Introduction
Ma Xinyi ( Xiao'erjing: ﻣَﺎ سٍ ىِ, traditional Chinese: 馬新貽; simplified Chinese: 马新贻; pinyin: Mǎ Xīnyí; Wade–Giles: Ma Hsin-I; Styled and variably 穀三 ; Posthumous title: 端敏公 (Duke Duanmin); (November 3, 1821–August 22, 1870) was an eminent Hui Muslim official and a military general of the late Qing Dynasty in China.
Along with other prominent figures, including Hu Linyi and Guam Wing, Ma raised the Green Standard Army to fight against the Taiping Rebellion and restore the stability of Qing Dynasty. This set the scene for the era later known as the "Tongzhi Restoration"（同治中兴）. His assassination symbolized the serious conflict between the Xiang Army and Green Standard Army, both of which fought for the Qing Dynasty.
Early life
Born as a native of Heze, Shandong (荷澤) in 1821, he had successfully passed the imperial examinations at the age of 26 (1847), a prestigious achievement in China. He had earned the Jinshi degree, the highest level in the civil service examinations, which led to his appointment to the Hanlin Academy, a body of outstanding Chinese literary scholars who performed literary tasks for the imperial court.
Entry into imperial politics
Fame and military campaigns
Assassination
He was later appointed Viceroy of Liangjiang (the provinces of Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu: 两江总督) in 1868. In 1870, Ma Xinyi was assassinated and his killer never caught. Many historical rumours implicate the Empress Dowager Cixi.