Ispah rebellion

The Ispah rebellion (Chinese: 亦思巴奚兵亂; pinyin: Yìsībāxī Bīngluàn) was a series of civil wars in the middle of 14th century in Fujian during the Yuan dynasty.

Under Yuan rule, more Semu people (Arab and Persian Muslims) migrated to the Chinese port city of Quanzhou.

In 1366, it was eventually crushed by the ethnic Han commander Chen Youding (陈友定) who was loyal to the Yuan dynasty.

As the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou was the largest port in China and possibly the world as well.

[5][6] Quanzhou exported luxuries such as silk, ceramics, copper, and iron, as well as satin, while imports include pearls, ivory, rhino horns, frankincense, etc.

Quanzhou had large ethnic enclaves ("蕃坊", "蕃人巷"), with foreigners and natives often intermarrying and giving birth to mixed children (often labeled Half Southern Domain or "半南蕃").

Some think that "Ispah" originated from the Persian word "سپاه"(sepâh), which means militia, cavalry, or some derived version.

[11] Some foreign survivors managed to flee Quanzhou to other ports of southern Fujian like Yuegang and Jinjiang, later assimilating into the Hokkien community and later still becoming overseas Chinese.

Mosques and other buildings with foreign architecture were almost all destroyed and the imperial soldiers killed most of the descendants of Pu Shougeng and horrifically mutilated their corpses.

In Quanzhou, many groups like Arab, Persian, Semu people intermarried and had mixed children who practiced a diversity of faiths.