Uyghur people

The Uyghurs, Karluk Turks of the Tarim Basin, trace blood to Tocharians, the Uyghur Khanate, Qocho, Kara-Khanids and Qara Khitai, ruled in turn by Chinese, Mongol, Tibetan and Turkic neighbours. They speak Uyghur, twin to Uzbek, and hold Xinjiang as titular nation among China's 55 minorities. Manichaean, Buddhist and Nestorian pasts gave way after the 10th century, especially under the Chagatai khans, until by the 16th century most called themselves Muslim and forgot the old names. Oasis cities, Kashgar, Yarkand, Turfan, watered by karez tunnels, trade.uighur: doppa caps, atlas silks, laghman noodles and the muqam twelve suites order bazaar life. Dunhuang caves, Bezeklik murals and the meshrep gatherings keep the oasis civilisation singing. Xinjiang schools still teach Uyghur script. Uzbek cousins share the Karluk tongue. Tocharian ruins still dot the desert cities. Qocho murals still colour the Turfan cliffs. Kara-Khanid coins still surface in Kashgar bazaars. Qara Khitai memory still names the western valleys.