36th Division (National Revolutionary Army)
Encyclopedia
The 36th Division was a cavalry division in the National Revolutionary Army
. It was created in 1932 by the Kuomintang
for General Ma Zhongying
, who was also its first commander. It was made almost entirely out of Hui
Muslim troops, all of its officers were Hui, with a few thousand Uighurs forced conscripts in the rank and file. It was commonly referred to as the "KMT 36th Division", or "Tungan 36th Division".
at Whampoa Military Academy
in Nanjing
in 1929 was the 36th Division Chief.
Kamal Kaya Efendi
, a Turk and a former Ottoman
military officer was chief-of-staff to Ma Zhongying.
1st Brigade commanded by General Ma Ju-lung.
2nd Brigade commanded by General Ma Sheng-kuei
Cavalry regiments were divided into 2,000 men each, by horse color, black, brown, or white.
Infantry then followed cavalry.
Su Chin-shou
was General Ma Zhancang's chief of staff.
Pai Tzu-li
was another commander in the 36th division.
An unnamed 36th division general was encountered by Peter Flemings.
Ma Hushan was original Deputy Divisional Commander, then promoted to Chief of the 36th division.
swords, bolt action Lee-Enfield
rifles, captured Soviet rifles, machine guns, and light cannons.
Soviet rifles marked with 1930 dates were seized by Chinese Muslim soldiers from Russians during the Soviet Invasion of Xinjiang
as war booty.
Blue Sky with a White Sun
armbands, and used Kuomintang
Blue Sky with a White Sun
banners.
It is documented that troops sang Chinese Muslim marching songs, Ma Zhongying himself had a harmonium
with him, spending hours playing Muslim hymns on it. He also kept Mauser pistols. Ma Zhongying cited as his role models Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Bismark, Hindenburg, and Zuo Zongtang
.
province, conscripting young men who were tied together with ropes to prevent escape and sent to Dunhuang
.
The chiefs of the 36th Division, Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan, employed press gangs to forcibly conscript the Turkic Uyghurs of the Xinjiang oases. At one point, 60% of the 10,000 troops were made out of Turkic conscripts.
Kizil massacre
Uighur
and Kirghiz Turkic fighters broke their agreement not to attack a column of retreating Han Chinese
and Chinese Muslim
soldiers from Kashgar
.
Battle of Aksu
A a minor battle in which Chinese Muslim
troops were expelled from the Aksu oases of Xinjiang by Uighurs when they rose up in revolt.
Battle of Sekes Tash
A minor battle when Chinese Muslim
troops under general Ma Zhancang
attacked and inflicted a defeat upon uighur and Kirghiz armies at Sekes Tesh. About 200 uighur and Kirghiz were killed.
Battle of Kashgar (1933)
Uighur and Kirghiz forces led by the Bughra brothers and Tawfiq Bay
attempted to take the city of Kashgar from Chinese Muslim troops under General Ma Zhancang
. They were defeated.
Han chinese
troops commanded by Brigadier Yang were absorbed into Ma Zhancang
's army. A number of Han chinese officers were spotted wearing the green uniforms of Ma Zhancang's unit of the 36th division, presumably they had converted to Islam.
, the second time, they were joined by a Han Chinese
army under Zhang Peiyuan
.
Battle of Tutung
In 1934, 2 brigades of Soviet Gosudarstvennoye Politicheskoye Upravlenie (GPU) troops of about 7,000 backed by tanks, planes, and artillery with mustard gas, attacked the 36th division near Tutung. The battle raged for several weeks on the Tutung frozen river. 36th division troops dressed up in sheepskins in the snow, and charged Soviet machine gun posts with swords to defeat a Soviet pincer attack. Soviet planes bombed the 36th division with mustard gas. Heavy casualties mounted on both sides before Ma Zhongying ordered the 36th division to withdraw.
Battle of Dawan Cheng
Ma Zhongying encountered a Soviet armored car column of a few hundred soldiers near Dawan Cheng. The 36th division wiped out nearly the entire column, after engaging the Soviet in savage hand to hand combat, and rolled the wrecked Soviet armored cars off the mountainsides. When a White Russian force showed up, Ma Zhongying withdrew.
