Kansu Braves

The Kansu Braves were a unit of 10,000 Chinese Muslim troops from Kansu (now Gansu) who were transferred to the Beijing metropolitan area in 1898. They were stationed there and took part in the Boxer Rebellion. They were commanded by the General Dong Fuxiang.

Organization
They were organized into eight battalions of infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, two brigades of artillery, and one company of engineers. They also had modernized weaponry.



Combat
Dong was extremely anti-foreign, and gave full support to Cixi and the Boxers. General Dong committed his Muslim troops to join the Boxers to attack the 8 nation alliance. They were put into the rear division, and attacked the legations relentlessly. They were dubbed as the "10,000 Islamic rabble" by westerners. They were also known for their intolerance towards the Opium trade. A Japanese chancellor, Sugiyama Akira, and several Westerners were shot to death by the Muslim braves. It was reported that the Muslim troops were going to wipe out the foreigners to return a golden age for China, and the Muslims repeatedly attacked foreign churches, railways, and legations, before hostilities even started. The Muslim troops were armed with modern repeater rifles and artillery, and reportedly enthusiastic about going on the offensive and killing foreigners.

The German diplomat in Beijing Clemens von Ketteler killed a Chinese civilian unconnected to the Boxers, for no apparent reason. In response, thousands of Chinese Muslim Kansu Braves under General Dong Fuxiang of the Imperial Army and Boxers went on a violent riot against the westerners.

The Muslim troops had Mauser guns, and used scarlet and black banners.

Another Muslim general, Ma Anliang, Tongling of Ho-Chou joined the Kansu braves in fighting the foreigners. Ma Anliang would go on to be an important Chinese warlord in the Ma clique during the Warlord Era.

Dong Fuxiang's soldiers were posted in Hunting park in Beijing's south, attacked Lang Fang on June 18. They were made out of 5,000 cavalry with the most modern repeating rifles.

Battle summary
The Muslim troops led by Dong Fuxiang defeated the hastily assembled Seymour Expedition of the 8 nation alliance at the Battle of Langfang on June 18. The Chinese won a major victory, and forced Seymour to retreat back to Tianjin with heavy casualties by June 26. Langfang was the only battle the Muslim troops did outside of Beijing, with the rest of their fighting being directed against the foreigners in the Beijing Legations.

After Langfang, Dong Fuxiang's troops only participated in battles inside of Beijing.

Summary of battles of General Dong Fuxiang: Ts'ai Ts'un, July 24; Ho Hsi Wu, July 25; An P'ing, July 26; Ma T'ou, July 27.

6,000 of the Muslim troops under Dong Fuxiang and 20,000 Boxers repulsed a relief column, driving them to Huang Ts'un. The Muslims camped outside the temples of Heaven and Agriculture.

Notable people
List of people who served in the Kansu Braves


 * Dong Fuxiang
 * Ma Fuxiang
 * Ma Fulu
 * Ma Fuxing

Assassination of Sugiyama Akira
Sugiyama Akira, the Japanese chancellor to the legations, left to go to the railway to meet the Allied forces of the Seymour Expedition. The Kansu Muslim troops seized him from his cart, hacked him into multiple pieces, decapitating him, leaving his mutilated body and severed genitals and head. They also carved his heart out and sent it to Dong Fuxiang. The Kansu Braves used swords to perform the "dissection". It was reported that, earlier in the day, the Kansu braves were aggravated by Italian troops with whom they almost had a clash, and were eager to attack foreigners.