{ "id": "epv394nf2d", "slug": "ma-ning", "title": "Ma Ning", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.history", "label": "History and archaeology", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history" }, { "id": "society.history.asia", "label": "Asian history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china.qing-early", "label": "Early Qing (1616 to 1796)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china.qing-early" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china.qing-early.officials-and-military-commanders", "label": "Officials and military commanders", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china.qing-early.officials-and-military-commanders" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china.qing-early.officials-and-military-commanders.military-commanders-and-generals", "label": "Military commanders and generals", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china.qing-early.officials-and-military-commanders.military-commanders-and-generals" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.qing-early.officials-and-military-commanders", "label": "China · 1000 to 1799: Officials and military commanders", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.qing-early.officials-and-military-commanders", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000", "label": "China · 1000 to 1799", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history", "label": "History and archaeology", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia", "label": "Asian history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.qing-early", "label": "Early Qing (1616 to 1796)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.qing-early" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.qing-early.officials-and-military-commanders", "label": "Officials and military commanders", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.qing-early.officials-and-military-commanders" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Ma Ning (马宁) was a Qing dynasty military commander who rose from subordinate officer to provincial commander fighting rebels in Shaanxi and Gansu, dying in 1680.", "snippet": "Ma Ning (马宁) was a Qing dynasty military commander who rose from subordinate officer to provincial commander fighting rebels in Shaanxi and Gansu, dying in 1680.", "node": "society.history.asia.china.qing-early.officials-and-military-commanders.military-commanders-and-generals", "markdown": "# Ma Ning\n\n**Ma Ning** (马宁) was a [Qing dynasty](https://www.edgepedia.org/qing-dynasty) military commander who rose from subordinate officer to provincial commander during the conquest of northwest China, serving principally under the Shaanxi governor-general Meng Qiaofang (孟乔芳) in the Shunzhi reign, and who died in 1680.[1](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0057008) The standard history records him fighting rebel forces in Shaanxi and Gansu, taking part in the storming of Lanzhou (兰州) and Ganzhou (甘州), and being singled out for independent command in the planned conquest of Sichuan.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Dynasty and death | Qing dynasty; death year 1680[1](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0057008) |\n| First recorded Qing office | 协副将 at Fengxiang (凤翔)[1](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0057008) |\n| Principal campaigns | Pacification of Shaanxi rebels; the 米喇印 and 丁国栋 rising in Gansu[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) |\n| Largest single action credited | Pursuit at Guangwupo (广武坡) for over seventy li, over 3,000 enemy beheaded, siege of Gongchang (巩昌) lifted[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) |\n| Rank | 右路总兵官, designated to hold Baoning (保宁) with 3,000 picked troops[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) |\n| Patron | Meng Qiaofang, who promoted him from 偏裨 to 专阃 without regard to seniority[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) |\n\n## Origins and family\n\nHis place of origin is disputed: a user-editable encyclopedia gives Liaodong (辽东) instead of Ningxia.[3](https://www.qiuwenbaike.cn/wiki/%E9%A6%AC%E5%AF%A7_(%E6%B8%B8%E6%9C%9D)) The standard-history passages name no parents or relatives.\n\n## Career\n\n**Shaanxi pacification.** Serving as 副将 under Meng Qiaofang, Ma Ning was sent with Ren Zhen (任珍) and Chen De (陈德) against the partisans of [He Zhen](https://www.edgepedia.org/he-zhen) (贺珍) in the Xing'an (兴安) region. The history lists actions at Qiaomaishan (荞麦山) and Banqiao (板桥), the killing of Hu Xiangchen (胡向宸), the trapping of the enemy at Jiaogou (椒沟), the storming of Yaojianzhai (药箭寨) and the killing of Sun Shoufa (孙守法), and the capture of Mi Guozhen (米国轸) and Li Shiying (李世英) at Manyingshanzhai (漫营山寨), after which 兴安 was pacified.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) In the autumn of the same year, when the rebel Ma De (马德) rose in Ningxia, Ma Ning was sent to join the Ningxia troops against him; the fighting moved through Luanmachuan (乱麻川) to He'erping (河儿坪). The history says Ma Ning 斩德, killed him.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237)\n\n**The Gansu rising.