Kansu Braves
Encyclopedia
The Kansu Braves were a unit of 10,000 Chinese Muslim
troops from Kansu (now Gansu
) who were transferred to the Beijing
metropolitan area in 1898. They were stationed there and took part in the Boxer Rebellion
. They were commaded by the Muslim general Dong Fuxiang
.
trade. A Japanese chancellor, Sugiyama Akira, and several Westerners were shot to death by the Muslim braves. It was reported that the Muslim troops were going to wipe out the foreigners to return a golden age for China, and the Muslims repeatedly attacked foreign churches, railways, and legations, before hostilities even started. The Muslim troops were armed with modern repeater rifles and artillery, and reportedly enthusiastic about going on the offensive and killing foreigners.
The German Clemens von Ketteler killed a Chinese civilian unconnected to the Boxers, for no reason. In response, thousands of Chinese Muslim Kansu Braves under General Dong Fuxiang
of the Imperial Army and Boxers went on a violent riot against the westerners.
Another Muslim general, Ma Anliang
, Tongling of Ho-Chou joined the Kansu braves in fighting the foreigners.
Ma Anliang would go on to be an important Chinese warlord in the Ma clique
during the Warlord Era
.
Dong Fuxiang's soldiers were posted in Hunting park in Beijing's south, attacked Lang Fang on June 18. They were made out of 5,000 cavalry with the most modern repeating rifles.
at the Battle of Langfang
on June 18. The Chinese won a major victory, and forced Seymour
to retreat back to Tianjin
with heavy casualties by June 26. Langfang was the only battle the Muslim troops did outside of Beijing, with the rest of their fighting being directed against the foreigners in the Beijing Legations.
After Langfang, Dong Fuxiang's troops only participated in battles inside of Beijing.
Summary of battles of General Dong Fuxiang:Ts'ai Ts'un battle, July 24, Ho Hsi Wu battle, July 25: An P'ing battle, July 26: Chinese army at Ma T'ou, July 27.
6,000 of the Muslim troops under Dong Fuxiang and 20,000 Boxers repulsed a relief column, driving them to Huang Ts'un. The Muslims camped outside the temples of Heaven and Agriculture.
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...
troops from Kansu (now Gansu
Gansu
' 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...
) who were transferred to the Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
metropolitan area in 1898. They were stationed there and took part in the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
. They were commaded by the Muslim general Dong Fuxiang
Dong Fuxiang
Dong Fuxiang , a Chinese, was born Gansu, China. He commanded an army of Chinese Muslim soldiers, which included the later Ma clique generals Ma Anliang and Ma Fuxiang. According to the Western calendar, his birth date is in 1839.- Religion :Conflicting accounts are given about his religion and...
.
Organization
They were organized into eight battalions of infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, two brigades of artillery, and one company of engineers. They also had modernized weaponry.Combat
Dong was extremely anti-foreign, and gave full support to Cixi and the Boxers. General Dong committed his Muslim troops to join the Boxers to attack the 8 nation alliance. They were put into the rear division, and attacked the legations relentlessly. The Westerners called them the "10,000 Islamic rabble". They were also known for their intolerence towards the OpiumOpium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
trade. A Japanese chancellor, Sugiyama Akira, and several Westerners were shot to death by the Muslim braves. It was reported that the Muslim troops were going to wipe out the foreigners to return a golden age for China, and the Muslims repeatedly attacked foreign churches, railways, and legations, before hostilities even started. The Muslim troops were armed with modern repeater rifles and artillery, and reportedly enthusiastic about going on the offensive and killing foreigners.
The German Clemens von Ketteler killed a Chinese civilian unconnected to the Boxers, for no reason. In response, thousands of Chinese Muslim Kansu Braves under General Dong Fuxiang
Dong Fuxiang
Dong Fuxiang , a Chinese, was born Gansu, China. He commanded an army of Chinese Muslim soldiers, which included the later Ma clique generals Ma Anliang and Ma Fuxiang. According to the Western calendar, his birth date is in 1839.- Religion :Conflicting accounts are given about his religion and...
of the Imperial Army and Boxers went on a violent riot against the westerners.