Battle of Kashgar (1934)
36th division General Ma Fuyuan stormed Kashgar
, and attacked the Uighur
and Kirghiz rebels of the First East Turkestan Republic
. He freed another 36th division general, Ma Zhancang, who was trapped by the Uighurs and Kirghiz. Ma Zhancang repulsed six Uighur attacks, inflicting massive casualties on the Uighur forces. 2,000 to 8,000 uighur civilians were killed, in revenge for the Kizil massacre
. General Ma Zhongying gave a speech at Idgah mosque, reminding the Uighurs to be loyal to the Republic of China
government at Nanjing
. Several citizens at the British consulate were killed by the 36th division.
Battle of Yangi Hissar
Ma Zhancang led the 36th division to attack Uighur forces at Yangi Hissar, wiping out the entire Uighur force, and killing the Emir Nur Ahmad Jan Bughra.
Battle of Yarkand
Ma Zhancang defeated the Uighur and Afghan volunteers sent by king Mohammed Zahir Shah
, and exterminated them all. The emir Abdullah Bughra was killed and beheaded, his head put on display at Idgah mosque.
Charkhlik Revolt
The 36th division under General Ma Hushan crushed a revolt by the Uighurs in the Charkhlik oasis.
administered the oases of southern Xinjiang, and their administration was dubbed "Tunganistan" by western travelers. Ma Hushan and the 36th division declared their loyalty to the Kuomintang
government in Nanjing
and sent emissaries to Nanjing requesting aid to fight against Sheng Shicai's provincial forces and the Soviet Union.
The administration which was set up was colonial in nature, the Chinese Muslims
started putting up street signs and names in Chinese, which used to be in only Uighur
language. They also sought to live a Chinese lifestyle, importing Chinese cooks and baths. Islam barely played a role except as a "vague spiritual focus" for unified opposition against Sheng Shicai
and the Soviet Union
.
The Uighurs in the Charklik oases revolted against the 36th division in 1935, and the Chinese Muslims crushed the Uighur insurgents, executed 100 people, and took the family of the Uighur chief as hostages.
Camel
s were requisitioned by the 36th Division in Cherchen.
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
. It was created in 1932 by the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
for General Ma Zhongying
Ma Zhongying
Ma Zhongying, also Ma Chung-ying was a Tungan Chinese Muslim warlord during the Warlord era of China. Ma Zhongying's birth name was Ma Buying . Zhongying was a warlord of Gansu province in China during the 1930s. He allied himself with the Kuomintang, which gave his soldiers an official...
, who was also its first commander. It was made almost entirely out of Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
Muslim troops, all of its officers were Hui, with a few thousand Uighurs forced conscripts in the rank and file. It was commonly referred to as the "KMT 36th Division", or "Tungan 36th Division".
Original organization
General Ma Zhongying, a Muslim who had trained under Chiang Kai-shekChiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
at Whampoa Military Academy
Whampoa Military Academy
The Nationalist Party of China Army Officer Academy , commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy , was a military academy in the Republic of China that produced many prestigious commanders who fought in many of China's conflicts in the 20th century, notably the Northern Expedition, the Second...
in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
in 1929 was the 36th Division Chief.
Kamal Kaya Efendi
Kamal Kaya Efendi
Kamal Kaya Efendi also known as Kemal Kaya Effendi Kamal Kaya Efendi also known as Kemal Kaya Effendi Kamal Kaya Efendi also known as Kemal Kaya Effendi (Ottoman Turkish: كمال کایا أفندي was an Ottoman Turk who may have been a Soviet agent. He studied in Germany and Paris, and fought under Von Epp...
, a Turk and a former Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
military officer was chief-of-staff to Ma Zhongying.
1st Brigade commanded by General Ma Ju-lung.
2nd Brigade commanded by General Ma Sheng-kuei
Cavalry regiments were divided into 2,000 men each, by horse color, black, brown, or white.
Infantry then followed cavalry.
Su Chin-shou
Su Chin-shou
Su Chin-shou was a Chinese muslim general of the 36th Division , who served under Generals Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan. He was the Chief of Staff of General Ma Zhancang and was appointed as one of the two tao-yins of Kashgar in May, 1933...
was General Ma Zhancang's chief of staff.
Pai Tzu-li
Pai Tzu-li
Pai Tzu-li was a Chinese Muslim general of the 36th Division , who served under Generals Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan. He was the secretary to Ma Zhongying, and his age was estimated to be about 40...
was another commander in the 36th division.
