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UYGHUR

guardians of the Silk Road

By Kim Lau

The Uyghur is a Turkic tribe who dominated the Orkhon Valley after the Görturks in 740 - the Uyghur Khaganate in Karabalghasun (Khar Balgas in Mongolian). Their influences were big during this period, that the Tang Dynasty engaged them to be mercenaries during the An Lushan rebellion. They were also working closely with the Sogdians who were administering the Silk Road during this period. This was perhaps the reason that they adopted the Manicheism religion which originated from Persia.

Yenisei Kyrgyz defeated the Uyghur Khaganate in 840, ironically with the help of the Tang Dynasty. The Uyghur moved their capital west, forming Uyghur khanates in Gansu and Qocho (Gaochang in modern day Turpan as depicted in the key photo of this story), adopting Buddhism before Islam. They dominated the Tarim Basin ever since, where they became faithful servants of Chinggis Khan during the Mongol Empire, till the extent that the old Uyghur script was adopted as the Mongolian script that one sees today. As guardians of the Silk Road during the Mongol Empire and beyond, the Uyghur people have developed a highly cultured society in literature, music and food. One can imagine the influx of cultures and goods that flow through them. Of special mention 12 Muqam, a musical form that came from Uyghur courts.

The Yarkent Khaganate (1514-1705) was a state ruled by the Genghisid Chagatais, had origins from Moghulistan, It was a Uyghur state based in Yarkand and encompassed important cities of Hotan, Kashgar, Yangihissar, Aksu, Uchturpan, Kucha, Karashar, Turpan and Kumul; the cities mentioned in Bold script are featured in this story. It began when Sultan Said Khan, descendant of Tughluk Timur Khan, ended Dughlat Emirs‘ dominance in the cities of Kashgaria. It enjoyed continued dominance in the region for about 200 years until conquered by Dzungar Khan Tsewang Rabtan in 1713.

The end of Yarkent Khaganate can be considered the ultimate end of the Chagatai Khanate. Rulers of Turfan and Kumul (Hami) submitted to the Qing government for protection of from the Dzungar Mongols, but this became the pretext for Chinese occupation. Uyghur is today a minority in China Xinjiang, which is Tarim basin and Dzungar Basin combined. Uyghurs are given Chinese ID and names; which older people can neither read nor speak. Han Chinese dominate the northern part of the Tarim Basin, with the Uyghurs clinging to the south.

Story Cover : Toyog Uhghur traitional village in Turpan. Aired rooms are meant for drying grapes.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

Hotan

HONTAN ROAD : Uyghur heading home from market using traditional donkey cart.

UYGHUR

HOTAN JADE （和田玉) is famous amongst the Chinese emperors and nobles. On the left is a scene of a young Ughur trader at Hotan Jade market. On the right is a scene on the White Jade River.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

UYGHUR BARBER : Narbers oline the street in Hotan and other Uyghur towns along the the southern oasis of the Tarim basin.

CATS IN THE BAG : Uyghur elderly selling cats in a market in Hotan.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

yarkanT （莎车）

STREET IN YARKANT : A Uyghur historic power house, this was an importnat stop on the Silk Road. The Yarkant Khanate (1514–1705) was founded by descendents of the post- Chagatai Mogulistan. It is now known as Shaeche (莎车) in Chinese.

UYGHUR NIGHT MARKET : Night market in Hotan is big, selling street food from roast lamp, sheep head to something that looks more like the Chinese BBQ 烧烤.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

BLACKSMITH YARKANT : Yarkant was a major Silk Road stop, and some of these Silk Road trades persisted till present days.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

Write your story here. (Optional)

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

YARKANT FARMERS : These farmers came into town and was gathering in a little square of Yarkant. Jovial and was willing to strike up a conversation with me, a Chinese.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

UYGHUR BOYS : Uyghur boys were seen working in shops and on the streets of Yarkant.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

MARKIT

MAKIT TREE-LINED STREETS : Mkit is suppose to be the home of Doulan (刀郎) Uyghur Tribe, famous for the Doulan Muqam, a variation of the 12 Muqam. Its just not festival time, and despite visits to musicians, the main encounters were Cotton farmers.

MAKIT COTTON FARM : Cotton plantation is synonymous with Central Asia, and we find them here in Chinese Central Asia. A beautiful Uyghur ladies picking cotton.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

OLD TOWN KASHGAR

Kashgar conjures a sense of romance, an ancient crossroad of the Silk Road where the northern and southern road meets, before crossing the Tianshan mountain into Central Asia proper. Chinese development have been inching into ancient scenes of Kashgar, where Han Chinese, Big LCD and shopping malls becoming the norm.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

KASHGAR MAL BAZAAR

The animla market in Kashgar is a mersmerizing scene, where Uyghur traders exercise their secret bidding systems via hidden hand signals.

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

UYGHUR

Write your story here. (Optional)

Home : LANDS FROM THE MONGOL EMPIRE

This Chapter : CHAGATAI

Previous Chapter : MONGOLIA

Next Chapter : ILKHANATE

Next Story : KYRGYZ

Footnotes

Captured with OLYMPUS digital systems camera, E-systems from 2004, mirrorless PEN from 2009 and the OM-D from 2013

FootNotes

Captured with OLYMPUS digital systems camera, E-systems from 2004, mirrorless PEN from 2009 and the OM-D from 2013

© 2026 Kim Lau

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