Ma Hongkui
Encyclopedia
Ma Hongkui , was a prominent warlord
in China during the Republic of China
era, ruling the northwestern province of Ningxia
. His rank was Lieutenant-general. His courtesy name was Shao-yun (少雲).
, China
. The "Who's who in China" series of books says "Taoho Hsien" (Daohe Xian) is where he was born. His father was the General Ma Fuxiang
. A Dongxiang
, he graduated from Lanzhou
Military Academy (AKA Gansu
Military Academy in 1909, and became commander of the Ningxia
Modern Army and commander of the 7th Division after the founding of the republic. He was in Beijing
until Cao Kun's presidency (1923–1924), even though he was the commander of the Ningxia
Army.
He was at one point the Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Mongolia "Bandit Suppression Commander". Ma then became Commader of the Gansu "6th Mixed Brigade" in 1916.
During the Second Zhili-Fengtian War
Ma Hongkui's army was reorganized into a branch of Feng Yuxiang
's Guominjun
forces; in 1926 Ma Hongkui was appointed as the commander of the Fourth Route Army of the Guominjun
by Feng. Ma Hongkui's father was Ma Fuxiang
. He was also a member of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission
.
In 1927, he and Feng Yuxiang
led their troops to Tongguan, Shaanxi, and countered the Northern Expedition. However, he betrayed Feng and turned to Chiang Kai-shek
. During the Central Plains War
of 1930, Ma Hongkui fought for Chiang Kai-shek
and was appointed commander of the 64th Division; upon capturing of Tai'an
, Shandong
he was promoted to commander of the 15th Army. It was in 1932 when Ma Hongkui was appointed Governor of Ningxia
Province, and fought the communist forces in the Shaanxi
-Ningxia
area for the next several years up to the all-out Japanese invasion in 1937. During Ma Hongkui's rise to power, together with his cousin Ma Hongbin
and warlords Ma Bufang
and Ma Buqing, they were instrumental in helping another warlord, Ma Zhongying
to prevail in Gansu
, because they did not want Ma Zhongying
to compete with them in their own turf, so they encouraged and supported Ma Zhongying
to develop his own power base in other regions such as Gansu
and Xinjiang
.
During the early 1930s, Ma received some weapons from Japan when he was fighting the communists, and met visiting delegations, but after Japan's invasion of China in 1937, he veered sharply against Japan, supporting the imam
Hu Songshan
in spreading anti Japanese propaganda, and sending limited amounts of troops to his cousin Ma Hongbin to fight the Japanese.
Ma Hongkui maintained a sharp watch against Japan during the war. Ma Hongkui seized the city of Dingyuanying in Suiyuan and arrested the Mongol prince Darijaya
in 1938 because a Japanese officer of the Kwangtung Army Doihara Kenji visited the prince. Darijaya was exiled to Lanzhou
until 1944.
In 1940, Ma Hongkui's Muslim troops took part in the Battle of West Suiyuan against Japan and their Mongol puppet state Mengjiang
.
Because of fierce resistance by Ma Hongkui and Ma Bufang
's Muslim cavalry, the Japanese never captured Lanzhou during the war.
Ma Hongkui cooperated with the Yihewani imam Hu Songshan
, ordering all imams in Ningxia to preach Chinese nationalism in their sermons.
, the Chinese Civil War
broke out, Ma Hongkui fought for Chiang against the communists.
Ma Hongkui was in contact with the Kazakh leader Ospan Batyr
, who kept him informed of events.
Ma Hongkui and his Muslim army ruled over a non Muslim majority, of about 750,000 people in Ningxia. Ningxia did not have the natural defences of Qinghai
.
In March, 1948, at Ichuan Peng Dehuai
led Communist forces to luanch a surise attack against Hu Zongnan
's forces, influcting 20,000 casualties upon them, and drove all the way with 60,000 soldiers into southern Shanxi province to reach Sichuan, General Hu requested immediate help from Governor Ma Hongkui, who sent two Muslim cavalry divisions. They defeated the Communist forces at Pao-chi and inflicted 20,000 dead upon the Communists, expelling them into Gansu.
