Gang of Four

Gang of Four
Four radical Chinese leaders. Jiang Qing , Mao Zedong 's fourth wife, Wang Hongwen , Yao Wenyuan , and Zhang Chungqiao all rose to prominence during the Cultural Revolution , with a power base in Shanghai. They occupied powerful positions in the Politburo after the Tenth Party Congress of 1973 . After the death of Mao in 1976 they are alleged to have planned to seize power, and in 1980 were found guilty of plotting against the state. They have been blamed for the excesses of the Cultural Revolution.