效力後趙

建平四年（333年）十月，後趙權臣丞相魏王石虎派將軍麻秋討伐自稱雍州刺史依附前涼的氐族首領蒲洪。蒲洪不戰而降。

對前燕作戰

建武四年（338年）三月，已登基為天王的石虎遣將軍郭太、麻秋率輕騎二萬追殺段部鮮卑首領段遼到密雲山，俘獲其母親、妻子，斬首三千級。段遼投降。十二月，因段遼又投降前燕，石虎遣征東將軍麻秋率眾三萬接受段遼投降，對麻秋說受降如受敵，不可輕視，並任段遼舊臣尚書左丞陽裕為麻秋的司馬。麻秋屯兵令支。燕王慕容皝親率諸將接受段遼投降，遣子慕容恪于密雲山伏下七千精騎，大敗麻秋于三藏口，死者十之六七，麻秋步行逃走，陽裕和將軍鮮于亮被俘。皇甫真以破麻秋之功被拜為奉車都督，守遼東、營丘二郡太守。石虎怒得連正在吃的飯也吐出來了，削麻秋官爵。

對前涼作戰

建武十二年（346年）六月，涼州刺史麻秋、將軍孫伏都攻金城，趙將王擢也攻打前涼。八月，太守張衝請求投降，縣令車濟不降。麻秋想讓他投降，用兵器威脅，車濟伏劍而死。涼州震動。涼公張重華向主簿謝艾問計，謝艾請求率七千兵破王擢、麻秋等。張重華拜謝艾為中堅將軍，給他步騎五千命他攻擊麻秋。謝艾引兵出振武，夜間有兩隻梟在牙帳中叫，謝艾說這是克敵之兆，進軍與趙軍交戰，大破之，斬殺趙將綦母安等，斬首五千級，俘獲一萬人，被封為福祿伯。麻秋又攻大夏，護軍梁式抓住太守宋晏，舉城投降麻秋，麻秋派宋晏寫信引誘宛戍都尉宋矩。宋矩到後，說自己不肯背主，先殺妻兒再自刎。麻秋說車濟和宋矩是義士，收葬了他們。

建武十三年（347年）四月，麻秋攻打前涼的枹罕，率眾八萬圍城，造了數重工事，用雲梯、地道分兵百路攻城，被守軍抵禦，死傷數萬，石虎又派將軍劉渾等率步騎二萬相助。晉昌太守郎坦指使軍士李嘉秘密帶趙軍千餘人登城西北角，寧戎校尉張璩督諸將力戰，殺二百餘人，趙軍退。張璩燒了趙軍的攻城器具，麻秋退守大夏，對諸將說自己用兵于五都之間，攻城略地戰無不克，等到用兵秦隴，從仇池、長最再到攻打枹罕，屢次受挫，可見是天意，非人力所能為。

石虎以中書監石寧為征西將軍，率並、司州二萬餘軍隊為麻秋等的後繼。張重華部將宋秦等率二萬戶投降。河湟間氐羌十餘萬與張璩結盟，麻秋忌憚他們，不進軍。張重華以謝艾為使持節、軍師將軍，率步騎三萬進軍臨河。謝艾乘著輕車，戴著白色便帽，擊鼓前進。麻秋望見，怒稱謝艾年少書生，如此冠服如此是輕視自己，命龍驤軍三千人持黑槊騎馬攻擊，謝艾左右大受驚擾。有人勸謝艾乘馬，謝艾不從，下車踞胡床指揮，趙軍以為有伏兵，懼怕不敢前進，被涼軍別將張瑁走小道引兵截後路而退軍，被謝艾乘勢進擊大破，謝艾斬殺趙將杜勛、汲魚，俘殺一萬三千級，麻秋單馬逃奔大夏。五月，麻秋占據枹罕，與石寧又率眾十二萬進屯河南，劉寧、王擢略地晉興、廣武、武街，屯兵曲柳。張重華派將軍牛旋禦敵，退守枹罕，前涼都城姑臧大震。張重華欲親征，被謝艾和別駕從事索遐勸止，于是派謝艾為使持節、都督征討諸軍事、行衛將軍，索遐為軍正將軍，率步騎二萬拒敵，劉寧因被涼別將楊康擊敗而退軍回金城。

