Ma Zhongying

Ma Zhongying, also Ma Chung-ying (, Xiao'erjing: مَا جٌ‌یِئٍ; c. 1910 or 1908 – after 1936), nickname Commander Ga (尕司令, lit.youngster commander), was a Hui Chinese Muslim warlord during the Warlord era of China.

His birth name was Ma Buying.

Ma Zhongying joined a Muslim militia in 1924 when he was 14 years old.

He was involved in the rebellion against Feng Yuxiang's Guominjun forces in Gansu, and even fought against his own relatives, including his great-uncle warlord Ma Lin, who had continued to serve the Guominjun.

He also massacred Tibetans during the rebellion.

Ma Zhongying seized Hezhou and vanquished the forces of Ma Lin, who had been sent to recapture Hezhou from him.

However, he was relieved by his commander—who was also his uncle—Ma Ku-chang, for acting without orders to take Hezhou.

During Ma Zhongying's 1928 revolt, a blaze destroyed the Multicolored Mosque.

Ma revolted in a period of famine and heavy taxation and seized Hezhou after besieging it.

While most local Hui did not participate in the revolt, they did provide supplies and food to his invading army consisting of many conscripted Salars.

Ma Zhongying seized Gansu's capital (Lanzhou) from the Guominjun in April 1929 but was eventually defeated and expelled by them.

Hui Muslims belonging to the Xidaotang sect and Tibetans in Taozhou were attacked by Ma Zhongying and his own Hui Muslim soldiers, causing an exodus of panicked Xidaotang Hui Muslims.

Ma attended the Whampoa Military Academy in Nanjing in 1929.

"He was like the rider on the pale horse, which appeared when the fourth seal was broken: 'And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunger and death, and with the beasts of the earth.'"

Sven Hedin on Ma Zhongying

Yulbars Khan asked for Ma Zhongying's help in overthrowing Gov. Jin Shuren after Jin abolished the Kumul Khanate and set off the Kumul Rebellion.

Ma fought in Xinjiang for a while, was wounded and returned to Gansu where he forced Mildred Cable, Francesca and Eva French to tend to his wounds.

Ma was a warlord of Gansu Province in China during the 1930s.

He returned to Xinjiang in the summer of 1933.

After several victories over provincial and White Russian forces, he attempted to expand his territory into southern Xinjiang by launching campaigns from his power base in Gansu, but was stopped by Xinjiang warlord Sheng Shicai with Soviet support in 1934.

Due to his severe abuse and brutality, the Turkis (Uyghurs) and Han Chinese hated the Hui officer Ma Zhongying had placed in charge of Barkul, Western traveller Peter Fleming reported that in 1935 Xinjiang was the only Chinese territory where Japanese agents were not active.

After originally fighting against Ma Zhongying, Han Chinese Gen. Zhang Peiyuan and his Han Ili army defected to Ma Zhongying's side to fight against the provincial government and the Russians.

Ma Zhongying then fought against the Russians in the Soviet invasion of Xinjiang.

Ma used the KMT Blue Sky with a White Sun banners and armbands in his military actions.

His alliance with the Kuomintang (KMT) brought his predominantly Chinese Muslim troops under the control of the KMT as the New 36th Division (National Revolutionary Army) with Ma Zhongying as its commander.

He was ordered to overthrow Jin Shuren, the governor of Xinjiang.

Ma and the 36th Division fought the forces of Gov. Jin and the White Russians in the Kumul Rebellion.

The KMT wanted Jin removed since he had signed without its approval an arms treaty with the Soviet Union.

During the siege of Hami, Ma sent W. Petro a European to get the garrison to surrender.

The Garrison Commander inquired "Is it true that Ma Chong Yng is only twenty years old?" and W. Petro replied affirmatively.

This made the garrison commander – an 81 year old man who had also placed his trust in a sorcerer – unwilling to surrender despite the urging of his staff and the miserable situation in the besieged city.

Ma's military actions were carried out by Hui officers and included atrocities toward Han and Uyghur civilians in Xinjiang during the fighting.

Also, local Han and Uyghur were conscripted in his forces and sent to the front lines where they were subjected to heavy enemy cannon fire.

The Soviets and Sheng Shicai claimed that Ma was being supported by the Japanese and using captured Japanese officers serving with his army.

Despite this, Ma officially proclaimed his allegiance to the Chinese government in Nanjing.

He himself wore a KMT armband and a New 36th Division uniform to show that he was a legitimate representative of the Chinese government.

His troops sang Chinese Muslim marching songs.

He himself had a harmonium (pump organ) with him, and spent hours playing Muslim hymns on it.

He carried Mauser pistols and liked to quote as his models Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Hindenburg and Zuo Zongtang.

Zhao Xiping (赵席聘), commander of the 17th division of the National People’s Army, under Feng Yuxiang (an ally of the Hezhou government), retaliated by burning the city, including its twelve mosques.