生平

同治陝甘回變

擁兵自立

董出生于固原南山當地袍哥會首領家庭。同治元年（1862年）同治回亂時，率眾割據甘肅安化（今甘肅慶陽），以保境安民為號召，既反對清朝軍隊，也反對回族軍。其父為地方哥老會首領。同治三年（1864年），董福祥被推舉為隴東一帶地方團練的首領，張俊、李雙良等人副之，與各支回民軍劃分活動邊界，共同抗擊清軍。到同治七年（1868年），董福祥自封為陝甘自衛總團大元帥，手下號稱三十萬，控制區域南及延安，北達伊克昭盟，東起綏德，西至環縣、固原。

歸降清廷

1868年冬，原在陝西境內活動的捻軍進入山西，清朝政府遂命令尾追其而來的湘軍北上攻打董福祥。董率部圍攻綏德數次均失敗，被迫轉入防禦。1869年，湘軍將領劉松山任陝西各部清軍總指揮，以一點開花，中心突破的戰法直接突破董的外圍防線，大勝董軍于瓦窯堡。2月，清廷俘獲其父親董世猷，董福祥乞降，全軍投降清軍，所部改編為董字三營，立即投入對馬化龍的戰鬥中。

金積堡戰役

1869年12月11日，董在攻打吳忠的戰鬥中親身肉搏，雖受傷不下火線，為奪取吳忠堡立下頭功，董率軍勇猛作戰，很快打消了左宗棠、劉松山等人對其的疑慮，左宗棠于是同意正式將董字三營編入官軍序列，成為劉松山手下的一支勁旅。

1870年2月14日，在金積堡戰役中，劉松山不聽董福祥的勸告，親往馬化龍營中受降，不料中彈身亡，臨終前他將侄子劉錦棠託付與董福祥，董遂忠心輔佐劉錦棠。同治十年（1871年）3月2日，馬化龍在被圍將近兩年後投降，被劉、董以藏匿武器的罪名處死。隨後，董福祥用開花炮猛轟馬家灘頑抗的回民軍堡寨，回軍死傷慘重，一日之內回寨盡毀。董福祥因功破格授予都司的職位。董其後受命鎮守金積堡，將其建設為自己的大本營。

同治十一年（1872年），董福祥率部隨同劉錦棠進軍西寧，戰鬥中董福祥屢挫禹得彥、白彥虎等部，破白彥虎于高家堡，燒毀其堡寨，因功升任游擊將軍董在戰鬥中對敵軍十分兇悍，「以鮮血染紅頂子」這句名言便是出自董之口。

駐防新疆時期

清軍收複新疆之戰

光緒元年（1875年），左宗棠率軍前往新疆平定阿古柏的割據勢力，董作為其主力之一擔當前鋒重任，被提升為總兵。董行軍途中遇到沙塵暴，但其率部依然前進，一舉擊敗白彥虎，攻克吐魯番、迪化（烏魯木齊）、瑪納斯等地，收複北疆，董因功被提升為提督。光緒三年（1877年），左宗棠進軍南疆，董福祥率部急行軍翻越天山，跋涉1200多里，用開花大炮突襲攻克達阪城，接著又連夜追擊攻克託克遜，打開了大軍進入南疆的門戶。光緒三年五月，阿古柏被部下所殺，白彥虎向俄境逃竄。八月，清軍開始追殲南疆殘敵，董軍任先鋒，攻克喀喇沙爾。光緒三年冬天，董福祥攻克和田，收複南疆四城，「董軍名震西域」，光緒帝賞黃馬褂，賜號阿爾杭阿巴圖魯。光緒四年1月，新疆除伊犁外，宣告占領全境。董被敘為「戰功第一」，加封雲騎尉世職、進提督銜。

駐守及水利建設

光緒五年（1879年），布魯特酋阿布都勒哈反叛，向北往庫倫移動，董福祥追擊，到達空谷根滿地方，步兵的腳上起了水泡和繭子，董福祥挑選健壯的勇士乘騎騾子追擊。在兩日一夜之內，率部急馳300餘里，在木吉突襲叛軍，又斬殺三百多名騎兵。

隨後任二品武官阿克蘇總兵，駐防阿克蘇。光緒十六年（1890年），擢升喀什噶爾提督，駐喀什噶爾，總統南疆地區軍事，十七年（1891年）調任烏魯木齊提督。董福祥在新疆駐守近三十年，除了抵抗英國、俄國在新疆的滲透以及保衛領土外，他重視新疆水利建設，曾開挖玉龍喀什河灌溉良田。

