Which leader formed the Kuomintang and helped overthrow the Manchu Dynasty?

• A. Deng Xiaoping
• B. Zhou Enlai
• C. Chiang Kai-shek
• D. Sun Yixian

Answer: (D)

Sun Yixian, commonly known as Sun Yat-sen, formed the Kuomintang (the Nationalist Party) and played a central role in ending the Qing Dynasty. He organized various revolutionary groups into a unified movement, promoting nationalism, democracy, and the people’s livelihood. This work helped coordinate the 1911 revolution that toppled the Manchu-led Qing government and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. Sun’s leadership and ideas framed the early Nationalist effort in China, earning him a lasting legacy as a pivotal figure in the country’s shift toward a republic. The other figures were associated with later phases or different movements—Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlai with the Communist era in the PRC, and Chiang Kai-shek succeeding Sun as a Nationalist leader but not founding the party.