Ma Chengxiang (1914 – 15 April 1991) (,

Xiao'erjing Xiao'erjing, Xiaorjing, Xiaojing or Benjing, is a Arabic script, Perso-Arabic script used to write Sinitic languages, including Lanyin Mandarin, Zhongyuan Mandarin, Northeastern Mandarin, and Dungan language, Dungan. It is used on occasion ...

: ) 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 Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

, the 5th cavalry army. Ma was a member of the Chinese Nationalist

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...

party and a hardliner. Ma Chengxiang commanded the Xinjiang First Cavalry Division, which was formerly stationed in Gansu where it was known as the Fifth Cavalry Army. He commanded Chinese Muslim troops against the Uighur armies of the Second East Turkestan Republic during the

Ili Rebellion The Ili Rebellion () was a Separatism, separatist uprising by the Turkic peoples of northern Xinjiang (East Turkestan) against the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China, from 1944 to 1946. The Ili Rebel ...

and the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

Ningxia Ningxia, officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region in Northwestern China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in 1954 but was later separated from Gansu in 1958 and reconstituted as an autonomous ...

, and

Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...

. 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. His family fled

Qinghai Qinghai is an inland Provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. It is the largest provinces of China, province of China (excluding autonomous regions) by area and has the third smallest population. Its capital and largest city is Xin ...

to go to Hong Kong as a stopover, then fled to Egypt. According to Jack Chen, Ma Chengxiang used his Chinese Muslim cavalry to put down a revolt of

Uyghurs The Uyghurs,. alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central Asia and East Asia. The Uyghurs are recognized as the ti ...

during an uprising in 1948 in Turfan. Elite

Chinese Muslim cavalry were sent by the Chinese

to destroy the Mongols and the Russians in 1947 during the Pei-ta-shan Incident. 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 Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

the Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

in 1950, where his father Ma Qing had fled. Ma Bufang stayed in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. He resumed his job as a General and was elected to the Seventh Central Committee of the

. 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. While Ma had fled to Taiwan, Han Youwen defected to the Communists. One of Ma Chengxiang's Hui officers, Ma Fuchen 馬輔臣, defected to the Communists. Han Youwen wrote a letter to Ma Chengxiang after nearly 40 years of no contact. Ma Chengxiang met Han Youwen in Hong Kong.

Career

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

References

External links

Ma Chengxiang

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怀念我的父亲──韩有文怀念我的父亲──韩有文 - 中国国民党革命委员会新疆维吾尔自治区委员会2020注册送白菜金的平台, 主頁_welcome检索结果-维普期刊中文期刊服务平台检索结果-维普期刊中文期刊服务平台他乡是吾乡他乡是吾乡
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ma Chengxiang 1914 births 1991 deaths Republic of China warlords from Gansu Hui people National Revolutionary Army generals from Gansu Chinese Nationalist military figures Kuomintang politicians in Taiwan Chinese Muslim generals 20th-century Chinese generals Chinese anti-communists 20th century in Xinjiang Chinese Civil War refugees Taiwanese people from Gansu Taiwanese people of Hui descent Taiwanese Muslims