Ma Zhongying

Ma Zhongying, also Ma Chung-ying (simplified Chinese: 马仲英; traditional Chinese: 馬仲英; pinyin: Mǎ Zhòngyīng; Wade–Giles: Ma Chung-ying; c. 1910–1936?) was a Hui Chinese Muslim warlord during the Warlord era of China. Ma Zhongying's birth name was Ma Buying (simplified Chinese: 马步英; traditional Chinese: 馬步英; pinyin: Mǎ Bùyīng; Wade–Giles: Ma Pu-ying). Zhongying was a warlord of Gansu province in China during the 1930s. His alliance with the Kuomintang (KMT) brought his predominately Chinese Muslim troops under the control of the KMT as the 36th Division (National Revolutionary Army); Zhongying was its commander. He was ordered to overthrow Jin Shuren, the governor of Xinjiang. After several victories over Provincial and White Russian forces, Ma Chung-ying attempted to expand his territory into southern Xinjiang by launching campaigns from his power base in Gansu, but was eventually stalled by Xinjiang warlord Sheng Shicai in 1934.

The rise of Ma Zhongying

Ma Zhongying joined the Muslim militia in 1924 when he was 14 years old. Ma Zhongying was involved in the rebellion against Feng Yuxiang's Guominjun forces in Gansu, and even fought against his own relatives such as the warlord Ma Lin, who had continued to serve the Guominjun.