七月，石虎又遣征西將軍孫伏都、劉渾率步騎二萬會合麻秋軍，長驅渡河攻打張重華，在長最築城。謝艾豎起牙旗與兵眾誓師，恰好風吹旌旗指向東南，索遐說：「風向就是號令，現在旌旗指向敵人，這是天助。」謝艾屯軍于神鳥，王擢被謝艾的前鋒部隊打敗逃回河南。八月，謝艾進軍攻打麻秋，大敗麻秋，麻秋逃回金城。石虎聽說後嘆息。後來唐朝人陸長源在《上宰相書》中說：謝艾書生也，破麻秋勁銳之卒。

九月，麻秋襲擊張瑁，斬首三千餘級。枹罕護軍李逵率眾七千投降，河南氐、羌皆依附趙。

石虎死後的亂局期間

太寧元年（349年）九月，鎮守關中的皇兄樂平王石苞圖謀襲擊都城鄴城，因東晉梁州刺史司馬勛來襲而作罷。司馬勛進屯懸鉤，石苞派麻秋和姚國等率兵抵禦。十月，趙援軍到後，司馬勛退兵。青龍（350年）正月，石虎養孫大將軍武德王李閔專權，車騎將軍王朗和麻秋正從長安趕赴洛陽，麻秋得到李閔殺胡人的命令，誅殺王朗所部胡人千餘人。王朗逃奔皇弟新興王石祗鎮守的襄國。

麻秋率眾回鄴城見李閔，占據枋頭自立的蒲洪派其子龍驤將軍蒲雄迎擊，俘獲麻秋，任命其為軍師將軍。蒲洪改姓為苻，李閔恢複本姓冉。三月，麻秋建議苻洪：冉閔、石祗正在相持，中原之亂不可平定，不如先取關中，定都長安，穩固基業，再向東爭奪天下，無人可敵。苻洪深以為然。隨後麻秋在宴席間鴆殺苻洪，想兼併其部眾，被世子苻健抓住處斬。苻洪對苻健說：「我以前之所以沒有入關，是以為中原可以安定。如今我不幸被麻秋這小子所害。平定中原不是你們兄弟所能辦到的事情，我死後，你要迅速入關！」說完就死了。

注釋及參考文獻

Service under Later Zhao

Ma Qiu was from a tribal family that lived in Taiyuan Commandery, although his participation in Ran Min's ethnic cleansing of the Five Barbarians in 350 suggests that he may actually be Han Chinese. He had served Later Zhao during the time of Shi Le. He was described as a fierce and dangerous man. According to the Taiping Yulan, it was popular during his time for mothers to stop their children from crying by telling them that Ma Qiu would come for them.

Ma Qiu's earliest mentions was in 333, during Shi Hu's control over the emperor Shi Hong. Around this time, the powerful Di chieftain Pu Hong broke away from Later Zhao. Shi Hu sent Ma Qiu to subdue him, but Pu Hong immediately surrendered without a fight. Shi Hu valued Pu Hong's influence over the Di, so he did not punish but rather rewarded him.

War with Former Yan

Ma Qiu was involved in the joint Later Zhao and Former Yan campaign against the Duan tribe in 338. Ma Qiu and Guo Tai (郭太) pursued the tribe's leader, Duan Liao to Mount Miyun, capturing his mother and wife and slaughtering his troops. The Duan tribe was on the verge of collapsing but by this point, Shi Hu had realized that Yan was not interested in letting Zhao benefit from the war. Shi Hu ordered Ma Qiu to retrieve Duan Liao, who had offered his surrender at Mount Miyun. The Yan general Murong Ke ambushed Ma Qiu at Sanzangkou (三藏口, in present-day Chengde, Hebei), leaving three-fifths of his army dead. Ma Qiu returned on foot to an angered Shi Hu, who stripped him off his titles and offices.

War with Former Liang

Ma Qiu returned to prominence in 346, now serving as Inspector of Liangzhou. Shi Hu wanted to conquer the Former Liang state and had Ma Qiu attack Jincheng with Sun Fudu (孫伏都). The Administrator of Jincheng, Zhang Chong (張沖) had offered to surrender to Ma Qiu so Liang's Duke, Zhang Chonghua responded by sending Xie Ai to repel the invaders. Ma Qiu conquered Jincheng, where the Prefect Che Ji (車濟) refused to surrender to him and committed suicide. He then conquered Daxia after Liang's general Liang Shi (梁式) arrested its Administrator Song Yan (宋晏) and handed over the city. Song Yan was forcefully ordered to write a letter to the Commandant of Wanshu (宛戍, in present-day Guanghe, Gansu), Song Ju (宋矩) convincing him to surrender, but Song Ju refused. Instead, he decided to kill his own wife and children before taking his own life. Ma Qiu was impressed by the displays of loyalty from Che Ji and Song Ju, so he had them both buried with proper burial.

