History of Xinjiang

Xinjiang is historically consisted of two main geographically, historically, and ethnically distinct regions with different historical names: Dzungaria north of the Tianshan Mountains; and the Tarim Basin south of the Tianshan Mountains, currently mainly inhabited by the Uyghurs. They were conquered by the Qing dynasty in the 18th century, and after the Dungan Revolt (1862–1877) the Qing reconquered both regions and integrated them into one province named Xinjiang (新疆; Xīnjiāng; 'new frontier') in 1884.

The first inhabitants of Xinjiang, specifically from southern and western Xinjiang formed from admixture between locals of Ancient North Eurasian and Northeast Asians descent. The oldest Tarim mummies, found in the Tarim Basin, are dated to the 2nd millennium BCE. In the first millennium BCE Indo-European-speaking Yuezhi nomads migrated into parts of Xinjiang. In the second century BCE the region became part of the Xiongnu empire, a confederation of nomads centered on present-day Mongolia, which forced the Yuezhi out of Xinjiang.

Eastern Central Asia was referred to as "Xiyu" (Chinese: 西域; pinyin: Xīyù; lit. 'Western Regions') under the control of the Han dynasty, from which the Xiongnu surrendered to in 60 BCE (Han–Xiongnu War), maintaining a variable military presence until the early 3rd century CE. From the 2nd to the 5th century local rulers controlled the region. In the 6th century, the First Turkic Khaganate was established. In the 7th-8th century Tang, Turks and Tibetans warred for control, and the Tang dynasty established the Anxi Protectorate of Xinjiang and Central Asia.

This was followed by the Uyghur Khaganate in the 8th-9th century. Uyghur power declined, and three main regional kingdoms vied for power around Xinjiang, namely the Buddhist Uyghur Kara-Khoja, the Turkic Muslim Kara-Khanid, and the Iranian Buddhist Khotan. Eventually, the Turkic Muslim Kara-Khanids prevailed and Islamized the region. In the 13th century it was part of the Mongol Empire. After that, the Turkic people prevailed again. It was dominated by the Oirat Mongol-speaking Dzungar Khanate in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the area was conquered by the Manchu Qing dynasty during the Dzungar–Qing Wars. After the Dungan Revolt (1862–1877), the area was reconquered by the Qing dynasty which established the Xinjiang Province in 1884. It is now a part of the People's Republic of China.