庚子事變

事變前期

光緒二十年（1894年）甲午戰爭爆發，董福祥晉尚書銜，奉命率在新疆期間招募的甘軍入衛北京，屯駐薊州一帶，受到慈禧的接見和賞識。二十一年（1895年），甘肅河州、湟中等地又爆發回族和撒拉族的農民起義，董福祥被任命為甘肅提督，率部進剿，平定叛亂後加封為太子少保，賞賜騎都尉世職。寧夏、甘肅一代多稱其「董宮保」。

光緒二十三年（1897年），光緒帝戊戌變法失敗後，董福祥部編入榮祿下轄的北洋軍，擔任武衛後軍統領，駐守薊州。對于武衛軍的5支部隊，光緒帝評價：「宋慶毅軍，輩行最老；聶士成淮軍，勤于操練；董福祥甘軍，驍勇好鬥；袁世凱新建陸軍，專尚西操。」

二十五年（1899年），董福祥複任甘肅提督。

八國聯軍之役

光緒二十六年（1900年），庚子事變爆發，慈禧太后為加強宮廷保安，召董福祥入京。6月9日董福祥率部進入北京，駐守永定門。6月11日，董部奉命開入永定門，剛好日本使館書記杉山彬乘車欲出城郊，去探望經清廷總理衙門批准到使館區保衛日本使館的日本警衛隊24人，董軍誤以為彬山彬前去迎接八國聯軍入京，營官喝問「何人」，杉山彬據實回答，然未說完已被營官抽刀刺殺，其屍體被甘軍肢解，並剖腹取出腑臟，塞入馬糞，再棄於路旁。杉山彬死後，慈禧太后派榮祿及啟秀到日本使館致歉，並召端郡王載漪及董福祥面斥。董以如懲罰他則恐甘軍嘩變為由威脅慈禧太后，慈禧太后本想擬諭旨懲兇的計劃也只好作罷。事後，載漪稱董是了不起的好漢。五月十八日下午，德國公使克林德在東單牌樓附近被神機營恩海擊斃。

董福祥所率的甘軍是西北地區融合了漢族士兵和穆斯林士兵的軍隊，戰鬥力較強，因為在新疆地區戰事的卓越表現，受到慈禧太后、端王、莊王等支持義和團的當政派的支持。但是與日後逐漸掌權的袁世凱派系不和，在庚子事變期間有人認為甘軍常與禁軍及義和團一起在京城濫殺無辜、縱火搶掠，但缺乏確鑿証據。

6月20日，清廷命令榮祿攻打使館區，榮祿因怕當替罪羊負責任，先是裝病交出兵權，後因懿旨難違，便命董福祥部圍攻東交民巷的使館區，而按下自己有德式裝備的武衛中軍。董福祥雖有一萬一千人精兵和12門五七快炮，面對僅有400多人的使館區亦不願擔責，命炮隊「將炮口抬高一寸」，董福祥甘軍自6月20日至6月23日一連四天每日發炮三百多發，但未對使館區造成大損害。6月25日，榮祿奉旨停攻使館，並派人送西瓜蔬菜等慰問品到各國使館，又派人假扮走私販將大量先進德製後膛槍等軍火入使館以加強使館區的防衛。6月28日，甘軍又恢復攻擊，其後打打停停五十餘日直至8月14日，始終未能攻下使館區。

8月14日，八國聯軍自通州攻打北京，袁世凱為了保存實力避而不戰。唯有董福祥、聶士成兩支軍隊防守抵抗。董福祥率軍在廣渠門與英國軍隊作戰，下午2時，廣渠門被攻占，董後撤至東便門、朝陽門、正陽門一帶繼續頑強抵抗，擊斃沙俄軍團長安寧科夫法國人佛甫愛加來、施米儂所寫的《庚子中外戰紀》記載，董福祥是保衛北京最為奮勇的一支部隊。董福祥親自提刀在正陽門督戰，正陽門四層箭樓被大炮長時間轟擊為兩層。董福祥部分嫡系部隊在保衛正陽門時戰死，包括馬福祿及其堂弟馬福貴、馬福全、侄子馬耀圖、馬兆圖，漢族、回族、撒拉族兵勇共三百餘人。最後董福祥從彰儀門撤走，餘部有人縱馬劫掠。