In 1949, with communist victory certain, Ma Hongkui fled to Guangzhou
(Canton) and then to Taiwan
. The entire Kuomintang defences were falling apart. General Hu Zongnan
ignored President Li Zongren
's orders, and Ma Hongkui was furious at this. Ma Hongkui sent a telegram to Li Zongren to submit his resignation from all positions he held, and his cousin Ma Hongbin
took charge of his positions. Ma Hongkui met with Chiang Kaishek in Chongqing
to plan an attack on the PLA. Ma Hongbin
and his son Ma Dunjing (1906–1972) were hoodwinked by Communist promises. Ma Dunjing then signed a capitulation with the PLA, then defected to the Communists. This had a domino effect on other military men in the province, who in turn defected. Ma Hongkui was furious.
Then he fled to Taiwan. Accused of "frustrating the fulfillment of the military plan" by the Control Yuan
, as he failed to defeat the Communist forces in his defense area, he then moved to San Francisco with the help of Claire Chennault. In December 1950, Ma was in San Francisco. He then moved to Los Angeles
where he died on January 14, 1970. At a press conferences in 1951 in the United States, Ma Hongkui urged the USA to aid the KMT in Taiwan. Ma became a rancher in the United States and bred horses.
Ma Hongkui had a son, Ma Dunjing who was also a General and official in his Ningxia government.
Chiang Kaishek addressed Ma Hongkui as Shao Yun shixiong, which refers to the son of a friend.
was reported to be good humoured and jovial in contrast to the brutal reign of Ma Hongkui. He was called a warlord by westerners.
Ma Hongkui stood out from the other provincial Governors in the degree of his strong rule over Ningxia.
Ma Hongkui, like the President of China, Chiang Kaishek, was virurently anti communist. Whenever communists turned up in his territory they invariably ended up dead.
Ma was also credited with many achievements during his reign. His brutal method of governing managed to stamp out corruption among officials, and he was never pleased with results. He constantly drilled his peasant Muslim army in combat, who were armed with swords, spears, and rifles. His standing army consisted of 100,000, countries provided reserves of each 10,000, and he also set the draft age from 15 to 55 years old, up from 18 to 25 years old.
The Tibetans and Ma were unfriendly to each other. When the communists were closing in on Ma Hongkui, he risked being trapped between the Tibetan and Communist enemies.
Ma Hongkui's government had a company, Fu Ning Company, which had a monopoly over commercial and industry in Ningxia.
and ate it constantly.
He was also 250 pounds.
swords in combat during training with his troops. General Ma wielding a sword His soldiers battle cry was "Sha!", which means kill in Chinese. Another one of his hobbies was East Asian calligraphy
.
, his father was Ma Fuxiang
, his uncles were Ma Fushou
, Ma Fulu
, and Ma Fucai, his cousin was Ma Hongbin
, and he had 6 wives and several children. His sixth wife with whom he was the closest took care of him throughout the years until his death. She arranged the building of the cemetery plot in Taipei where Ma Hongkui is buried along with his eldest son and his fourth wife.
Ma Hongkui's mother was Ma Tsai (te), he married his first wife was Liu Chieh-cheng in 1914. As of 1948 he had three children. His mother died in 1948.
Two of his sons were Generals Ma Tung-hou and Ma Dunjing (1910–2003). He had a nephew, Ma Dunjing (1906–1972)
Ma Hongkui, and his grandson were involved in a custody dispute in 1962-61 over the grandson's daughter, who was Ma Hongkui's great granddaughter, named Mi Mi Ma who was 13 years old. Ma Hongkui was 70 at the time and was hospitalized. The dispute was taking place in a San Bernandino court.
and Song dynasty
, some of which had been owned by Emperor Zhenzong were excavated and then came into the hands of Ma Hongkui, who refused to publicize the findings. Among the artifacts were a white marble tablet from the Tang dynasty, gold nails, and bands made out of metal. It was not until after Ma passed away, that his wife went to Taiwan in 1971 from America to bring the artifacts to Chiang Kai-shek
, who turned them over to the Taipei
National Palace Museum
.
