 His great-nephew Ma Zhongying seized the city of Hezhou in the 1920s in a battle during the Muslim conflict in Gansu (1927–1930), and vanquished Ma Lin's army, which was sent to retake the city.Ma Lin defeated Ma Ting-hsiang (Ma Tingxiang).Ma Lin succeeded his brother Ma Qi as Governor of Qinghai following his death in 1931, but real military power remained in the hands of his nephew, Gen. Ma Bufang, who succeeded his father Ma Qi as military commander.