Research On The Vicissitudes Of Ma Anliang's Family

In the modern history of northwest China Ma Anliang makes his appearance not only as a mighty Hui warlord but also a prominent figure in the forming and expanding of his family influence.As the earliest founder of Ma Family Ma Zhanao's status transformation from the leader of the anti-Qing uprising to the government official of the Qing Dynasty paves the way for the family rising as well.Henceforth Ma Anliang succeeds his father to the leadership which also initiates the feudal tradition of family inheritance in successive generations.Gansu province has long been the concentrated area inhabited by Muslim ethnic minorities especially the Hui nationality in quantitative terms.During the period of early Qing dynasty Hui uprisings against national oppression led by Mi Layin and Ding Guodong staged there;during the reign of Emperor Qianlong sectarian struggles among ethnic communities induced the uprising of Su Forty-three;immediately after Tian Wu uprising followed the wide-ranging Hui uprising in Shanxi and Gansu.All these subsequent revolts compel the imperial government to reflect upon its national policy so as to achieve the lengthy peaceful reign in ethnic minority areas.In the process of putting down the uprisings of the Hui ethnic group in Shanxi and Gansu Zuo Zongtang takes an autonomous measure to resume the stability over there: he selects and then appoints Ma Anliang's family as the spokesman of the dynasty.From then on Ma Anliang's family makes best use of Hehuang Incident to strengthen its leading position.Besides the fact that the central dominance over the northwest area recedes gradually provides Ma Anliang's family the opportune moment to fill up the vacuum of power.Later when the militia marching into the northwest the third generation of this family is under the leadership of Ma Tingxiang;however the fighting against the militia turns out to be nothing but crushing defeat which marks the decline of this has-been-prosperous family.Throughout the family history of ups and downs can readers perceive the development path of Ma Family.Two branches of Ma Family in Qinghai and Ningxia have well learned their lessons from the falling of Ma Anliang's family and well extended their dominance till the liberation period.With respect of the benefit to the social development Ma Family's progressive forces have greatly out-shined its impeding ones resulted from the warlordism: they harbor deep affection for their community as well as their country;they take an active part in developing modern education;they assume a clear-cut attitude to fight to the end with the national separatists when the country is in the extraordinary period with internal disorderand foreign invasions.