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
in China during 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...
era, ruling the northwestern province of Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
. His rank was Lieutenant-general. His courtesy name was Shao-yun (少雲).
Life
Born in Mar. 14, 1892, in Hanchiachi village, in Linxia (known as Hezhou), 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...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The "Who's who in China" series of books says "Taoho Hsien" (Daohe Xian) is where he was born. His father was the General Ma Fuxiang
Ma Fuxiang
Ma 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...
. A Dongxiang
Dongxiang people
The Dongxiang people are one of 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China...
, he graduated from Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
Military Academy (AKA 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...
Military Academy in 1909, and became commander of the Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
Modern Army and commander of the 7th Division after the founding of the republic. He was in 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...
until Cao Kun's presidency (1923–1924), even though he was the commander of the Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
Army.
He was at one point the Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Mongolia "Bandit Suppression Commander". Ma then became Commader of the Gansu "6th Mixed Brigade" in 1916.
During the Second Zhili-Fengtian War
Second Zhili-Fengtian War
The Second Zhili–Fengtian War of 1924 was a conflict between the Japanese-backed Fengtian clique based in Manchuria, and the more liberal Zhili clique controlling Beijing and backed by Anglo-American business interests...
Ma Hongkui's army was reorganized into a branch of Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang was a warlord and leader in Republican China. He was also known as the Christian General for his zeal to convert his troops and the Betrayal General for his penchant to break with the establishment. In 1911, he was an officer in the ranks of Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army but joined...
's Guominjun
Guominjun
The Guominjun , a.k.a Nationalist Army, KMC, or Northwest Army , refers to the military faction founded by Feng Yuxiang, Hu Jingyi and Sun Yue during China's Warlord Era. It was formed when Feng betrayed the Zhili clique during the Second Zhili-Fengtian War with the Fengtian clique in 1924...
forces; in 1926 Ma Hongkui was appointed as the commander of the Fourth Route Army of the Guominjun
Guominjun
The Guominjun , a.k.a Nationalist Army, KMC, or Northwest Army , refers to the military faction founded by Feng Yuxiang, Hu Jingyi and Sun Yue during China's Warlord Era. It was formed when Feng betrayed the Zhili clique during the Second Zhili-Fengtian War with the Fengtian clique in 1924...
by Feng. Ma Hongkui's father was Ma Fuxiang
Ma Fuxiang
Ma 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...
. He was also a member of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission
Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission
The Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission is one of two ministry-level commissions of the Executive Yuan in the Republic of China. Inaugural addresses are delivered by the Chairman of the Commission...
.
In 1927, he and Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang was a warlord and leader in Republican China. He was also known as the Christian General for his zeal to convert his troops and the Betrayal General for his penchant to break with the establishment. In 1911, he was an officer in the ranks of Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army but joined...
led their troops to Tongguan, Shaanxi, and countered the Northern Expedition. However, he betrayed Feng and turned to Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang 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....
. During the Central Plains War
Central Plains War
Central Plains War was a civil war within the factionalised Kuomintang that broke out in 1930. It was fought between the forces of Chiang Kai-shek and the coalition of three military commanders who had previously allied with Chiang: Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, and Li Zongren...
of 1930, Ma Hongkui fought for Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang 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....
and was appointed commander of the 64th Division; upon capturing of Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
he was promoted to commander of the 15th Army. It was in 1932 when Ma Hongkui was appointed Governor of Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
Province, and fought the communist forces in the Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
-Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
area for the next several years up to the all-out Japanese invasion in 1937. During Ma Hongkui's rise to power, together with his cousin Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin , was a prominent muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era. He was the acting Chairman of Gansu and Ningxia Provinces for a short period.- Life :...
and warlords Ma Bufang
Ma Bufang
Ma Bufang was a prominent Muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the northwestern province of Qinghai. His rank was Lieutenant-general...
and Ma Buqing, they were instrumental in helping another warlord, 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...
to prevail in 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...
