of the Axis powers as she was fighting Japan.

Saturn (1943-52) brings Communism to China

With the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and World war-II, the Chinese Civil war broke out. The KMT were much larger but were losing to the propaganda power of CCP. Saturn had made them tired and ‘old’. The US brokered peace in Jan 1946 (Sa-Su) but they walked out of China by withdrawing their mission in early 1947 (Sa-Mo). In a years’ time they were on the run.

Exile of the First Republic

In Jan 1949 (Sa-Ma-Mo) Beiping was taken by CCP and name changed back to Beijing. On 1^st Oct 1949 Mao Zedong officially proclaimed the “People’s Republic of China” thereby bringing an end to the First Republic.

From Oct 1949 Chiang Kai-shek and a few hundred thousand Republic of China (KMT) troops and two million refugees, predominantly from the government and business community, fled from mainland China to the island of Taiwan. The exodus occurred in Saturn daśā Mercury antara.

The opposition to the CCP was as good as dead. Finally, on 7 Dec 1949 (Sa-Me-Su) Chiang proclaimed Taipei, Taiwan, the temporary capital of the Republic of China! More like a capital in exile.

Even today, The Government of the Republic of China, commonly known as the Government of Taiwan, is the democratic, constitutional government that exercises control over Taiwan and other islands in the free area.

This first republic chart is the actual chart for Taiwan/ Republic of China