** When 米喇印 and 丁国栋 rebelled in the Hexi corridor, took 甘 and 凉, crossed the [Yellow River](https://www.edgepedia.org/yellow-river) eastward, and pressed Gongchang, Ma Ning was sent with Zhao Guangrui (赵光瑞) to relieve the city; sorties from the walls and a coordinated attack killed over a hundred of the enemy. Ma Ning then fought at Guangwupo, pursuing the defeated rebels more than seventy li and beheading over 3,000, and the siege of 巩昌 was lifted.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) In the subsequent division of forces, Ma Ning and Liu Youyuan (刘友元) were assigned Neiguanying (内官营), which he stormed directly, beheading 800.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) In the intercalary fourth month the army converged on 兰州; Ma Ning joined Zhang Yong (张勇) and 赵光瑞 below the walls and the city was taken.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) In the eighth month, at the assault on Ganzhou, 张勇 attacked the walls by night while 孟乔芳, with the 昂邦章京 Fu Kachan (傅喀禅), Ma Ning, and 赵光瑞, formed the following force; starved out, 米喇印's men surrendered.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237)\n\n## Political influence\n\nMa Ning's traceable influence on policy runs through Meng Qiaofang's strategic memorials. In a memorial on the finances and troop strength of the northwest, 孟乔芳 proposed that the 右路总兵官 Ma Ning take 3,000 picked troops to hold Baoning, with 5,000 infantry spread between 保宁 and Guangyuan (广元) and Zhaohua (昭化) to the north, supporting themselves by military farming (屯田) for a prolonged campaign, while [Wu Sangui](https://www.edgepedia.org/wu-sangui) (吴三桂) held Hanzhong (汉中) so the two forces formed mutual support (犄角) for the conquest of Sichuan; the emperor commended the plan.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) The same memorial, by fixing garrison strengths and savings of 12,000 men and 310,000 in annual pay, shows Ma Ning's command embedded in a broader retrenchment and settlement strategy rather than a raid.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) Institutionally, the history notes that 孟乔芳 promoted able officers regardless of seniority, naming Ma Ning among those raised from 偏裨 to 专阃, independent provincial command.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237)\n\n## Military style\n\nThe record shows three characteristic patterns. First, pursuit to destruction: at 广武坡 the defeat was pressed for over seventy li, and against 马德 the fighting was carried from Luanmachuan to He'erping before the rebel fell.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) Second, assault of fortified places: the storming of Neiguanying, which he took by direct attack.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) Third, coordinated operations: he repeatedly fought as part of divided columns under a single commander, at 兴安, at 内官营, and before 兰州, and at 甘州 he formed the reserve behind a night attack.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) The record says nothing of his supply arrangements or discipline beyond the 屯田 scheme proposed for his Sichuan command.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237)\n\n## Death and assessment\n\nAccording to the China Biographical Database, he died in 1680, with no birth year or age at death recorded.[1](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0057008) The standard history offers no formal verdict on him; its assessment is implicit in 卷二百三十七, which groups him with 张勇, 赵光瑞, 陈德, and 刘友元 as officers whose advancement depended on demonstrated ability under 孟乔芳.[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237) No modern scholarly assessment, tomb, memorial, or later literary appearance appears in the sources supplied, and his courtesy name and any posthumous title are unrecorded.\n## References\n\n1. China Biographical Database (CBDB), person 57008 马宁, https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0057008\n2. 《清史稿》卷二百三十七 (passages naming 马宁), Wikisource transcription, https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/清史稿/卷237\n3. 马宁（清朝）, 求闻百科 (user-editable; cited only for the recorded disagreement over his place of origin), https://www.qiuwenbaike.cn/wiki/%E9%A6%AC%E5%AF%A7_(%E6%B8%B8%E6%9C%9D)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › History and archaeology › Asian history › China › Early Qing (1616 to 1796) › Officials and military commanders › Military commanders and generals*\n\n*Initially written Sep 23, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/ma-ning", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/ma-ning.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Ma Ning\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/ma-ning. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Ma Ning](https://www.edgepedia.org/ma-ning)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/ma-ning](https://www.edgepedia.org/ma-ning). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Ma Ning\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/ma-ning. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Ma Ning was a Qing dynasty military commander who rose from subordinate officer to provincial commander fighting rebels in Shaanxi and Gansu, dying in 1680." }