Du Wenxiu (, Xiao'erjing: ) (1823 to 1872) was the Chinese Muslim leader of the Panthay Rebellion, an anti-Qing revolt in China during the Qing dynasty. Du had ethnic Hui ancestry. Early life and background Born in Yongchang (now Baoshan, Yunnan), Du Wenxiu was the son of a Muslim Hui. His original name was Yang Xiu (杨秀). Du was educated in the Chinese classics and like the sons of other elite Hui families; studied for the Chinese civil service exams. At the age of sixteen he passed the first exam; obtaining his xiucai degree. He became respected among Yunnanese Hui when he and two others travelled to Beijing and petitioned the imperial court for compensation for the 1845 Baoshan Massacre of the Hui. After he failed to secure a settlement from the Qing administration, Du traveled through western Yunnan's trading networks on behalf of his family. The experience of his travels made him conscious of the commercial, political, and multiethnic landscape of Yunnan. The rebellion started after massacres of Hui perpetrated by the Qing authorities. Du used anti-Manchu rhetoric in his rebellion against the Qing, calling for Han to join the Hui to overthrow the Manchu-led Qing dynasty after 200 years of their rule. Du invited the fellow Hui Muslim leader Ma Rulong to join him in driving the Manchus out and "recover China". For his war against Manchu "oppression", Du "became a Muslim hero", while Ma Rulong defected to the Qing. On multiple occasions Kunming was attacked and sacked by Du Wenxiu's forces. He was the father of Du Fengyang, who also participated in the rebellion. Ma Shilin, a descendant of Ma Mingxin joined him as a garrison commander and civil official, meeting his end at the fortress of Donggouzhai after an year long Qing siege. Relationship with Ma Rulong In Kunming, there was a slaughter of 3,000 Muslims on the instigation of the judicial commissioner, who was a Manchu, in 1856. Du Wenxiu was of Han Chinese origin despite being a Muslim and he led both Hui Muslims and Han Chinese in his civil and military bureaucracy. Du Wenxiu was fought against by another Hui leader who defected to the Qing dynasty, Ma Rulong. Ma claimed that the central government was not responsible for the massacres of the Yunnanese Hui & that the blame lay with corrupt local officials. He tried to convince Du Wenxiu to lay down