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Ma clique
馬家軍
Active	1862–1949
Country	China
Allegiance	Qing dynasty Beiyang government Nationalist government (1927–1949)
Branch	National Revolutionary Army (after 1928)
Engagements	First Dungan revolt Second Dungan revolt First Sino-Japanese War Xinhai Revolution Bai Lang Rebellion Muslim conflict in Gansu Sino-Tibetan War Xinjiang Wars Chinese Civil War Second Sino-Japanese War
Commanders
Governor of Gansu (1911–1918)	Ma Anliang
Governor of Qinghai (1915–1928) and Chairman of Qinghai (1929–1931)	Ma Qi
Governor of Ningxia (1921–1928; 1948–1949) and Governor of Gansu (1930–1931)	Ma Hongbin
Governor of Qinghai (1931–1938)	Ma Lin
Governor of Qinghai (1938–1949)	Ma Bufang
Governor of Ningxia (1931–1948)	Ma Hongkui
Tao-yins of Kashgar	Ma Fuxing and Ma Shaowu
Commander of the New 36th Division	Ma Zhongying
Commander of the New 36th Division	Ma Hushan

The Ma clique or Ma family warlords is a collective name for a group of Hui (Muslim Chinese) warlords in Northwestern China who ruled the Chinese provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Ningxia for 10 years from 1919 until 1928. Following the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1912, the region came under Chinese Muslim warlord Ma Qi's control until the Northern Expedition by the Republic of China consolidated central control in 1928. There were three families in the Ma clique ("Ma" being a common Hui rendering of the common Muslim name "Muhammad"), each of them respectively controlled, parts of Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai. The three most prominent members of the clique were Ma Bufang, Ma Hongkui, and Ma Hongbin, collectively known as the Xibei San Ma (Chinese: 西北三馬, Three Ma of the Northwest). Some contemporary accounts, such as Edgar Snow's, described the clique as the "Four Ma" (rather than Three), adding Ma Bufang's brother Ma Buqing to the list of the top warlords. Other prominent Ma's included Ma Anliang, Ma Qi, Ma Lin, Ma Hu-shan, and Ma Zhongying.

Ma Clique

The Ma Clique warlords were all generals in the military of the Republic of China, who controlled most of Mainland China until it was overtaken by the communist People's Liberation Army. The clique was begun by Muslim generals who served in the military of the Qing dynasty, most notably in the Kansu Braves army, who fought in the Boxer Rebellion against invading foreign forces. It was continued by two generations of their descendants.

After the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing, the Ma Clique Generals declared their allegiance to the Republic of China. Unlike the Mongols, Hui Muslims refused to secede from the Republic, and Ma Qi quickly used his diplomatic and military powers to make the Tibetan and Mongol nobles recognize the Republic of China government as their overlord, and sent a message to President Yuan Shikai reaffirming that Qinghai was securely in the Republic. He replaced "Long, Long, Long, Live the reigning Emperor", with "Long live the Republic of China" on inscriptions. Ma Anliang also agreed to join the new Republic of China government.

When the Kuomintang seized power in the Northern Expedition, the Ma Clique warlords became members of the Kuomintang party, and their armies were renamed as divisions of the National Revolutionary Army. The Ma Clique Ninghai Army under General Ma Qi was renamed the National Revolutionary Army 26th Division.

Ma Zhongying led the KMT 36th Division to fight against the pro-Soviet governor of Xinjiang, Jin Shuren during the Kumul Rebellion, and the Soviets themselves during the Soviet Invasion of Xinjiang. The 36th Division also crushed the First East Turkestan Republic at the Battle of Kashgar (1934).

In the Sino-Tibetan War, Ma Clique forces led by Ma Bufang defeated the Tibetan Army. Also during the Kuomintang Pacification of Qinghai Ma Bufang waged war against Tibetan tribes in Qinghai to bring them under his control.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Ma Clique forces fought against the Japanese, Ma Hongbin led his 81st corps to defeat the Japanese at the Battle of Wuyuan. Ma Bufang sent Ma Biao to attack the Japanese army. 40 years before, Ma Biao had fought in the Boxer Rebellion against the Eight Nation Alliance.

