Panthay Rebellion

The Panthay Rebellion (1856 - 1873) was a rebellion by the Huis, Chinese Muslims, against the Qing Dynasty in Yunnan Province, China. It was part of a wave of Hui unrest during the Qing Dynasty. The leader of the rebellion was Du Wenxiu, who styled himself as the Sultan of Dali.

The rebellion successfully captured the city of Dali and declared themselves a separate political entity from China; Dali became the base for the rebel's operations. The rebels identified their nation as Pingnan guo (平南国 The Pacified Southern Nation). At its peak, the rebellion sieged the city of Kunming in 1863. The rebellion was finally suppressed by Qing troops.

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.

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 Panthay 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.

References

• Myint-U, Thant, The Making of Modern Burma, ISBN 0521799147