Final answer:
The Cultural Revolution in China and in Iran shared the goal of purging old ideologies and restructuring society according to the new ruling principles. Both targeted intellectuals and enforced ideological conformity, resulting in substantial turmoil and human rights abuses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Both the Cultural Revolution in China and the Cultural Revolution in Iran aimed at purging their respective societies of pre-existing sociopolitical structures and ideologies to establish a new cultural order aligned with their revolutionary principles.
In China, Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution in 1966, advocating for a radical transformation to uphold communism and proletarian ideology. It was a socio-political movement that sought to remove capitalist elements and traditional cultural aspects, which involved re-education and persecution or even extermination of dissidents, notably intellectuals and artists. The movement caused social upheaval, resulting in the deaths of millions and the devastation of Chinese heritage and social fabric.
In contrast, the Cultural Revolution in Iran, initiated after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, sought to purify the nation from the secular and Western influences of the previous regime. The new Shi'a rulers aimed to align the country's cultural landscape with Islamic principles and to suppress opposition, which included closing universities to purge them of liberal influences and consolidating their theocratic governance.
Ultimately, both Cultural Revolutions shared the common goal of creating a society that strictly conformed to the ruling ideology and power, while drastically attempting to eliminate alternative ideologies. This led to periods of significant turmoil and human rights abuses in both China and Iran.