Ma Bufang was ordered by the Kuomintang to invade Xinjiang in the 1940s to intimidate and help oust the forces of the pro Soviet Governor Sheng Shicai. The Ma Clique forces also clashed with the forces of the Second East Turkestan Republic during the Ili Rebellion.

The three families of the Ma clique

The first family was headed by Ma Zhanao. He had two sons, Ma Anliang, and Ma Guoliang, both of whom became Qing generals. Ma Anliang later became a general in the Republic of China. Ma Anliang had five sons, three of whom were unknown. The other two were Ma Tingran and Ma Tingxian, who was executed in 1962 by the People's Court.

The second family was headed by Ma Qianling. Ma Hongbin and Ma Hongkui were cousins. Their respective fathers, Ma Fulu (马福绿) (1854–1900) and Ma Fuxiang (马福祥) (1876–1932) came from Yangzhushan (阳注山) village in Hanji Town (presently, the county seat of Linxia County), and were half-brothers. Ma Fulu and Ma Fuxiang's father Ma Qianling, originally a small merchant and farmer from Hezhou, had been an associate of Ma Zhan'ao – the ruler of Hezhou region during the Great Muslim Rebellion of the 1860s – and went over to the Qing government's side in 1872 along with Ma Zhan'ao himself; rewarded by the government and successful in his business, he had four sons with his three wives. Ma Zhanao was the father of another 2 Ma clique warlords, Ma Anliang and Ma Guoliang. Ma Qianling also had several nephews who died along with Ma Fulu in the Boxer Rebellion.

Ma Haiyan started the third family. He had two sons, Ma Qi, and Ma Lin. Ma Qi had 2 sons, Ma Buqing and Ma Bufang, originally from Monigou Township (漠泥沟乡) in Linxia County. Their father, Ma Qi (1869–1931), was based in Xining, controlling what is today Qinghai Province. Ma Zhongying was Ma Qi's nephew, and thus a cousin of Ma Buqing and Ma Bufang. Ma Hushan was also a member of this family. This family controlled Qinghai province. One Generation of this family had the same Generation name, 步 (Bù), Ma Bufang, Ma Buqing, Ma Bukang, Ma Buluan, and Ma Zhongying (whose original name was Ma Buying) all had the Bu character in their names and were of the same generation, all being grandsons of Ma Haiyan.

• Ma Bufang
• Ma Hongkui
• Ma Zhongying
• Ma Lin

History

The Ma clique traces its origins to the officers of Qing dynasty General Dong Fuxiang. General Ma Anliang was the de facto leader of the Muslims of northwest China.

The Three (or Five) Ma took control of the region during the Warlord Era, siding first with the Guominjun and then the Kuomintang; they fought against the Red Army during the Long March and the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

The Ma Clique controlled vast amounts of land in the northwest, including Xining and Hezhou.

The Qing dynasty had granted Ma Bufang's family a yellow standard which had his family name "Ma" on it. Ma Bufang continued to use this standard in battle.

Ma Bufang recruited many Salar officers from Xunhua County into his army like Han Yimu and General Han Youwen.

During one campaign against the Communists in the Civil War, in Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia, Muslim soldiers numbered 31,000.

During the final stages of the Chinese Civil War, the Ma fought for the Kuomintang side in defiance until the communists wiped out his cavalry and took Gansu in August 1949, just months before the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Upon the arrival of communist forces, Ma Hongbin had little possibility of winning and joined to communists' side. He was appointed vice-chairman (later restyled vice-governor) of Gansu province. He later died in Lanzhou in 1960. Ma Hongkui fled with the Kuomintang to Taiwan. He was indicted by Republic of China Control Yuan as a scapegoat. He later migrated to the United States, where he died on January 14, 1970.

Ma Bufang with his son Ma Jiyuan fled by an airplane from Qinghai to Chongqing, then Hong Kong. In October 1949, Chiang Kai-shek urged him to return to the Northwest to resist the PLA, but he chose to migrate to Saudi Arabia with more than 200 relatives and subordinates, in the name of hajj. He later worked as the first ambassador to Saudi Arabia for the Republic of China.

