| 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 andMa Shaowu |
| Commander of theNew 36th Division | Ma Zhongying |
| Commander of the New 36th Division | Ma Hushan |
| Ma clique | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 馬家軍(閥) | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 马家军(阀) | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Ma Family Army Ma Family Military Clique | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
TheMa clique orMa family warlords[1] is a collective name for a group ofHui (Muslim Chinese) warlords inNorthwestern China who ruled theChinese provinces ofQinghai,Gansu andNingxia for 10 years from 1919 until 1928. Following the collapse of theQing dynasty in 1912, the region came under Chinese Muslim warlordMa Qi's control until theNorthern Expedition by the Republic of China consolidated central control in 1928. After 1928, Muslim warlords joined the rulingKuomintang government and participated in national-level politics alongside their local military role.[2] There were three families in the Ma clique ("Ma" being a common Hui rendering of the commonMuslim name "Muhammad"), each of them respectively controlled, parts ofGansu,Ningxia andQinghai. The three most prominent members of the clique wereMa Bufang,Ma Hongkui, andMa Hongbin, collectively known as theXibei San Ma (Chinese:西北三馬,Three Ma of the Northwest). Some contemporary accounts, such asEdgar Snow's, described the clique as the "Four Ma" (rather than Three), adding Ma Bufang's brotherMa Buqing to the list of the top warlords.[3] Other prominent Mas includedMa Anliang,Ma Lin,Ma Hushan,Ma Fuxiang andMa Zhongying.
The Ma clique warlords were all generals in the military of theRepublic of China, who controlled most ofmainland China until it was overtaken by the communistPeople's Liberation Army. The clique was begun by Muslim generals who served in the military of the Qing dynasty, most notably in theKansu Braves army, who fought in theBoxer Rebellion against invading foreign forces. It was continued by two generations of their descendants.
After theXinhai 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, andMa 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 PresidentYuan Shikai reaffirming thatQinghai was securely in the Republic. He replaced "Long, Long, Long, Live the reigning Emperor", with "Long live the Republic of China" on inscriptions.[4] Ma Anliang also agreed to join the newRepublic of China government.[5]
When theKuomintang seized power in theNorthern Expedition, the Ma clique warlords became members of theKuomintang party, and their armies were renamed as divisions of theNational Revolutionary Army. The Ma cliqueNinghai Army under General Ma Qi was renamed the National Revolutionary Army 26th Division.
Ma Zhongying led theKMT 36th Division to fight against the pro-Soviet governor of Xinjiang,Jin Shuren during theKumul Rebellion, and the Soviets themselves during theSoviet Invasion of Xinjiang. The 36th Division also crushed theFirst East Turkestan Republic at theBattle of Kashgar (1934).
In theSino-Tibetan War, Ma cique forces led byMa Bufang defeated the Tibetan Army. Also during theKuomintang pacification of Qinghai, Ma Bufang waged war against Tibetan tribes in Qinghai to bring them under his control.
During theSecond Sino-Japanese War, Ma clique forces fought against the Japanese, andMa Hongbin led his 81st corps to defeat the Japanese at theBattle of Wuyuan. Ma Bufang sentMa 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 theKuomintang to invadeXinjiang in the 1940s to intimidate and help oust the forces of the pro-Soviet GovernorSheng Shicai. The Ma clique forces also clashed with the forces of theSecond East Turkestan Republic during theIli Rebellion.
The first family was headed byMa Zhanao. He had two sons,Ma Anliang, and Ma Guoliang, both of whom became Qing generals. Ma Anliang later became a general in theRepublic 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 andMa Hongkui were cousins. Their respective fathers,Ma Fulu (马福绿) (1854–1900) andMa Fuxiang (马福祥) (1876–1932) came from Yangzhushan (阳注山) village in Hanji Town (presently, the county seat ofLinxia County), and were half-brothers. Ma Fulu and Ma Fuxiang's fatherMa Qianling, originally a small merchant and farmer fromHezhou, had been an associate ofMa Zhan'ao – the ruler ofHezhou region during theGreat Muslim Rebellion of the 1860s – and went over to theQing 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.[6] Ma Zhanao was the father of another 2 Ma clique warlords,Ma Anliang and Ma Guoliang.[7][8] Ma Qianling also had several nephews who died along with Ma Fulu in theBoxer Rebellion.
