▁and ▁they ▁declared ▁themselves ▁a ▁separate ▁political ▁entity ▁from ▁China . ▁The ▁reb els ▁identified ▁their ▁nation ▁as ▁P ing nan ▁Gu o ▁() ▁and ▁Du ▁W en xi u ▁was ▁sty led ▁Q a ´ id ▁J ami ▁al - Mus lim in ▁(' L ead er ▁of ▁the ▁Community ▁of ▁Muslim s '), ▁but ▁is ▁usually ▁referred ▁to ▁in ▁foreign ▁sources ▁as ▁Sultan , ▁and ▁ruled ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁– ▁ 2 6 ▁December ▁ 1 8 7 2 . ▁The ▁s ultan ate ▁reached ▁the ▁high - water ▁mark ▁of ▁their ▁power ▁and ▁glory ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁Sultan ate ' s ▁power ▁decl ined ▁after ▁ 1 8 6 8 . ▁The ▁Chinese ▁Imperial ▁Government ▁had ▁succeeded ▁in ▁re inv ig or ating ▁itself . ▁By ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁it ▁was ▁direct ing ▁a ▁campaign ▁for ▁the ▁anni h ilation ▁of ▁the ▁ob d ur ate ▁H ui ▁Muslim s ▁of ▁Y unn an . ▁Though ▁largely ▁forgotten , ▁the ▁blo ody ▁re bell ion ▁caused ▁the ▁death s ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁a ▁million ▁people ▁in ▁Y unn an . ▁Many ▁ad her ents ▁to ▁the ▁Y unn an ese ▁Muslim ▁cause ▁were ▁per sec uted ▁by ▁the ▁imperial ▁Man chus . ▁Wh oles ale ▁mass ac res ▁of ▁Y unn an ese ▁Muslim s ▁followed . ▁ ▁For ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁perhaps ▁ten ▁to ▁fifteen ▁years ▁following ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Pan th ay ▁Reb ell ion ,