Ma Lin's eldest son Ma Burong defected to the Communists after 1949 and donated 10,000 Yuan to support Chinese troops in the Korean War. One of Ma Chengxiang's Hui officers, Ma Fuchen 馬輔臣, defected to the Communists.

Ma Guoliang's son Ma Tingbin became a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference after defecting to the Communists.

List of Ma clique generals and officers

First family

• Ma Zhanao
• Ma Anliang
• Ma Guoliang
• Ma Suiliang
• Ma Tingxiang
• Ma Tingxian
• Ma Tingbin aka Ma Quanqin
• Ma Jieqin

Second family

• Ma Qianling
• Ma Fuxiang
• Ma Fulu
• Ma Fushou
• Ma Fucai
• Ma Hongbin
• Ma Hongkui
• Ma Dunjing (1906–1972)
• Ma Dunjing (1910–2003)
• Ma Dunhou (Ma Tung-hou)
• Ma Dunren

Officers

• Ma Fuxing
• Ma Chiang-liang

Third family

• Ma Haiyan
• Ma Haiyuan
• Ma Qi
• Ma Lin
• Ma Bao
• Ma Guzhong
• Ma Liang (general)
• Ma Yuanxiang
• Ma Bufang
• Ma Buqing
• Ma Bukang
• Ma Buluan
• Ma Burong
• Ma Buyuan
• Ma Zhongying (Ma Buying)
• Ma Zhenwu
• Ma Hushan
• Ma Xuyuan
• Ma Weiguo
• Ma Jiyuan
• Ma Chengxiang
• Ma Biao (general)
• Ma Burong

Officers

• Han Youwen
• Han Yimu
• Ma Zhancang
• Ma Fuyuan
• Ma Shiming
• Ma Ju-lung
• Pai Tzu-li
• Ma Sheng-kuei
• Su Chin-shou
• Ma Xizhen

Family trees

Below are the family trees of the Ma Clique. These trees are not exhaustive.

First family

Second family

Third family

Other notable family members

Outer notable family members include:

• Ma Mingxin
• Ma Yuanzhang
• Ma Shenglin

List of wars fought by the Ma clique

• Dungan Revolt (1862–1877)
• Dungan Revolt (1895–1896)
• First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95)
• Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901)
• Xinhai Revolution (1911)
• National Protection War (1915–1916)
• Muslim conflict in Gansu (1927–1930)
• Golok conflicts (1917–1949)
• Chinese Civil War (1927–1949)
• Kumul Rebellion (1931–1934)
• Sino-Tibetan War of 1930–1932
• Soviet invasion of Xinjiang (1934)
• Xinjiang War (1937)
• Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)
• Ili Rebellion (1944–1949)
• Kuomintang Islamic insurgency (1950–1958)

