Ma Chengxiang (1914–1991) (simplified Chinese: 马呈祥; traditional Chinese: 馬呈祥; pinyin: Mǎ Chéngxiáng; Wade–Giles: Ma Chêng-hsiang, Xiao'erjing: ﻣَﺎ ﭼْﻊ ﺷِﯿْﺎ)[2] was a Chinese Muslim general in the National Revolutionary Army. He was the son of Ma Qing (馬慶) and nephew of generals Ma Buqing and Ma Bufang. A daughter of Ma Buqing was married to him. He commanded Hui cavalry in Xinjiang, the 5th cavalry army. Ma was a member of the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang party and a hardliner.[3][4][5] Ma Chengxiang commanded the Xinjiang First Cavalry Division, which was formerly stationed in Gansu where it was known as the Fifth Cavalry Army.

Ma Chengxiang, 馬呈祥
Born1914
Gansu
Died1991
Taipei, Taiwan
Allegiance Republic of China
Years of service1936–1969
RankLieutenant General
Unit5th Cavalry Army[1]
Battles/warsIli Rebellion, Pei-ta-shan Incident, Chinese Civil War, Ningxia Campaign

He commanded Chinese Muslim troops against the Uighur armies of the Second East Turkestan Republic during the Ili Rebellion[6] and the People's Liberation Army in Xinjiang, Ningxia, and Gansu. His cavalry was deployed during the Ningxia Campaign. Ma Chengxiang, the nationalist cavalry commander in Xinjiang, led 200-300 civilians and military men such as officers and soldiers and their families fleeing China to settle in Saudi Arabia, with his uncle, Ma Bufang.[7] His family fled Qinghai to go to Hong Kong as a stopover, then fled to Egypt.[8]

According to Jack Chen, Ma Chengxiang used his Chinese Muslim cavalry to put down a revolt of Uyghurs during an uprising in 1948 in Turfan.[9]

Elite Qinghai Chinese Muslim cavalry were sent by the Chinese Kuomintang to destroy the Mongols and the Russians in 1947 during the Pei-ta-shan Incident.[10][11]

Ma was appointed as the commander of all the cavalry forces of the Kuomintang in Xinjiang. When the Communists invaded Xinjiang, Ma fled via the Pamirs in 1950 through India, then reached Egypt. Later, Ma Chengxiang returned to Taiwan, the Republic of China in 1950, where his father Ma Buqing had fled. Ma Bufang stayed in Egypt. He resumed his job as a General and was elected to the Seventh Central Committee of the Kuomintang. He also became the Deputy General Officer Commanding Penghu Defense Command in 1956 and was appointed to the Planning Commission for the Recovery of the Mainland.[2]

While Ma had fled to Taiwan, Han Youwen defected to the Communists.[12][13][14] One of Ma Chengxiang's Hui officers, Ma Fuchen 馬輔臣, defected to the Communists.[15][16]

Han Youwen wrote a letter to Ma Chengxiang after nearly 40 years of no contact.[13] Ma Chengxiang met Han Youwen in Hong Kong.[17][18][19][20]

Career edit

  • 1943 General Officer Commanding 5th Cavalry Army
  • 1947 General Officer Commanding 1st Cavalry Division
  • 1949 General Officer Commanding Cavalry Forces in Xinjiang

References edit

  1. ^ Charles D. Pettibone (May 2013). The Organization and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II: Volume VIII ? China. Trafford Publishing. pp. 322–. ISBN 978-1-4669-9646-5.
  2. ^ a b Steen Ammentorp (2000–2009). "The Generals of WWII Generals from China Ma Chengxiang". Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  3. ^ David D. Wang (1999). Under the Soviet shadow: the Yining Incident : ethnic conflicts and international rivalry in Xinjiang, 1944-1949. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press. pp. 373, 453. ISBN 962-201-831-9. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  4. ^ Marc Gaborieau; Véronique Bouillier; Catherine Servan Schreiber (2004). De l'Arabie à l'Himalaya: chemins croisés : en hommage à Marc Gaborieau. Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 395. ISBN 2-7068-1767-4. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  5. ^ Jeremy Brown; Paul Pickowicz (2007). Dilemmas of victory: the early years of the People's Republic of China. Harvard University Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-674-02616-2. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  6. ^ "当当云阅读-数字阅读和听书平台-电子书、网文、漫画、听书".
  7. ^ Ember, Melvin; Ember, Carol R.; Skoggard, Ian, eds. (2005). Encyclopedia of diasporas: immigrant and refugee cultures around the world. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 115. ISBN 0-306-48321-1. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  8. ^ Jeremy Brown; Paul Pickowicz (2007). Dilemmas of victory: the early years of the People's Republic of China. Harvard University Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-674-02616-2. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  9. ^ Jack Chen (1977). The Sinkiang story. Macmillan. p. 263. ISBN 0-02-524640-2. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  10. ^ Andrew D. W. Forbes (1986). Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: a political history of Republican Sinkiang 1911-1949. Cambridge, England: CUP Archive. p. 214. ISBN 0-521-25514-7. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  11. ^ Dickens, Mark. "The Soviets in Xinjiang 1911-1949". Oxus Communications. Archived from the original on 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  12. ^ "欢迎您".
  13. ^ a b "马呈祥在老满城-----------然也的博客屋". Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  14. ^ "野人部落第1部分在线阅读 - 第二书包网".
  15. ^ "怀念马辅臣先生". Archived from the original on 2016-05-08. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  16. ^ "马辅臣--民族工商业家". Archived from the original on 2012-06-18. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  17. ^ "怀念我的父亲──韩有文". Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
  18. ^ 秉默, ed. (2008-10-16). "韩有文传奇 然 也". 中国国民党革命委员会中央委员会. 民革中央. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05.
  19. ^ 朱, 国琳 (2011-03-03). "马呈祥在新疆". 民族日报-民族日报一版 (民族日报数字报刊平台). Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  20. ^ 韩, 芝华 (2009-10-16). "怀念我的父亲──韩有文". 中国国民党革命委员会新疆维吾尔自治区委员会. Archived from the original on 2017-09-06.

External links edit