, because they did not want 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...
to compete with them in their own turf, so they encouraged and supported 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...
to develop his own power base in other regions such as 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...
and Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
.
Second Sino-Japanese War
During World War II, he took over the command of 17th Army Group. He was also the vice-commander of the 8th War Zone.During the early 1930s, Ma received some weapons from Japan when he was fighting the communists, and met visiting delegations, but after Japan's invasion of China in 1937, he veered sharply against Japan, supporting the imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
Hu Songshan
Hu Songshan
Hu Songshan , a Hui, was born in 1880, in Tongxin County, Ningxia, China. His father was a Gansu ahong belonging to the Khafiya menhuan, a Chinese-style Sufi order. When he was 18 he joined Wang Naibi of Haicheng. At age 21, he became imam of the Yihewani sect, which was founded by Ma Wanfu...
in spreading anti Japanese propaganda, and sending limited amounts of troops to his cousin Ma Hongbin to fight the Japanese.
Ma Hongkui maintained a sharp watch against Japan during the war. Ma Hongkui seized the city of Dingyuanying in Suiyuan and arrested the Mongol prince Darijaya
Darijaya
Darijaya was an Inner Mongolian nobleman of Alxa League and a politician under the Republic of China and People's Republic of China governments.-Names:...
in 1938 because a Japanese officer of the Kwangtung Army Doihara Kenji visited the prince. Darijaya was exiled to Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
until 1944.
In 1940, Ma Hongkui's Muslim troops took part in the Battle of West Suiyuan against Japan and their Mongol puppet state Mengjiang
Mengjiang
Mengjiang , also known in English as Mongol Border Land, was an autonomous area in Inner Mongolia, operating under nominal Chinese sovereignty and Japanese control. It consisted of the then-Chinese provinces of Chahar and Suiyuan, corresponding to the central part of modern Inner Mongolia...
.
Because of fierce resistance by Ma Hongkui and Ma Bufang
Ma Bufang
Ma Bufang was a prominent Muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the northwestern province of Qinghai. His rank was Lieutenant-general...
's Muslim cavalry, the Japanese never captured Lanzhou during the war.
Ma Hongkui cooperated with the Yihewani imam Hu Songshan
Hu Songshan
Hu Songshan , a Hui, was born in 1880, in Tongxin County, Ningxia, China. His father was a Gansu ahong belonging to the Khafiya menhuan, a Chinese-style Sufi order. When he was 18 he joined Wang Naibi of Haicheng. At age 21, he became imam of the Yihewani sect, which was founded by Ma Wanfu...
, ordering all imams in Ningxia to preach Chinese nationalism in their sermons.
Chinese Civil War
After the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
broke out, Ma Hongkui fought for Chiang against the communists.
Ma Hongkui was in contact with the Kazakh leader Ospan Batyr
Ospan Batyr
Osman Batyr , , the son of Islambay was born in Koktokay County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang, Peoples Republic of China....
, who kept him informed of events.
Ma Hongkui and his Muslim army ruled over a non Muslim majority, of about 750,000 people in Ningxia. Ningxia did not have the natural defences of Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
.
In March, 1948, at Ichuan Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai was a prominent military leader of the Communist Party of China, and China's Defence Minister from 1954 to 1959. Peng was an important commander during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese civil war and was also the commander-in-chief of People's Volunteer Army in the Korean War...
led Communist forces to luanch a surise attack against Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan , courtesy name Shoushan , native of Zhenhai, Ningbo, born May 16, 1896. A general in the National Revolutionary Army and then the Republic of China Army. Together with Chen Cheng and Tang Enbo, he formed the triumvirate of Chiang Kai-shek's most trusted generals during the Second...
