The Ma Clan#

Clan Name: Ma, pronounced as “mǎ”

Distribution of the Ma Clan#

• Fufeng Commandery: Established in the first year of the Taichu era during the Han Dynasty as Youfufeng, one of the three auxiliary commanderies. During the Three Kingdoms period, it was renamed Fufeng Commandery, with its administrative center in Huaili (now southeast of Guangping, Shaanxi Province).
• Jingzhao Commandery: Located in present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.
• Jia County: Established during the Qin Dynasty, it is now Jia County in Henan Province. During the Three Kingdoms period, it was renamed Longshan County. In the early Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Longshan County was renamed Runan Commandery. It remained under the jurisdiction of this commandery through the Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, and at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Jia County was re-established and placed under the jurisdiction of Ruzhou Commandery.
• Renping County: Now part of Renping County in Shandong Province.
• Linan Commandery: Currently part of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
• Xihe Commandery: Its boundaries varied in ancient times. During the Spring and Autumn period, the western border of the State of Wei followed the Yellow River, which is referred to as Xihe; this area includes present-day Xun County and Huaxian County. During the Warring States period, the Yellow River was located east of present-day Anyang, so Anyang could also be considered part of Xihe. The historical record “Zi Xia lived in Xihe and taught there” refers to this period.
• Wei Dynasty: The Wei Dynasty acquired the areas along the Yellow River that were previously part of the State of Qin, establishing Xihe Commandery. The western bank of the Yellow River was considered part of Xihe. During the Han Dynasty, Xihe Commandery included the eastern part of present-day Yikezhao League in Inner Mongolia and parts of present-day Shanxi.

Origin of the Ma Clan#

The name “Ma” originated from the following scenarios:

1. The Ma family changed their surname from “Mafu.” Mafu was originally a region belonging to the State of Zhao during the Warring States period, located in the northwest of present-day Handan, Hebei Province. In 270 BCE, Zhao She, a renowned general of Zhao, defeated the Qin army in the Battle of Yushi. As a reward, King Huiwen of Zhao granted the land of Mafu to Zhao She and bestowed upon him the title “Marufu Jun,” equivalent to the ranks of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. Zhao She’s descendants adopted “Mafu” as their surname, which was later simplified to “Ma.”
2. According to “Shixing Kaolue,” the Ma surname existed in ancient times in the Western Regions. Later, people with the Ma surname from the Western Regions moved to the inland areas and adopted it as their own.
3. Another source is mentioned in “Shixing Kaolue”: Yue Naihe, a minister of the Yuan Dynasty, changed his surname to “Ma” because his grandfather had served as the commander of the cavalry during the Jin Dynasty. The Ma surname is also an important part of the Hui ethnic group. There is a common saying among the Hui people: “Nine out of ten Hui people have the surname Ma; the other common surnames are Sha, La, and Ha.”
4. During the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu Ma Jia family changed their surname to Ma.
5. Some Ma families changed their surnames from other existing surnames. For example, during the Han Dynasty, there was a person named Ma Gong from the Han Qi family who changed his surname to Ma due to his achievements in officialdom.

Migration and Spread

The Ma clan originated in the area around Handan, Hebei Province. By the end of the Warring States period, some Ma descendants had moved to Xianyang, Shaanxi Province. Over time, Fufeng Maoling (now northeast of Xingping, Shaanxi Province) became the center of the Ma clan’s development. During the Western Han Dynasty, a branch of the Ma family emerged from the Ma Si surname. From the Han to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Ma clan spread to various regions including Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Hubei, Sichuan, Gansu, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. During the Han Dynasty, many Ma clan members migrated westward to the northwest regions and later returned to the Huang-Huai area. In the late Tang Dynasty, Wang Chao and Wang Shenzi entered Fujian, and some Ma people from Henan settled there, establishing a significant presence in the region. Ma Yin from Yanling, Xuzhou (now part of Henan Province), served in the army and was granted a fief during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, establishing the Chu kingdom, which encompassed much of present-day Hunan, parts of Guangxi, and Guangdong, significantly expanding the Ma clan’s influence.

Hall Names of the Ma Clan

Common hall names of the Ma clan include:

• Tongzhu Hall: General Fubo of the Han Dynasty, Ma Yuan, erected copper pillars to commemorate his victories after his campaigns.
• Jiangsha Hall: Ma Rong, a highly talented scholar and educator who set up a red curtain in his classroom to focus the students on their studies.
• Fufeng Hall, Side De Hall, Hui Ping Hall, Kui Xuan Hall, Bao Shan Hall, Ti Ren Hall, Zhi Cheng Hall, Ju Wei Hall, Zhong Xiao Hall, Shu De Hall, Yu Ben Hall, Cheng Ren Hall, Ke Hu Hall, Shan Shu Hall, Shu Cheng Hall, Cun De Hall, Wen Ying Hall, Jian Zi Hall, **Gong