Ma Clique
The Ma clique or Ma family warlords is a collective name for a loose alliance of Hui (Muslim Chinese) warlords in Northwestern China (i.e. the northeast of the Tibetan Highland).
The whole area of the northeast Tibetan Highland is a nexus between the civilizations of Tibet, Mongolia, Inner China and the Silk Road, and because of that, includes people from many ethnic and religious backgrounds: Confucians, Buddhists, and Muslims.
The origin of these Chinese Muslim families of warlords is linked to the Dungan revolts in the late 19th century.
The Hui generals Ma Fuxiang, Ma Qi, and Ma Bufang were descendants of the Hui military men from this era loyal to the Qing Dynasty. They engaged in brutal military campaigns between 1917 and 1949 against unconquered Amchok and Golok areas to bring them into the Republic of China by force.
Since the early 8th century, Tibetans and Himalayan people have treasured "Namtars" as written or spoken narratives that demonstrate the realization of the Buddhist path by exceptional practitioners. These namtars, or spiritual biographies, serve as inspirational guides on the path to enlightenment.
Today, Namtars Foundation aims to record, preserve, and freely offer the world a written and electronic treasury of the oral wisdom of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism.
