The 20th-century invention of a centuries-old identity
For much of history, the people of the Tarim Basin had no common name. They identified by their home oases or their faith. It was only through a 1921 Soviet-led conference that a diverse group of Turkic Muslims was unified under the single, powerful label of 'Uyghur'.
Before the early 20th century, the inhabitants of the Tarim Basin lacked a unifying ethnonym. Instead, individuals identified by their specific oasis, such as Kashgarlik for those from Kashgar, or by broader religious and social terms like 'Musulman khalq' (Muslim people) or 'Sart' (meaning merchant or trader). Some were even known by the Chinese exonym 'Chantou', meaning 'Turban Head'.
The modern 'Uyghur' identity was formally adopted in 1921 during a conference in Tashkent, organized by the Soviet Union. This gathering of Turkic intellectuals sought a common designation for the people of the region. While the participants were aware of the distinction between themselves and the ancient Uyghur Khaganate of Mongolia, they chose to revive the name to foster ethnic unity. This new usage was later formally accepted by the Soviet Union and eventually adopted by Chinese governments.
The history of the name is a complex layering of migrations and shifts. The original Uyghur Khaganate, which existed in the 8th century along the Orhon River, collapsed in 840 following a Kyrgyz attack. This triggered a migration southwest toward the Tien Shan mountains and the Xinjiang region. Over centuries, these Turkic groups mixed with local populations, including the Indo-European Tocharians, and transitioned from various belief systems to Islam, a shift that became widespread after the 10th century.
Today, the Uyghurs are one of China's 55 recognized ethnic minorities. While the group's origins remain a subject of scholarly debate—with some tracing ancestry to much earlier nomadic groups—the modern population is primarily a sedentary, Turkic-speaking, Sunni Muslim community centered in the oases of the Tarim Basin.
Source: Uyghurs