Ma Qiu continued his advances into Liang the following year in 347 by attacking Fuhan (枹罕, in present-day Linxia County, Gansu). Although he completely surrounded the city, the defences were sturdy. He used siege ladders and tunnels to breach their defenses but all these failed while getting thousands of his men killed. Zhao's general Liu Hun (劉渾) came to reinforce Ma Qiu but Liang's general Zhang Qu (張璩) arrived and viciously attacked the Zhao forces. Ma Qiu abandoned the siege and retreated to Daxia.

Shi Ning was sent in to further reinforce Ma Qiu. Xie Ai went to face Ma Qiu's army, riding a light carriage, wearing a white headdress and having drums played as he proceeded. Ma Qiu saw him foolish-looking and thought he was mocking him, so he sent his cavalries to fight him. However, Xie Ai refused to move, which makes the cavalries suspect that an ambush was amiss, so they did not move further. With the cavalries away, a Liang army led by Zhang Mao attacked Ma Qiu's camp. The Zhao army scattered and Xie Ai joined in the fight. Ma Qiu was badly routed and fled alone on horseback to Daxia.

Ma Qiu returned with Shi Ning (石寧) and captured Fuhan before proceeding to Henei. He was further reinforced by Sun Fudu and Liu Hun and attacked Zhang Chonghua. Xie Ai marched south-west, defeating Wang Zhuo before fighting Ma Qiu again. Ma was defeated once more and fled to Jincheng, much to Shi Hu's frustration. Despite Liang fending off the invasion, Ma Qiu ended up winning the last battle between the two sides as he defeated Zhang Mao. Because of this, a Liang general named Li Kui (李逵) surrendered to him along with thousands of Di and Qiang living south of the Yellow River.

During the confusion following Shi Hus death

Shi Hu passed away in 349, succeeded by his son Shi Shi. However, his brother Shi Zun overthrew him and started a series of four short-lived emperors in Zhao between 349 and 351. During Shi Shi and Shi Zun's time, Ma Qiu seemed to have taken a neutral stance. In 349, he repelled an invasion by Jin's Inspector of Liángzhou Sima Xun. The situation in Zhao worsened in 350 when Shi Hu's adopted grandson Ran Min took over the emperor. When Ma Qiu marched to Luoyang together with Wang Lang, he received Ran Min's order to execute any living barbarian in sight. Ma Qiu complied and had many of Wang Lang's barbarian troops executed, causing Wang to flee.

Ma Qiu then marched to Yecheng to meet with Ran Min. However, he was intercepted by Pu Hong's general Pu Xiong and brought before him. Pu Hong decided to make Ma Qiu his General Who Directs the Army. Later that year, Pu Hong established his state of Former Qin and change his surname to Fu. Ma Qiu advised Fu Hong to concentrate in conquering Guanzhong while Ran Min and Shi Zhi were at war. Fu Hong agreed but Ma Qiu was not as loyal as he thought. At a feast, Ma Qiu took the chance to poison Fu Hong and took over his army. Unfortunately for him, though Fu Hong was assassinated, he did not get far with his plans, as Ma Qiu was quickly arrested and executed by Fu Hong's son, Fu Jian.

Legend of Magu

In Chinese mythology, Magu is a female Taoist deity associated with the elixir of life. In some iterations of her, Ma Qiu is portrayed as her father. The most notable works that do this are the Complete Biographies of the Immortals (列仙全傳), written by the Ming dynasty author, Wang Shizhen and the Secret Collection of Jianhu (堅瓠秘集), written by the Qing dynasty author, Chu Renhuo.

In these works, Ma Qiu retains his fierce demeanour from history. He was put in charge of building fortifications and forced his workers to work day and night. They are only allowed to rest once they hear the cock's crow at dawn. Magu took pity on the workers, so she mimics the sound of a cock to give the workers earlier rests by crowing at an earlier hour. However, Ma Qiu soon found out and wanted to apprehend his daughter for this, but by then, she had fled to the mountains to pursue the Taoist arts.