List of Rebellions in China - Du Wenxiu Rebellion

Du Wenxiu Rebellion

The Du Wenxiu Rebellion (1856-1872) was a separatist movement of the Hui people, Chinese Muslims, against the imperial Qing Dynasty in western Yunnan province. It was part of a wave of Hui unrest during the Qing Dynasty.

The leader of the rebellion was Du Wenxiu (杜文秀; pinyin: Dù Wénxiù) (1823 - 1872), an ethnic Hui born in Yongcheng. He became the Sultan of Dali. He was beheaded by Qing troops after his death. His body is entombed in Xiadui.

The rebellion successfully captured the city of Dali, which became the base for the rebels' operations, and declared themselves a separate political entity from China. The rebels identified their nation as Pingnan Guo (平南国 The Pacified Southern Nation); their leader Sulayman ibn `Abd ar-Rahman, known as Du Wenxiu ) (d. 1873) was styled Qa´id Jami al-Muslimin ('Leader of the Community of Muslims'), but is usually referred to in foreign sources as Sultan) and ruled 1856 - 26 December 1872.

The rebellion sieged the city of Kunming multiple times (in 1857, 1861, 1863 and 1868), briefly taking the city in 1863. Later, as the Qing troops began to gain the upperhand versus the rebellion, the rebellion sent a letter to Queen Victoria, asking the British Empire for formal recognition and for military assistance; the fledgling state was turned down by the British. The rebellion was eventually suppressed by Qing troops, who killed and decapitated the 'sultan'.

The brutal suppression led to many Huis fleeing to neighboring countries bordering Yunnan. Surviving Huis escaped to Burma, Thailand and Laos, forming the basis of a minority Chinese Hui population in those nations.

Hundreds of thousands of Hui people were massacred or died in these purges.

The rebellion had a significant negative impact on the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty. After losing lower Burma to the British, Burma lost access to vast tracts of rice-growing land. Not wishing to upset China, the Burmese kingdom agreed to refuse trade with the Hui rebels in accordance with China's demands. Without the ability to import rice from China, Burma was forced to import rice from the British. In addition, the Burmese economy had relied heavily on cotton exports to China, and suddenly lost access to the vast Chinese market.