Ep. 294 | The Warlord Ma's of Northwest China

If the title sounds familiar, that's because this is a new version of an old episode from 2014 that got pulled from the CHP back catalog. But here it is, newly recorded and enhanced. This episode looks at the Ma family of soldiers and warlords in the northwest provinces of Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai. Their story began in the last years of the Dungan Revolt and concluded with the victory of the Chinese Communists in 1949. Please check the website for a cheat sheet that lists all names used in this episode. There are a lot of characters surnamed Ma in this episode.

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Terms in Episode

Pinyin/TermChineseEnglish/Meaning
A common Chinese surname. Also means horse
Qīng清朝China's final imperial dynasty, 1644-1911
Zēng Guófān曾国藩1811-1872, Qing era statesman, general, scholar and leader of the Xiang (Hunan) Army.
Zuǒ Zōngtáng左宗棠1812-1885, also known as General Tso, statesman and very consequential military leader during the Qing Dynasty
Lǐ Hóngzhāng李鸿章1823-1901, Qing era general, diplomat and politician
Yuán Shìkǎi袁世凯859-1916, Military and government official and first president of the Republic of China. Also called "The First Warlord"
Duàn Qíruì段祺瑞1865-1936. Warlord and China politician. Also served as premier. Originally from Hefei, Anhui, he headed the Anhui Clique
Zhāng Zuòlín张作霖1875-1928, Liaoning-born warlord of Manchuria and major political figure as well. Also served as President of the ROC.
Wú Pèifú吴佩孚1874-1939, Warlord, headed the Zhili Clique
Yán Xīshān阎锡山1883-1960, Warlord born and raised in Shanxi. Headed the Shanxi Clique
Huí回族An East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam who are distributed throughout China, mostly in the northwestern provinces
Zhuàng壮族a Tai-speaking ethnic group who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. Some also live in the Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hunan provinces.
Mùhǎnmòdé穆罕默德Chinese transliteration of Muhammed
Zhèng Hé郑和1371-1433 (or 1435),Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty, renowned for this seven voyages to lands west of China
Níngxià宁夏Province in northwest China
Xīběi Sān Mǎ西北三马The Three Ma's of Northwest China
Mǎ Bùfāng马步芳1903-1975, older brother of Ma Buqing, son of Ma Qi
Mă Hóngkuí马鸿逵1892-1970, renowned general and prominent warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the province of Ningxia
Mǎ Hóngbīn马鸿宾1884-1960, son of Ma Fulu, cousin to Ma Hongkui and lost out to him in an internal power struggle
Mǎ Bùqīng马步青1901-1977, Major warlord in Qinghai, younger brother to Ma Bufang, son of Ma Qi
Mǎ Zhàn’áo马占鳌1830-1886, Chinese warlord who, together with Ma Haiyan and Ma Qianling, defected to the side of the Qing during the Dungan Revolt. Father to Ma Anliang, and Ma Guoliang
Mǎ Qiānlíng马千龄1826-1910, Chinese warlord who, together with Ma Zhan'ao and Ma Qianling, defected to the side of the Qing during the Dungan Revolt. Father to Ma Fuxiang, and Ma Fulu
Mǎ Hǎiyàn马海晏1837-1900, Chinese Muslim General of the Qing Dynasty. Originally a rebel, he defected to Qing during the Dungan revolt and helped crush rebel Muslims. Father of Ma Qi and Ma Lin
Gānsù甘肃Province in Northwest China
Niǎn Rebellion捻乱Major peasant uprising in China that lasted 1851-1868
Mǎ Ānliáng马安良1855-1918, Son of Ma Zhan'ao, also defected with his father and brothers to the Qing
Mǎ Guóliáng马国良Second son of Ma Zhan'ao, brother to Ma Anliang
Dǒng Fùxiáng董福祥1839-1908, though not a Muslim, he fought with generals from the Ma Clique. Leader of the Gansu Braves
Shǎnxī陕西Province in Northwest China
Xīnjiāng新疆Province in Northwest China
Línxià County临夏县City in Gansu Province where many of the Ma Family warlords hailed from
Lánzhōu兰州Capital of Gansu Province
Gān Jūn甘军A private army called the Gānsù Braves, established by Dong Fuxiang
Mǎ Fúxiáng马福祥1876-1932, Son of Ma Qianling, served under Dong Fuxiang, served as part of the Gansu Braves, father of Ma Hongkui
Tiānjìn天津City located an hour away from Beijing to the southeast
Battle of Lángfāng廊坊之战A battle involving the foreign-led Seymour Expedition during the Boxer Rebellion, in June 1900, involving Chinese imperial troops, the Chinese Muslim Kansu Braves and Boxers ambushing and defeating the Eight-Nation Alliance expeditionary army on its way to Beijing, pushing the Alliance forces to retreat back to Tianjin
Cíxǐ慈禧太后1835-1908, mother of the Guangxu Emperor who ruled China as Empress Dowager from 1861 to 1908
Róng Lù荣禄1836-1903, close confidant of Cixi, major political figure during the final years of the Qing. Also was the maternal grandfather of The Last Emperor, Puyi
Prince Duān端郡王1856-1923, also known as Zaiyi, Manchgu prince and statesman during the late Qing. Also one of the main leaders of the Boxer Rebellion
Mǎ Fúlù马福禄1854-1900, Brother of Ma Fuxiang, son of Ma Qianling, father of Ma Hongbin
Chéngdé承德Also known as Rèhé, 225 km north of Beijing…It’s where the Kāngxī Emperor built a summer residence up there to escape the Beijing heat
Mǎ Qí马麒1869-1931, son of Ma Haiyan, major Chinese warlord, also served in Gansu Braves. Father of Ma Bufang and Ma Buqing
Mǎ Lín马麟1873-1945, brother of Ma Qi, son of Ma Haiyan. Major military figure in Qinghai
jiébài xiōngdi结拜兄弟Sworn Brothers
Qīnghǎi青海Province in northwest China
Běipíng北平The name of Beijing from 1912 to 1949.
Zhāng Guótāo张国焘1897-1979, founding member of the CCP and defeated rival of Mao Zedong. His army was decimated by the Ma armies
Yè Jiànyīng叶剑英1897-1986, CCP leader and politician, one of the founding Ten Marshals of the PLA. Top military leader in the 1976 coup that overthrew the Gang of Four and ended the Cultural Revolution, and was the key supporter of Deng Xiaoping in his power struggle with Hua Guofeng.
Yáng Shàngkūn杨尚昆1907-1998, CCP military and political leader, President of the PRC 1988-1993, and one of the Eight Elders that dominated the Party after the death of Mao Zedong
Mǎ Zhòngyīng马仲英1910-1936, a warlord of Gansu during the 1930s. His alliance with the KMT brought his predominantly Chinese Muslim troops under the control of the KMT as the 36th Division (National Revolutionary Army)
Dài Lì戴笠1897-1946, Chiang Kai-shek's most loyal ally and spymaster.

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