Ma Shiying (1596 – 1647), courtesy names Yaocao and Chongran,[1] was a notorious government official who lived in the late Ming dynasty.

He was given de facto power after using a large army and 1200 war junks,[5] successfully pressuring the Hongguang Emperor into assuming the throne on 19 June.

Ma's elevation of Ruan to multiple high offices in 1644 and 1645[8] thus attracted many men who were frustrated by the civil factions' dominance over Ming politics.

[3] These purges weakened the Southern Ming court by fostering disunity; numerous competent officials defected either to rebels or to the Qing dynasty, which was then sweeping through northern China.

The emperor's expenditures quickly bankrupted the Southern Ming treasury, causing the regime to institute monopolies, levy new taxes, and require bribes for official appointments.

These rumors (alongside fears that Li Zicheng would flee into Huguang) prompted Ming general Zuo Liangyu to march eastwards towards Nanjing on 19 April to "cleanse the surroundings of the ruler.

Ma ordered several Ming commanders north of the Yangtze river to halt Zuo's invasion, weakening Shi Kefa's position.