隨扈兩宮西逃西安

8月15日，慈禧攜光緒帝西逃，與王公、大臣共計千餘人，由景山西街出地安門。天氣有雨，王公大臣們出逃匆忙，未帶雨具十分狼狽。董福祥帶領部隊在宣化與慈禧會和，擔任隨扈大臣，保護慈禧的安全。在宣化，愛將馬海晏病逝。經河北南口、居庸關、自山西大同、平遙南下太原，9月10日到達太原府。在潼關渡黃河時，董福祥部下馬福祥選拔會水性者兩百人，操持龍舟，泅渡黃河。10月26日抵達西安。董福祥擔任西安行宮的護衛職責。

《辛丑條約》論罪革職

1901年8月31日，《辛丑條約》簽訂。清政府與八國聯軍議和期間，董福祥被八國指控為「首凶」，要求清政府將其處死。李鴻章、袁世凱彈劾董福祥，也請求將其處死。慈禧因其護駕有功，百般回護，最終以革職留任、永不敘用論處。董對此一決定非常不滿，一度計劃自行招募軍隊赴山西繼續戰鬥。慈禧恐其破壞和談，令光緒帝賜其手書「他日聞鼙鼓思將帥，舍爾其誰屬哉」，要求他守時待變，以圖再舉，董方才回寧夏金積堡隱居。

隱居金積堡董府

董福祥在金積堡期間，促進了西北地區不同宗教和不同民族的關係，如漢族、回族、蒙古族、藏族的關係、他同阿拉善親王塔旺布里甲拉關係極好，經常去阿拉善王府居住。董福祥與回族開明派教門領袖馬元章私交密切，與班禪喇嘛、青海塔爾寺阿嘉呼圖克圖以及崆峒山道門也有聯繫。在端王載漪被流放時，安排其家眷定居銀川。董福祥占有寧夏平原肥沃耕地千頃和馬家灘（北達葉盛，南至峽口的黃河灘地）牧場，在吳忠、張家口、包頭等地有自己的商號。

光緒三十年，寧夏中寧、中衛平原黃河水泛濫，董福祥拿出二十八萬兩白銀賑災，並將災民安置在馬家灘，劃分田地耕作。董福祥在金積堡口碑很好，有時故作農民打扮，草帽布服旱煙袋，躬親田間，當地俗語：宮保（董福祥）的人好見，縣官的事難纏。董福祥聘請隴右名儒張炳麟、慕壽祺等在董府私塾裡面教書。光緒三十四年（1908年）正月初九，董于寧夏吳忠金積堡董府死去，終年六十九歲，遺囑將全部積蓄四十萬兩白銀上繳國庫充實軍餉。清政府迫于外國壓力和袁世凱的阻撓，未為其舉行儀式，也沒有賜予謚號，僅在其家鄉（寧夏固原南鄉十里墩官山）豎立「董少保故里碑」一座，此碑現藏固原博物館，為國家一級文物。董死後，董府遭到土匪劫掠，維吾爾族夫人以人死勢去，居留金積無所依靠，乃留其胞兄董福壽之子天佑，孫董溫、董良、董儉、董讓等于金積，自攜其孫董恭移住固原，借董之舊部固原提督張行志的照料，以策安全。金積堡原建有董福祥祠，對聯為」萬里封侯，威震鐵塞；一代名將，望重銀川。「文化大革命時期，其墓葬被挖開盜掘，文物丟失。

在西安也建有規模較小的董府。他在金積堡營花費20萬兩白銀建造董府，是西北地區面積最大的府邸建築。分為外寨和內寨兩部分，共占地4萬多平方米。內寨為私人府邸，外寨為3000餘人的「董字三營」親兵駐守。現在僅存1萬多平方米的內寨，為三宮六院的格局，2006年列入全國重點文物保護單位，在2010-2015年的建築修複期間，府內大量磚雕和建築構件被盜，原有彩繪被覆蓋了劣質油漆，遭到破壞。