An unnamed 36th division general was encountered by Peter Flemings.
Ma Hushan was original Deputy Divisional Commander, then promoted to Chief of the 36th division.
Equipment
Primary equipments consisted of DadaoDadao
The dadao one of the varieties of dao or Chinese saber, is also known as the Chinese great sword. Based on agricultural knives, dadao have broad blades generally between two and three feet long, long hilts meant for "hand and a half" or two-handed use, and generally a weight-forward balance...
swords, bolt action Lee-Enfield
Lee-Enfield
The Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
rifles, captured Soviet rifles, machine guns, and light cannons.
Soviet rifles marked with 1930 dates were seized by Chinese Muslim soldiers from Russians during the Soviet Invasion of Xinjiang
Soviet Invasion of Xinjiang
The Soviet invasion of Xinjiang was a military campaign in the Chinese northwestern region of Xinjiang in 1934. White Russian forces assisted the Soviet Red Army.- Background :...
as war booty.
Uniform and Insignia
Ma Zhancang's troops wore green uniforms. Many of the troops wore KuomintangKuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Blue Sky with a White Sun
Blue Sky with a White Sun
The Blue Sky with a White Sun serves as the design for the party flag and emblem of the Kuomintang , the canton of the flag of the Republic of China, the national emblem of the Republic of China , and as the naval jack of the ROC Navy....
armbands, and used Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Blue Sky with a White Sun
Blue Sky with a White Sun
The Blue Sky with a White Sun serves as the design for the party flag and emblem of the Kuomintang , the canton of the flag of the Republic of China, the national emblem of the Republic of China , and as the naval jack of the ROC Navy....
banners.
Training
Ma Zhongying made his men train in subzero temperatures, and they used shadow fencing to train and parallel bars for exercise. Ma Hushan forced his men to drill every day, conducting siege manouveres and cavalry attacks. Peter Flemings said "I have never seen troops in China train so hard."It is documented that troops sang Chinese Muslim marching songs, Ma Zhongying himself had a harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
with him, spending hours playing Muslim hymns on it. He also kept Mauser pistols. Ma Zhongying cited as his role models Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Bismark, Hindenburg, and Zuo Zongtang
Zuo Zongtang
Zuo Zongtang , spelled Tso Tsung-t'ang in Wade-Giles and known simply as General Tso in the West, was a Chinese statesman and military leader in the late Qing Dynasty....
.
Recruitment Tactics
Ma Zhongying originally expanded the 36th Division in GansuGansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
province, conscripting young men who were tied together with ropes to prevent escape and sent to Dunhuang
Dunhuang
Dunhuang is a city in northwestern Gansu province, Western China. It was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. It was also known at times as Shāzhōu , or 'City of Sands', a name still used today...
.
The chiefs of the 36th Division, Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan, employed press gangs to forcibly conscript the Turkic Uyghurs of the Xinjiang oases. At one point, 60% of the 10,000 troops were made out of Turkic conscripts.
Kizil massacreKizil massacreThe Kizil massacre occurred in June 1933, when Uighur and Kirghiz Turkic fighters of the First East Turkestan Republic broke their agreement not to attack a column of retreating Han Chinese and Chinese Muslim soldiers and civilians from Yarkand New City on their way to Kashgar...
UighurUyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
and Kirghiz Turkic fighters broke their agreement not to attack a column of retreating Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
and Chinese Muslim
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
soldiers from Kashgar
Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...
.
Battle of AksuBattle of AksuThe Battle of Aksu was a minor battle when Chinese Muslim troops were driven out from the Aksu oases of Xinjiang by Uighurs when they rebelled. Isma'il Beg, a uighur, became the rebel Tao-yin of Aksu....
A a minor battle in which Chinese MuslimHui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
troops were expelled from the Aksu oases of Xinjiang by Uighurs when they rose up in revolt.
Battle of Sekes TashBattle of Sekes TashThe Battle of Sekes Tash was a minor battle when Chinese Muslim troops under general Ma Zhancang attacked and inflicted a defeat upon uighur and kirghiz armies at Sekes Tesh....
A minor battle when Chinese MuslimHui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
troops under general Ma Zhancang
Ma Zhancang
Ma Zhancang was a Chinese muslim general of the 36th Division , who served under Generals Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan. At the Battle of Kashgar , he repulsed an attack of Uighurs led by the Syrian Arab Tawfiq Bay, wounding Tawfiq...
attacked and inflicted a defeat upon uighur and Kirghiz armies at Sekes Tesh. About 200 uighur and Kirghiz were killed.