's forces, influcting 20,000 casualties upon them, and drove all the way with 60,000 soldiers into southern Shanxi province to reach Sichuan, General Hu requested immediate help from Governor Ma Hongkui, who sent two Muslim cavalry divisions. They defeated the Communist forces at Pao-chi and inflicted 20,000 dead upon the Communists, expelling them into Gansu.
In 1949, with communist victory certain, Ma Hongkui fled to Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
(Canton) and then to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. The entire Kuomintang defences were falling apart. General Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan , courtesy name Shoushan , native of Zhenhai, Ningbo, born May 16, 1896. A general in the National Revolutionary Army and then the Republic of China Army. Together with Chen Cheng and Tang Enbo, he formed the triumvirate of Chiang Kai-shek's most trusted generals during the Second...
ignored President Li Zongren
Li Zongren
Li Zongren or Li Tsung-jen , courtesy name Delin , was a prominent Guangxi warlord and Kuomintang military commander during the Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War...
's orders, and Ma Hongkui was furious at this. Ma Hongkui sent a telegram to Li Zongren to submit his resignation from all positions he held, and his cousin Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin , was a prominent muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era. He was the acting Chairman of Gansu and Ningxia Provinces for a short period.- Life :...
took charge of his positions. Ma Hongkui met with Chiang Kaishek in Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
to plan an attack on the PLA. Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin , was a prominent muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era. He was the acting Chairman of Gansu and Ningxia Provinces for a short period.- Life :...
and his son Ma Dunjing (1906–1972) were hoodwinked by Communist promises. Ma Dunjing then signed a capitulation with the PLA, then defected to the Communists. This had a domino effect on other military men in the province, who in turn defected. Ma Hongkui was furious.
Then he fled to Taiwan. Accused of "frustrating the fulfillment of the military plan" by the Control Yuan
Control Yuan
The Control Yuan , one of the five branches of the Republic of China government in Taipei, is an investigatory agency that monitors the other branches of government...
, as he failed to defeat the Communist forces in his defense area, he then moved to San Francisco with the help of Claire Chennault. In December 1950, Ma was in San Francisco. He then moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where he died on January 14, 1970. At a press conferences in 1951 in the United States, Ma Hongkui urged the USA to aid the KMT in Taiwan. Ma became a rancher in the United States and bred horses.
Ma Hongkui had a son, Ma Dunjing who was also a General and official in his Ningxia government.
Chiang Kaishek addressed Ma Hongkui as Shao Yun shixiong, which refers to the son of a friend.
Reign over Ningxia
Ma Hongkui was extremely brutal in his reign, executions average one a day, he started his reign by decapitating 300 bandits when he was appointed Governor in 1932. The other Muslim Governor Ma BufangMa Bufang
Ma Bufang was a prominent Muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the northwestern province of Qinghai. His rank was Lieutenant-general...
was reported to be good humoured and jovial in contrast to the brutal reign of Ma Hongkui. He was called a warlord by westerners.
Ma Hongkui stood out from the other provincial Governors in the degree of his strong rule over Ningxia.
Ma Hongkui, like the President of China, Chiang Kaishek, was virurently anti communist. Whenever communists turned up in his territory they invariably ended up dead.
Ma was also credited with many achievements during his reign. His brutal method of governing managed to stamp out corruption among officials, and he was never pleased with results. He constantly drilled his peasant Muslim army in combat, who were armed with swords, spears, and rifles. His standing army consisted of 100,000, countries provided reserves of each 10,000, and he also set the draft age from 15 to 55 years old, up from 18 to 25 years old.
The Tibetans and Ma were unfriendly to each other. When the communists were closing in on Ma Hongkui, he risked being trapped between the Tibetan and Communist enemies.
