Eastern Turkestan Uighur State            

        Vu-hi Tegin's brother, Ngo-nie Tegin was the leader of the Uighur people that immigrated towards the Central Asia. He was considered as the last "kagan" (ruler) (846-948) of the 13 Uighur tribal union. The Uighur branch that came to the west settled within the environs of Tien Shan Mountains, Beş-balik and Turfan. The Uighur ruler was killed by the rebellious renegades in Kara-balasagun in the year of 840. Then, Mengli who was the ruler's nephew was elected as the "kagan" (ruler) (titled as Ulug Tangride Kut Bulmış Alp Külüg Bilge= endowed with Divine Power by the Sublime God) (856).

 

        Against the attacks of the Tibetan people, China looked for a friend state in this region that it wanted to establish dominion and influence. Therefore, China immediately recognised this Uighur State. It is probable that the ruler was Buku Cin towards the year of 873. This Uighur State had assumed an attitude that was in compliance with the policies of T'ang dynasty even by name. Therefore, these Uighur people were free to annihilate the military governors of Turfan and Beş-balik that rebelled against the legitimate Chinese domination and establish their dominion towards the region of Hami. The T'ang dynasty did not interfere in these movements of Uighur people. Thus, the political influence of the Uighur State increased gradually and this state developed in respect of economy since it was located over the trade routes of the Central Asia.

 

        At the same time, the Uighur State constituted the means for the diffusion of Manichaeism in the region. In the course of the collapse of T'ang dynasty, the Chinese commander invaded the military region of Tun-huang. As a matter of fact, while this Chinese commander founded his autonomous "state" that we have stated above, he was entitled with the nickname of "White Dressed Sky-son" (the believers of Manichaeism would wear white clothes). However, as it is known, Kan-çou Uighur people had abolished this autonomous "state" (911) and the Eastern Turkestan Uighur State had become independent from that date on.

 

        Afterwards, they were contented with the defence of their country that was surrounded with Tibet in the south and the Karluk region in the Western Turkestan and that included the principal cities of Turfan, Kaşgar, Beş-balık, Kuça, and Hami (Urumçi).

 

        This Uighur State developed in the fields of art, literature and trade. However, there is not much information about the political events of this Uighur State. However, it has been known that the capital city was Hoço (Kara-hoca in the Eastern Turkestan= Kao-Ch'eng) and the summer centre was Beş-balık (Pei-ting). Similarly, it has been known the ruler "Alp Arslan Kutlug Kül Bilge Tangri Han" titled as "Gün Ay Tangride Kut Bulmış Ulug kut onanmış, alpın, erdemin, il tutmuş" (endowed Divine Power, Sublime strength, bravery, virtues and state by the Sky Moon God) had governed the state in the years of 947. The Uighur rulers were entitled with the title of "ıduk-kut" and the capital city was called as "Idık-kut (İdi-kut).

 

         The most interesting information about the Uighur people are observed in the journey memoirs of Wang-ye tö who was sent as an envoy to Kara-hoça by the Northern Sung Emperor in China in the year of 981. These notes are of great significance in respect of the cultural history.

 

         Like in the eastern Uighur branch, Buddhism had been disseminated within the Eastern Turkestan Uighur State. Moreover, it became much more influential than Manichaeism. However, the Christianity and the religion of Islam had had some influence although these influences were so trivial in the beginning. The Muslim-Turk Karahanli people fought against the Uighur people that were cited as "Non-Muslim" in the work of Kaşgarli Mahmud (1074) and they tried to disseminate the religion of Islam in the Uighur country. The religion of Islam had entered into China through Uighur people. Therefore, the first Muslim Chinese people were called as Huei-ho (Uighur).

 

         When the Eastern Turkestan Uighur State got submissive to Jenghiz Khan (in the year of 1209), Iduk-kut Barçuk Art-Tegin was their leader that was subject to Kara-Hitay State until that period. The domination of Uighur people that were always cited as "Dokuz-oguz" (Nine-oguz) in the Islamic resources had actually come to an end.

 

         However, the Uighur dynasty that was subject to the Mongolians survived with the title of Iduk-kut (Ruler) until the Ming period in China and until the surrender of the last Uighur Iduk-kut Ho-şang to the founder of the Ming dynasty (1368). Several Uighur people had had high administrative ranks and offices in the Jenghiz Mongolian State and the Uighur civilisation effects were felt and reflected in the east and west of Asia for centuries.