Battle of Kashgar (1933)Battle of Kashgar (1933)In the 1933 Battle of Kashgar, General Ma Zhancang signed a secret agreement with the daotai of Kashgar, Ma Shaowu, and his Chinese Muslim troops joined the Han Chinese garrison inside the yamen in Kashgar and helped them repulse Uighur and Kirghiz attacks led by Abdullah Bughra. Timur Beg's Turkic...
Uighur and Kirghiz forces led by the Bughra brothers and Tawfiq BayTawfiq Bay
Tawfiq Bay, or Sayyid Ahmad Tawfiq Bay Sharif Efendi , was a Syrian Arab traveler who had been in the service of King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, eventually traveling to Xinjiang, Republic of China, in 1932. He was deported by the Chinese Muslim Daotai Ma Shaowu. On August 26 he arrived at Kashgar...
attempted to take the city of Kashgar from Chinese Muslim troops under General Ma Zhancang
Ma Zhancang
Ma Zhancang was a Chinese muslim general of the 36th Division , who served under Generals Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan. At the Battle of Kashgar , he repulsed an attack of Uighurs led by the Syrian Arab Tawfiq Bay, wounding Tawfiq...
. They were defeated.
Han chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
troops commanded by Brigadier Yang were absorbed into Ma Zhancang
Ma Zhancang
Ma Zhancang was a Chinese muslim general of the 36th Division , who served under Generals Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan. At the Battle of Kashgar , he repulsed an attack of Uighurs led by the Syrian Arab Tawfiq Bay, wounding Tawfiq...
's army. A number of Han chinese officers were spotted wearing the green uniforms of Ma Zhancang's unit of the 36th division, presumably they had converted to Islam.
Battle of Urumqi
The 36th division twice (First Battle of Urumqi and Second Battle of Urumqi) attempted to take the city of UrumqiÜrümqi
Ürümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....
, the second time, they were joined by a Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
army under Zhang Peiyuan
Zhang Peiyuan
Zhang Peiyuan was a Han chinese general, commander of the Ili garrison. He fought against Uighur and Tungans during the Kumul revolt, but then secretly negotiated with the Tungan general, Ma Zhongying to form an alliance against Sheng Shicai and the Soviet Union. Zhang's army had about 3,000...
.
Battle of TutungBattle of TutungThe Battle of Tutung occurred when Ma Zhongying's Chinese Muslim 36th Division was attacked by the Soviet Russian Red Army on the banks of the frozen Tutung river. The battle took place over multiple days, where the Soviet bombers used mustard gas...
In 1934, 2 brigades of Soviet Gosudarstvennoye Politicheskoye Upravlenie (GPU) troops of about 7,000 backed by tanks, planes, and artillery with mustard gas, attacked the 36th division near Tutung. The battle raged for several weeks on the Tutung frozen river. 36th division troops dressed up in sheepskins in the snow, and charged Soviet machine gun posts with swords to defeat a Soviet pincer attack. Soviet planes bombed the 36th division with mustard gas. Heavy casualties mounted on both sides before Ma Zhongying ordered the 36th division to withdraw. Battle of Dawan ChengBattle of Dawan ChengThe Battle of Dawan Cheng occurred when Ma Zhongying's Chinese Muslim 36th Division encountered a Soviet Russian Red Army armoured car column. The 36th division was withdrawing, chased by of White Russian, Mongol, and colloborationist Chinese forces...
Ma Zhongying encountered a Soviet armored car column of a few hundred soldiers near Dawan Cheng. The 36th division wiped out nearly the entire column, after engaging the Soviet in savage hand to hand combat, and rolled the wrecked Soviet armored cars off the mountainsides. When a White Russian force showed up, Ma Zhongying withdrew. Battle of Kashgar (1934)Battle of Kashgar (1934)The Battle of Kashgar was a military confrontation that took place in 1934 during the Xinjiang Wars. Turkic Muslim Uighur and Kirghiz fighters under Emir Abdullah Bughra and the other Turkic separatists began four separate attacks over a six-day period on Hui and Han Chinese soldiers led by General...
