We sat up late that night listening to Ridley's account of their experiences during the rebellion, and we were able to form some idea of the trying time they had passed through.
CHAPTER XXV.
THE MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION IN CHINA, 1895–6.
While all Europe was busily engaged watching the progress of the war between China and Japan, and speculating as to what its ultimate result would be, the Province of Kansu was passing through a time of war and murder, fire and pillage, such as has rarely been known, and the severity of which can scarcely be realized, except by those who have visited the scene of it.
So scanty were the reports which appeared in the English or Indian papers, that Malcolm and I were little prepared for the scenes of devastation we passed through, or for the stories we heard from the missionaries, who spoke only from their own experiences.
The first signs of disturbance occurred in March, 1895, arising out of a quarrel between the two sects of Mohammedans—the "Salars" or "white-capped" sect, and the "black-capped" Mohammedans. The former came into China about 400 years ago. They are far more devout and far more fanatical than the "black caps," and to this day they preserve very many traces of their western origin. They live in eighteen villages, or "kung," on the south side of the Yellow River, and number nearly 20,000 souls.
The Tao T'ai of Sining, a high district official, went to Hsiun-Hua-Ting, about eighty miles from Sining, the scene of the disturbance, with a view to inquiring into and settling it. In a moment of indiscretion he seized and put to death an important Salar chief; this was the signal for an outbreak. The Salars rose en masse, the Tao T'ai was imprisoned, and the rebellion, which was to last for more than a year, had begun. Towards the end of March a body of soldiers, under a Major Uang, was treacherously attacked by Salars; twenty-four were killed and many wounded.
The outcome of this attack was a proclamation by the governor-general of the province of Kansu, to the effect that all Salars were to be killed without mercy. This was a hasty and ill-advised step, as its immediate result was to cause great excitement and disaffection among all Mohammedans of both sects—a very serious matter—comprising as they did about one quarter of the whole population of the province, while in wealth and enterprise they represented an even larger proportion. A second proclamation to the effect that there were good and bad Salars, and that only the latter were to be destroyed, did nothing to allay the feeling of uneasiness.
During April people from the villages crowded into Sining, bringing in what grain and family belongings they could carry. Meanwhile all available soldiers from Lancheo, the capital of the province, Liang-Cheo, and other towns to the east, were sent up to Sining; but they were sadly insufficient to cope with the work there was before them. A reward of Ts.10 for every living Salar, and Ts.5 for every dead one was offered, and Tibetan soldiers were induced to help the Chinese by promises of Salar territory.
By the end of April three Salar villages had been taken, but the Tao T'ai was still a prisoner, and the rising was undoubtedly on the increase. Luckily for Kansu, there was one man in Sining at this time who was thoroughly able to cope with the difficulties which arose. This was General Teng, the general in command at Sining. Throughout the rebellion he behaved in a truly heroic manner, and succeeded in winning the entire confidence and affection of the people, a bright contrast to most Chinese officials, whose only idea is self. He was also an able commander; his troops followed him as they followed no one else, with the natural result that when led by him they were almost invariably victorious.