Kuomintang Islamic Insurgency
“
We must safeguard our religion and
our land. The
Communists are a threat to both.
— Ma Bufang
The Kuomintang Islamic Insurgency were the last standing forces of the Chinese Nationalist Party in mainland
China during the
Chinese Civil War
. They were mostly descended from the warlords of the
Ma Clique, which were
Muslim Chinese. These forces held out until 1958, long after the Civil War “ended”. Despite the establishment of the
People's Republic of China in 1949, these resilient insurgents continued their resistance in the remote regions of
Qinghai and
Gansu provinces. Their struggle was characterized by guerrilla warfare tactics, leveraging the difficult terrain and their deep-rooted local connections to sustain their efforts against the
People's Liberation Army.
History[edit | edit source]
The Kuomintang Islamic Insurgency emerged from the remnants of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT) forces that refused to accept the defeat of the
Chinese Civil War. The core of these insurgent forces were members of the
Ma Clique, a group of powerful
Muslim warlords in northwest
China. The
Ma Clique played a significant role in the early 20th century, commanding large, well-armed militias and wielding substantial influence in the provinces of
Gansu,
Qinghai, and
Ningxia. Leaders such as
Ma Bufang,
Ma Hongkui, and
Ma Hongbin were prominent figures within the
Nationalist military hierarchy. Despite their religious and cultural distinctiveness, they saw the
KMT as a means to maintain their regional power and resist the
Communist ideology.
After the Communist victory in 1949 and the establishment of the
People's Republic of China, the
Ma Clique warlords retreated to their strongholds in northwest
China. Unlike the majority of the
Kuomintang forces that relocated to
Taiwan, these
Muslim warlords and their followers decided to continue their resistance on the mainland. They refused to surrender to the
Communist forces, leading to the emergence of the Kuomintang Islamic Insurgency.
From 1949 to 1958, the insurgents engaged in guerrilla warfare against the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The insurgency was concentrated in the rugged, remote regions of
Qinghai,
Gansu, and
Ningxia. Utilizing their knowledge of the local terrain and support from sympathetic
Muslim communities, the insurgents conducted hit-and-run attacks, ambushes, and sabotage operations.
The insurgency faced numerous challenges, including isolation from the main Kuomintang forces in
Taiwan, limited resources, and the relentless pursuit by the
PLA. The
Communist government employed a combination of military force, political negotiation, and economic incentives to weaken the insurgents' resolve and support base.
In the mid-1950s, the PLA launched several major offensives to eliminate the insurgency. The campaign was marked by heavy fighting, with the insurgents suffering significant losses. By 1958, the remaining insurgent forces were largely defeated. Key leaders were captured or killed, and the surviving members either fled, surrendered, or were assimilated into the new
Communist regime.
How to draw[edit | edit source]
![](/images/thumb/0/0d/KMTsun.png/222px-KMTsun.png)
- Draw a ball.
- Fill the ball with blue.
- Draw a white sun with 12 rays in the middle of the ball.
- Add the eyes and you’re done!
Color Name | HEX | |
---|---|---|
Blue | #000095 | |
White | #FFFFFF |