36th division General Ma Fuyuan stormed KashgarKashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...
, and attacked the Uighur
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
and Kirghiz rebels of the First East Turkestan Republic
First East Turkestan Republic
The First Eastern Turkestan Republic , or Turkish Islamic Republic of East Turkestan , or, Republic of Uyghurstan, was a short-lived breakaway would-be Islamic republic founded in 1933...
. He freed another 36th division general, Ma Zhancang, who was trapped by the Uighurs and Kirghiz. Ma Zhancang repulsed six Uighur attacks, inflicting massive casualties on the Uighur forces. 2,000 to 8,000 uighur civilians were killed, in revenge for the Kizil massacre
Kizil massacre
The Kizil massacre occurred in June 1933, when Uighur and Kirghiz Turkic fighters of the First East Turkestan Republic broke their agreement not to attack a column of retreating Han Chinese and Chinese Muslim soldiers and civilians from Yarkand New City on their way to Kashgar...
. General Ma Zhongying gave a speech at Idgah mosque, reminding the Uighurs to be loyal to the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
government at Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. Several citizens at the British consulate were killed by the 36th division.
Battle of Yangi HissarBattle of Yangi HissarThe Battle of Yangi Hissar was a military confrontation that took place in the Xinjiang Wars. In April 1934, Ma Zhancang led the 36th division to attack Uighur forces at Yangi Hissar, wiping out the entire Uighur force of 500, and killing the Emir Nur Ahmad Jan Bughra.It was reported by Ahmad Kamal...
Ma Zhancang led the 36th division to attack Uighur forces at Yangi Hissar, wiping out the entire Uighur force, and killing the Emir Nur Ahmad Jan Bughra. Battle of YarkandBattle of YarkandThe Battle of Yarkhand was a military confrontation that took place in April 1934. Ma Zhancang's Chinese Muslim army defeated the Uighur and Afghan volunteers sent by king Mohammed Zahir Shah, and exterminated them all. The emir Abdullah Bughra was killed and beheaded, his head put on display at...
Ma Zhancang defeated the Uighur and Afghan volunteers sent by king Mohammed Zahir ShahMohammed Zahir Shah
Mohammed Zahir Shah was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning for four decades, from 1933 until he was ousted by a coup in 1973...
, and exterminated them all. The emir Abdullah Bughra was killed and beheaded, his head put on display at Idgah mosque.
Charkhlik RevoltCharkhlik RevoltThe Charkhlik Revolt was an Uighur uprising in 1935 against the Chinese Muslim dominated Tunganistan, which was administered by the 36th Division . The Chinese Muslim troops quickly and brutally defeated the Uighur revolt. Over 100 uighurs were executed. The revolt leader's family were transformed...
The 36th division under General Ma Hushan crushed a revolt by the Uighurs in the Charkhlik oasis.Administration of Tunganistan
The 36th division under General Ma HushanMa Hushan
Ma Hu-shan was the half-brother and follower of Ma Chung-ying, a Ma Clique warlord. He ruled over an area of southern Xinjiang, nicknamed Tunganistan by westerners from 1934 to 1937.-Tunganistan:...
administered the oases of southern Xinjiang, and their administration was dubbed "Tunganistan" by western travelers. Ma Hushan and the 36th division declared their loyalty to the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
government in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
and sent emissaries to Nanjing requesting aid to fight against Sheng Shicai's provincial forces and the Soviet Union.
The administration which was set up was colonial in nature, the Chinese Muslims
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
started putting up street signs and names in Chinese, which used to be in only Uighur
Uyghur language
Uyghur , formerly known as Eastern Turk, is a Turkic language with 8 to 11 million speakers, spoken primarily by the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of Western China. Significant communities of Uyghur-speakers are located in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and various other...
language. They also sought to live a Chinese lifestyle, importing Chinese cooks and baths. Islam barely played a role except as a "vague spiritual focus" for unified opposition against Sheng Shicai
Sheng Shicai
Sheng Shicai was a Chinese warlord who "ruled" Xinjiang province from April 12, 1933 to August 29, 1944....
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The Uighurs in the Charklik oases revolted against the 36th division in 1935, and the Chinese Muslims crushed the Uighur insurgents, executed 100 people, and took the family of the Uighur chief as hostages.
Camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
s were requisitioned by the 36th Division in Cherchen.