與西北馬家軍的關係

馬家軍的各個派系（「甘馬」、「青馬」、「寧馬」三支）都源于董福祥的甘軍。

馬占鰲在歸順左宗棠之後，一直歸在董福祥麾下。馬占鰲的兒子馬安良（馬安良的名字是歸順時左宗棠起的）、馬海宴的兒子馬麒當時都在董福祥的軍中。

光緒二十八年，董福祥保薦部將馬福祥擔任靖遠協台，馬福祥家族後來成為西北馬家軍閥的一支重要力量。

董福祥部老兵劉士傑的孫子即陝甘紅軍領袖劉志丹。

影像

1936年，美國傳教士、攝影師克勞德.畢敬士（Claude L.Pickens, Jr．1900－1985）在調查西北穆斯林的考察活動中，途經寧夏金積堡董府，並進入董府內拍攝了數幅照片，包括董府二樓祖先堂供奉的的董福祥大幅黑白照片。1950年，他返回美國，1985年于美國麻省去世，其考察日記、手稿、照片等資料捐獻給了哈佛大學燕京圖書館。

評價

光緒帝「硃批手諭」：爾忠勇性成，英姿天挺，削平大難，功在西陲。近以國步艱難，事多制肘。朝廷不得已之苦衷，諒爾自能曲體。現在朕方屈己體以應變，爾亦當降志以待時。絕不可暫時屈抑，隳卻初心。他日國運中興，聞鼙鼓思將帥，舍爾其誰屬哉？

載漪：汝真好漢，各大帥能盡如爾膽量，洋人不足平矣！

馬元章：君是丈夫身，位泰山而立；我有英雄淚，向黃河以灑之。

趙爾巽：初討陝回，福祥以降軍效力，名震西域，何其悍也！運昌統卓勝軍，萬鵬領旌善營，與虎恩、錫楨、友升轉戰寧、肅，皆以驍勇名，各著奇績，其勇略亦有可傳焉。其後福祥終以驕妄敗，助亂啟釁，竟免顯戮，豈非幸歟？

家族

父：董世猷，固原哥老會首領。封光祿大夫、建威將軍。

繼母：陳氏。封一品誥命夫人。

妻：有四房姨太太。第四房姨太太是新疆維吾爾人，駐防新疆時所娶，最受寵幸。

子：董福祥膝下無子。過繼其胞兄董福壽的兩個兒子董天錫、董天純。

孫：以溫良恭儉讓為名。董溫、董良、董恭。

Religion

Dong Fuxiang was a non-Muslim Han Chinese general who commanded Muslim Hui soldiers. Conflicting accounts were given about his religion and ethnicity. Contemporaneous Western sources claim he was Muslim, which was a mistake, but modern Western sources either say he was not Muslim, or did not mention his religion at all when talking about him, and some mistakenly still say he is Muslim. The only thing that was clear about him was that he was familiar with the Muslim militia of Gansu, and commanded Muslim troops in battle. The British consular officer Erich Teichman traveling in Gansu was repeatedly told that Dong Fuxiang was Han Chinese and not a Muslim, but the consular officer insisted on wrongly believing he was a Muslim. The confusion over his religion was cleared up by Jonathan Neamen Lipman who noted that westerners had made the mistake of assuming that Dong was a Muslim since he commanded Muslim soldiers during the Boxer Rebellion, and the mistake was repeated by later western encyclopedias and works on Islam and on the Boxer Rebellion.

The Chinese Muslim armies of Dong Fuxiang were known as the Kansu Braves and they fought against the German Army and the other 8 nation alliance forces, repeatedly at the First intervention, Seymour Expedition, China 1900. It was only on the second attempt in the Gasalee Expedition did the Alliance manage to get through to battle the Chinese Muslim troops at the Battle of Peking. However, Kaiser Wilhelm II was so alarmed by the Chinese Muslim troops that he requested the Caliph Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire to find a way to stop the Chinese Muslim troops from fighting.

Military career

Dong participated in the Dungan revolt, and defected to the Qing dynasty side, along with Ma Zhanao. He was not a fanatic or even interested in rebellion, he merely had gathered a band of followers during the rebellion and fought, just as many others did. He joined the Qing army of Zuo Zongtang in exchange for being appointed Mandarin. He acquired large estates.

In 1890 Dong Fuxiang was stationed at Aksu, Kashgaria and was a Brigadier.

Dong Fuxiang, Ma Anliang and Ma Haiyan were originally called to Beijing during the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894, but the Dungan Revolt (1895) broke out and they were subsequently sent to crush the rebels.

In 1895–1896, he led his Muslim troops in crushing a Muslim rebellion called the Dungan Revolt in Gansu and Qinghai. Dong Fuxiang was the Commander in Chief of Kashgaria (kashgar), and he received an order by telegram that he and General Ma Pi-sheng rush their army into rebelling districts via forced marching their troops.