Another Muslim general, Ma Anliang
Ma Anliang
Ma Anliang , a Hui, was born in 1855, in Linxia, Gansu, China. He became a general in the Qing dynasty army, and of the Republic of China. His father was Ma Zhanao, and his younger brother was Ma Guoliang...
, Tongling of Ho-Chou joined the Kansu braves in fighting the foreigners.
Ma Anliang would go on to be an important Chinese warlord in the Ma clique
Ma clique
The Ma clique or Ma family warlords is a collective name for a group of Muslim warlords in Northwestern China who ruled the Chinese provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Ningxia from the 1910s until 1949. There were 3 families in the Ma clique , each of them respectively controlled 3 areas, Gansu,...
during the Warlord Era
Warlord era
The Chinese Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia,...
.
Dong Fuxiang's soldiers were posted in Hunting park in Beijing's south, attacked Lang Fang on June 18. They were made out of 5,000 cavalry with the most modern repeating rifles.
Battle summary
The Muslim troops led by Dong Fuxiang defeated the hastily assembled Seymour Expedition of the 8 nation allianceEight-Nation Alliance
The Eight-Nation Alliance was an alliance of Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States whose military forces intervened in China to suppress the anti-foreign Boxers and relieve the siege of the diplomatic legations in Beijing .- Events :The...
at the Battle of Langfang
Battle of Langfang
The Seymour Expedition, also known as the First Intervention, was an attempt by a multi-national military force to march to Beijing and protect the diplomatic legations and foreign nationals in the city from attacks by Boxers in 1900...
on June 18. The Chinese won a major victory, and forced Seymour
Edward Hobart Seymour
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Hobart Seymour, GCB, OM, GCVO , was a Royal Navy officer who became Commander-in-Chief, China Station.- Early life :...
to retreat back to Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
with heavy casualties by June 26. Langfang was the only battle the Muslim troops did outside of Beijing, with the rest of their fighting being directed against the foreigners in the Beijing Legations.
After Langfang, Dong Fuxiang's troops only participated in battles inside of Beijing.
Summary of battles of General Dong Fuxiang:Ts'ai Ts'un battle, July 24, Ho Hsi Wu battle, July 25: An P'ing battle, July 26: Chinese army at Ma T'ou, July 27.
6,000 of the Muslim troops under Dong Fuxiang and 20,000 Boxers repulsed a relief column, driving them to Huang Ts'un. The Muslims camped outside the temples of Heaven and Agriculture.
Notable people
List of people who served in the Kansu Braves- Dong FuxiangDong FuxiangDong Fuxiang , a Chinese, was born Gansu, China. He commanded an army of Chinese Muslim soldiers, which included the later Ma clique generals Ma Anliang and Ma Fuxiang. According to the Western calendar, his birth date is in 1839.- Religion :Conflicting accounts are given about his religion and...
- Ma FuxiangMa FuxiangMa Fuxiang . Ma, a Dongxiang muslim leader, had a military and political career which spanned the Qing dynasty through the early Republic of China and illustrated the power of family, the role of religious affiliations, and the interaction of Inner Asian China and the national government of...
- Ma FuluMa FuluMa Fulu , a Hui, was the son of General Ma Qianling, and the brother of Ma Fucai, Ma Fushou, and Ma Fuxiang. He joined the martial arts hall and attended military school. In 1895, he served under general Dong Fuxiang, leading loyalist Chinese Muslims to crush a revolt by rebel Chinese Muslims and...
- Ma FuxingMa FuxingMa Fuxing was a Hui born in Yunnan, in Qing dynasty China. He was an ex-convict. During Yang Zengxin's reign in Xinjiang, Ma was appointed as a military commander, and then Titai of Kashgar....
- Ma AnliangMa AnliangMa Anliang , a Hui, was born in 1855, in Linxia, Gansu, China. He became a general in the Qing dynasty army, and of the Republic of China. His father was Ma Zhanao, and his younger brother was Ma Guoliang...