Ma Hongkui's government had a company, Fu Ning Company, which had a monopoly over commercial and industry in Ningxia.
Diabetes
General Ma Hongkui suffered from severe Diabetes attacks, and in 1949 it was so bad he was not expected to recover. He was also reported to be among the best Generals. Despite his diabetes, he was addicted to ice creamIce cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
and ate it constantly.
He was also 250 pounds.
Martial arts
Ma Hongkui personally wielded 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 in combat during training with his troops. General Ma wielding a sword His soldiers battle cry was "Sha!", which means kill in Chinese. Another one of his hobbies was East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
.
Family
Ma Hongkui's grandfather was Ma QianlingMa Qianling
Ma Qianling was a Dongxiang Muslim General who defected to the Qing Dynasty in 1872 during the Dungan revolt along with his superior General Ma Zhanao and General Ma Haiyan. He then assisted General Zuo Zongtang in crushing the rebel Muslims. His trading activities were a success...
, his father was Ma Fuxiang
Ma Fuxiang
Ma 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...
, his uncles were Ma Fushou
Ma Fushou
Ma Fushou , a Hui, was the son of General Ma Qianling, and the brother of Ma Fucai, Ma Fulu, and Ma Fuxiang. He joined the martial arts hall and attended military school after three years of training in 1892....
, Ma Fulu
Ma Fulu
Ma 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...
, and Ma Fucai, his cousin was Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin , was a prominent muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era. He was the acting Chairman of Gansu and Ningxia Provinces for a short period.- Life :...
, and he had 6 wives and several children. His sixth wife with whom he was the closest took care of him throughout the years until his death. She arranged the building of the cemetery plot in Taipei where Ma Hongkui is buried along with his eldest son and his fourth wife.
Ma Hongkui's mother was Ma Tsai (te), he married his first wife was Liu Chieh-cheng in 1914. As of 1948 he had three children. His mother died in 1948.
Two of his sons were Generals Ma Tung-hou and Ma Dunjing (1910–2003). He had a nephew, Ma Dunjing (1906–1972)
Ma Hongkui, and his grandson were involved in a custody dispute in 1962-61 over the grandson's daughter, who was Ma Hongkui's great granddaughter, named Mi Mi Ma who was 13 years old. Ma Hongkui was 70 at the time and was hospitalized. The dispute was taking place in a San Bernandino court.
Artifacts possessed by Ma Hongkui
A number of Chinese artifacts dating from the Tang dynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
and Song dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
, some of which had been owned by Emperor Zhenzong were excavated and then came into the hands of Ma Hongkui, who refused to publicize the findings. Among the artifacts were a white marble tablet from the Tang dynasty, gold nails, and bands made out of metal. It was not until after Ma passed away, that his wife went to Taiwan in 1971 from America to bring the artifacts to Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang 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....
, who turned them over to the Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
National Palace Museum
National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum is an art museum in Taipei. It is the national museum of the Republic of China, and has a permanent collection of over 677,687 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of...
.
Career
- 1923 - 1926 Commander of the Ningxia Army
- 1926 - 1930 Commander of the Fourth Route Army of the Guominjun
- 1930 Commander of the Nationalist 64th Division
- 1930 - 1931 Commander of the Nationalist 15th Army
- 1932 - 1949 Chairman of the Government of Ningxia Province
- 1938 Commander in Chief 17th Army Group
- 1938 - 1941 General Officer Commanding 168th Division
- 1944 Commander in Chief 17th Army Group
External links
- Rulers
- 民国军阀派系谈 (The Republic of China warlord cliques discussed ) http://www.2499cn.com/junfamulu.htm
- 國民革命軍獨立九十五師
- 马鸿逵传 (平装)
Sources
- The Generals of WWII, Generals from China
- Hutchings, Graham. Modern China. First. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-674-01240-2