Mao Zedong was a Chinese revolutionary, politician, writer, political theorist and the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He led China from the PRC's establishment in October 1949 until his death in September 1976, primarily through his role as the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). His theories, which he advocated as a Chinese adaptation of Marxism–Leninism, are known as Maoism.