See also

• Warlord Era
• History of the Republic of China
• List of Warlords

References

1. Lipman, Jonathan Neaman (1998). Familiar strangers: a history of Muslims in Northwest China. Hong Kong University Press. p. 258 (the main index entry for "Ma family warlords"). ISBN 962-209-468-6.
2. Edgar Snow, Red Star Over China. Chapter 4, "Moslem and Marxist". Numerous editions.
3. Uradyn Erden Bulag (2002). Dilemmas The Mongols at China's edge: history and the politics of national unity. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 43. ISBN 0-7425-1144-8. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
4. Jonathan Neaman Lipman (2004). Familiar strangers: a history of Muslims in Northwest China. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 170. ISBN 0-295-97644-6. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
5. Lipman (1998), pp. 167–172
6. Jonathan Neaman Lipman (2004). Familiar strangers: a history of Muslims in Northwest China. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 146. ISBN 0-295-97644-6. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
7. Jonathan Neaman Lipman (2004). Familiar strangers: a history of Muslims in Northwest China. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 168. ISBN 0-295-97644-6. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
8. "临夏旅游" (Linxia Tourism), published by Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture Tourist Board, 2003. 146 pages. No ISBN. pp. 68–69.
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Center for Asian Studies (1979). Chinese Republican studies newsletter, Volumes 5–7. p. 35. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
10. Frederick Roelker Wulsin; Joseph Francis Fletcher (1979). "Contributors: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, National Geographic Society (U.S.), Peabody Museum of Salem, Pacific Asia Museum". In Mary Ellen Alonso (ed.). China's Inner Asian Frontier: Photographs of the Wulsin Expedition to Northwest China in 1923: From the Archives of the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, and the National Geographic Society. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. p. 43. ISBN 0-674-11968-1. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
11. Dean King (2010). Unbound: A True Story of War, Love, and Survival (illustrated ed.). Hachette Digital, Inc. ISBN 978-0-316-16708-6. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
12. The China monthly review, Volumes 80–81. J.W. Powell. 1937. p. 56. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
13. "怀念马辅臣先生". Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
14. "马辅臣--民族工商业家". Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
15. Lipman, Jonathan N. (Jul., 1984). "Ethnicity and Politics in Republican China: The Ma Family Warlords of Gansu". Sage Publications, Inc.. p. 291. JSTOR 189017.
16. 甘、寧、青三馬家族世系簡表

Bibliography

• Lipman, Jonathan N. (July 1984). "Ethnicity and Politics in Republican China: The Ma Family Warlords of Gansu". Modern China. 10 (3). Sage Publications, Inc.: 285–316. doi:10.1177/009770048401000302. JSTOR 189017. S2CID 143843569.

External links

• Xibei San Ma at FOTW
• Ethnicity and Politics in Republican China: The Ma Family Warlords of Gansu by Jonathan Neaman Lipman | Mount Holyoke College | Modern China © 1984 Sage Publications, Inc.
• 馬家將
• 让日军闻风丧胆地回族抗日名将

v t e Warlord Era and warlordism during the Nanjing decade
1915–1924 1925–1934 Factions 1911–1914 Bai Lang Rebellion 1913 Second Revolution 1915 Twenty-One Demands 1915–1916 Empire of China (Yuan Shikai) National Protection War 1916 Death of Yuan Shikai 1917 Manchu Restoration 1917–1922 Constitutional Protection Movement 1917–1929 Golok rebellions 1918–1920 Siberian intervention 1919 Paris Peace Conference Shandong Problem May Fourth Movement 1919–1921 Occupation of Outer Mongolia 1920 Zhili–Anhui War 1920–1921 Guangdong–Guangxi War 1920–1926 Spirit Soldier rebellions 1921 1st National CPC Congress 1921–1922 Washington Naval Conference 1922 First Zhili–Fengtian War 1923–1927 First United Front 1923 Lincheng Outrage 1924 Second Zhili–Fengtian War Canton Merchants' Corps Uprising Beijing Coup 1925 Yunnan–Guangxi War May Thirtieth Movement 1925–1926 Anti-Fengtian War Canton–Hong Kong strike 1926 Zhongshan Warship Incident 1926–1928 Northern Expedition Nanjing–Wuhan Split Nationalist-Communist Civil War 1927 Nanking incident of 1927 1927 Shanghai Commune of 1927 1927 Shanghai massacre 1927 July 15 Incident 1927–1930 Muslim conflict in Gansu 1928 Jinan incident Huanggutun incident Looting of the Eastern Mausoleum Northeast Flag Replacement 1928–1929 Third Red Spears' uprising in Shandong 1929 Chiang-Gui War Warlord Rebellion in northeastern Shandong (incl. Beijing Revolt) Sino-Soviet conflict 1930 Central Plains War 1930–1932 Sino-Tibetan War / Qinghai–Tibet War 1931–1935 Kumul Rebellion / Soviet invasion of Xinjiang 1932 Han–Liu War 1932 Two-Liu war 1934 War in Ningxia Beiyang Anhui Zhili Fengtian (National Pacification Army) Zhili Army Shanxi Guominjun Ma Xinjiang Yunnan Sichuan Old Guangxi New Guangxi Guangdong Guizhou Kuomintang (KMT) Communist Party (CCP)
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• Ma clique
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