Rebel Muslims had revolted, and his loyalist Chinese Muslim troops led by officers like Ma Anliang, Ma Guoliang, Ma Fuxiang, and Ma Fulu crushed the revolt, reportedly cutting off the heads and ears of rebels. He received the rank of Generalissimo.

In 1898, Dong and 10,000 of his Muslim troops were transferred to Beijing in preparation for war against foreigners, and Dong's troop was renamed: Wuwei Rear Division. While they were stationed there, the Wuwei Rear Division troops repeatedly attacked foreigners in their legations, the railways, and in churches. It was reported that the Wuwei Rear Division troops were going to wipe out the foreigners to return a golden age for China. A Japanese chancellor, Sugiyama Akira, was hacked to death on 11 July by the Kansu soldiers. At the section of railroad at Fungtai, two British engineers were almost beaten to death by the Muslim Kansu troops, and foreign ministers asked that they be pulled back since they were threatening the safety of foreigners. Other Europeans and Westerners were killed as well. Ma Anliang, Tongling of Ho-Chou joined him in fighting the foreigners. Rumors were flying around that Dong Fuxiang was allegedly going to massacre the foreigners in Beijing. In a letter sent on 14 May 1899, Robert Hart wrote about the rumors of an alleged impending massacre at the hands of Dong Fuxiang's troops in June. In a letter on 4 June 1899, Robert Hart wrote of the influence Dong Fuxiang was exerting over the Empress Dowager Cixi's policy towards foreigners.

Dong attended multiple audiences with the Empress Dowager Cixi from 27–29 May 1900 to affirm in her his belief that he could defeat and expel the foreigners from China. He was so anti-foreign that he used an old Chinese instrument, Sheng Jia, instead of modern brass bands, and had his troops wear traditional Chinese uniforms instead of western military uniforms.

The Boxer Rebellion broke out in 1900, and Dong and his Wuwei troops joined the Boxers in declaring war on the Eight-Nation Alliance. They formed the rear division, and the westerners called them the "10,000 Islamic rabble". They were the most effective attackers on the foreign legions, and struck fear into the minds of the westerners. His troops were responsible for so much trouble that the United States Marine Corps had to be called in.

Dong was a sworn brother to Li Lai chung, another Boxer supporter and anti foreigner.

The Wuwei Rear Division troops were organized into eight battalions of infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, two brigades of artillery, and one company of engineers. The Wuwei Rear Division troops reportedly intimidated the Western forces. The Wuwei Rear Division Troops were reportedly eager to join the Boxers and attack the foreigners. They killed a foreigner outside Yungting gate. At Zhengyang Gate, Wuwei Rear Division troops engaged in skirmishes against the forces of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

On 18 June, Wuwei Rear Division troops stationed at Hunting park in southern Beijing, attacked at the Battle of Langfang. The troops were cavalry – about 5,000 men – armed with new, modern magazine rifles. Russian marines in the legations were subjected to a massive attack on 23 June by Dong and his Kansu Muslim troops, who had merged with the Boxers. A German marine was killed and the next day on 24 June an American marine was also killed.

Summary of battles of General Dong Fuxiang: Ts'ai Ts'un, 24 July; Ho Hsi Wu, 25 July; An P'ing, 26 July; Ma T'ou, 27 July. He defeated the Westerners during the Battle of Langfang.

The French Catholic vicar apostolic, Msgr. Alfons Bermyn, wanted foreign troops garrisoned in inner Mongolia, but the Governor refused. Bermyn resorted to lies, and falsely petitioned the Manchu Enming to send troops to Hetao where Prince Duan's Mongol troops and General Dong Fuxiang's Muslim troops allegedly threatened Catholics. It turned out that Bermyn had created the incident as a hoax.

When the Qing court decided to run away, the Wuwei Rear Division escorted Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor to safety in Xi'an. After Dong lost all of his official positions, he still was permitted to command his personal army of 5,000 men in Gansu.

During his exile in Gansu, he held a great deal of local political power while protected by his bodyguards, local decisions had to be made with his consent. Two fortresses and many estates were at his disposal. Upon his death in 1908, all the ranks and honors which were stripped from him due to the foreign demands were restored and he was given a full military burial.

Dong Fuxiang's family, his wife Tung Chao-shih (Dong Zhaoshi), nephew Tung Wen (Dong Wen), and grandson Tung Kung (Dong Gong) fought for the Qing dynasty during the Xinhai Revolution in 1911 in Gansu.