Ma Haiyan started the third family. He had two sons, Ma Qi, and Ma Lin. Ma Qi had 2 sons,Ma Buqing andMa Bufang, originally from Monigou Township (漠泥沟乡) inLinxia County.[9] Their father,Ma Qi (1869–1931), was based inXining, controlling what is todayQinghai Province.Ma Zhongying was Ma Qi's nephew, and thus a cousin ofMa Buqing andMa Bufang.Ma Hushan was also a member of this family. This family controlledQinghai province. One Generation of this family had the sameGeneration 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.
The Ma clique traces its origins to the officers ofQing dynasty GeneralDong Fuxiang. GeneralMa Anliang was the de facto leader of the Muslims of northwest China.[10]
The Three (or Five) Ma took control of the region during theWarlord Era, siding first with theGuominjun and then theKuomintang; they fought against the Red Army during theLong March and the Japanese during theSecond Sino-Japanese War.
The Ma Clique controlled vast amounts of land in the northwest, including Xining and Hezhou.[11]
TheQing dynasty had grantedMa Bufang's family a yellow standard which had his family name "Ma" on it. Ma Bufang continued to use this standard in battle.[12]
Ma Bufang recruited manySalar officers fromXunhua County into his army like Han Yimu and GeneralHan Youwen.
During one campaign against the Communists in the Civil War, in Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia, Muslim soldiers numbered 31,000.[13]
During the final stages of theChinese Civil War, the Ma fought for the Kuomintang side in defiance until the communistswiped out his cavalry and took Gansu in August 1949, just months before the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Uponthe 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) ofGansu province. He later died inLanzhou in 1960.Ma Hongkui fled with the Kuomintang toTaiwan. He was indicted by Republic of China Control Yuan as a scapegoat. He later migrated to the United States, where he died on 14 January 1970.
Ma Bufang with his son Ma Jiyuan fled by an airplane fromQinghai toChongqing, thenHong Kong. In October 1949,Chiang Kai-shek urged him to return to the Northwest to resist the PLA, but he chose to migrate toSaudi Arabia with more than 200 relatives and subordinates, in the name ofhajj. 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 theKorean War. One of Ma Chengxiang's Hui officers,Ma Fuchen [zh], defected to the Communists.[14][15]
Ma Guoliang's son Ma Tingbin became a member of theChinese People's Political Consultative Conference after defecting to the Communists.
Below are the family trees of the Ma Clique.[16][17] These trees are not exhaustive.
| Ma Zhanao (Ma Zhan'ao or Ma Chan-ao) 馬占鰲 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Anliang (Ma An-liang) 馬安良 | Ma Guoliang (Ma Kuo-liang) 馬國良 | Ma Suiliang (Ma Sui-liang) 馬遂良 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Tingxiang (Ma T'ing-hsiang) 馬廷勷 | Ma Tingxian (Ma T'ing-hsien) 馬廷賢 | Ma Tingbin (Ma T'ing-pin) 馬廷斌 aka Ma Quanqin 馬全欽 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Qianling (Ma Ch'ien-ling) 馬千齡 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Fushou (Ma Fu-shou) 馬福壽 | Ma Fucai (Ma Fu-ts'ai) 馬福財 | Ma Fulu (Ma Fu-lu) 馬福綠 | Ma Fuxiang (Ma Fu-hsiang) 馬福祥 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Hongbin (Ma Hung-pin, misspelled as Ma Hung-ping) 馬鴻賓 | Ma Hongkui (Ma Hung-kuei or Ma Hung-kwei) 馬鴻逵 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Dunjing (Ma Tun-ching) 馬惇靖 | Ma Dunhou (Ma Tun-hou, misspelled as Ma Tung-hou) 馬敦厚 | Ma Dunjing (Ma Tun-ching) 馬敦靜 | Ma Dunren (Ma Tun-jen) 馬敦仁 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unknown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Haiyuan (Ma Hai-yüan) 馬海淵 | Ma Haiyan (Ma Hai-yan) 馬海晏 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Bao (Ma Pao) 馬寶 | Ma Guzhong (Ma Ku-chung) 馬?? | Ma Qi (Ma Ch'i) 馬麒 | Ma Lin 馬麟 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Zhongying (Ma Chung-ying) 馬仲英 (Ma Buying, Ma Pu-ying 馬步英) | Ma Buqing (Ma Pu-ch'ing) 馬步青 | Ma Bufang (Ma Pu-fang) 馬步芳 | Ma Burong (Ma Pu-jung) 馬步榮 | Ma Buyuan (Ma Pu-yüan) 馬步援 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ma Xuyuan (Ma Hsü-yüan) 馬緒援 | Ma Weiguo (Ma Wei-kuo) 馬衛國 | Ma Jiyuan (Ma Chi-yüan) 馬繼援 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Outer notable family members include:
