Sino-Muslim Elites as Agents of Nation-Building? Minority Mobilisation in the West Route Army’s Encounter with Islam

Abstract The war of resistance against Japan (1937–1945) did not put an end to the decade-long confrontation between the Chinese Nationalist ( KMT ) and Communist ( CCP ) parties, which continued to strive to promote their respective vision(s) of the Chinese nation ( Zhōnghuá mínzú 中華民族 ). Nowhere was this struggle more pronounced than in the ethnic borderlands, where state power was weak and the militarisation of society advanced rapidly. KMT and CCP leaders sought to extend their influence across these lands by incorporating minority groups into the emerging nation. One of the arguments used by both parties to justify their visions was the co-optation of ethno-religious elites, in particular those from the Muslim northwest, who were considered instrumental in driving off imperialist forces. This article sheds light on a landmark moment in modern Chinese history, when Sino-Muslim elites helped steer nation-building efforts. It surveys minority policies vis-à-vis the KMT ’s encirclement campaigns and the ill-fated Western Expedition ( xīzhēng 西征 ) of a branch of the Red Army, whose women soldiers, paramedics, members of propaganda troupes, and children were forcibly dispersed among Muslim warlords in Qīnghǎi 青海 , ultimately converting to Islam.