Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that can help answer the question.
Query: Where did the Uyghur people originate?
The history of the Uyghur people, as with the ethnic origin of the people, is an issue of contention between Uyghur nationalists and the Chinese authority.[2] Uyghur historians viewed the Uyghurs as the original inhabitants of Xinjiang with a long history. Uyghur politician and historian Muhemmed Imin Bughra wrote in his book A history of East Turkestan, stressing the Turkic aspects of his people, that the Turks have a 9000-year history, while historian Turgun Almas incorporated discoveries of Tarim mummies to conclude that Uyghurs have over 6400 years of history,[3] and the World Uyghur Congress claimed a 4,000-year history.[4] Chinese historians however generally traced the origin of the Uyghurs to the Tiele, some to the Dingling as well as other people mentioned in ancient Chinese texts such as the Guifang.[3] Official Chinese view asserts the Uyghurs to be of Tiele origin, and only became the main social and political force in Xinjiang during the ninth century when they migrated to Xinjiang from Mongolia after the collapse of the Uyghur Khaganate, replacing the Han Chinese that they claimed were there since the Han Dynasty.[3] Many modern Western scholars however do not consider the modern Uyghurs to be of direct linear descent from the old Uyghur Khaganate of Mongolia, rather they are descendants of a number of people, of which the ancient Uyghurs are but one.[5][6]
Chuan (Chinese: 串, Dungan: Чўан, pinyin: chuàn; ""kebab""; Uyghur: كاۋاپ, "кавап"; ""kawap""), especially in the North-East of China referred to as chuan'r () are small pieces of meat roasted on skewers. Chuan originated in the Xinjiang region of China. It has been spread throughout the rest of the country, most notably in Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan, and Jilin, where it is a popular street food. It is a product of the Chinese Islamic cuisine of the Uyghur people and other Chinese Muslims.
The Uyghurs (, ), Uighurs, or Uygurs (as the standard romanisation in Chinese GB 3304-1991) are a Turkic ethnicity who live in East and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China, where they are one of fifty-five officially recognized ethnic minorities. Uyghurs primarily practice Islam. Like many populations of Central Eurasia, they are closely related to both European and East Asian populations.
Since Islam reached them much after Altishahr, personal names of non-Islamic Old Uyghur origin are still used in Qumul and Turfan while people in Altishahr use mostly Islamic names of Persian and Arabic origin. After the establishment of the Soviet Union, many Uyghurs who studied in Soviet Central Asia added Russian suffixes to Russify their surnames and make them look Russian. Names from Russia and Europe are used in Qaramay and Urumchi by part of the population of city-dwelling Uyghurs. Others use names with hard to understand etymologies, with the majority dating from the Islamic era and being of Persian or Arabic derivation.
Rian Thum explored the concepts of identity among the ancestors of the modern Uyghurs in Altishahr (the native Uyghur name for eastern Turkestan or southern Xinjiang) before the adoption of the name "Uyghur" in the 1930s, referring to them by the name "Altishahri" in his article "Modular History: Identity Maintenance before Uyghur Nationalism". Thum indicated that Altishahri Turkis did have a sense that they were a distinctive group separate from the Turkic Andijanis to their west, the nomadic Turkic Kirghiz, the nomadic Mongol Qalmaq, and the Han Chinese Khitay before they became known as Uyghurs. There was no single name used by them to refer to themselves, the various native names Altishahris used to refer to themselves were Altishahrlik (Altishahr person), yerlik (local), Turki, and Musulmān (Muslim), the term Musulmān in this situation did not signify religious connotations, because the Altishahris would exclude other Muslim peoples like the Kirghiz when referring to themselves as Musulmān. Dr. Laura J Newby has also noted that the sedentary Altishahri Turkic people felt themselves as a separate group from other Turkic Muslims since at least the 19th century.
The Soviet Union supported Uyghur nationalist propaganda and Uyghur separatist movements against China. The Soviet historians claimed that the Uyghur native land was Xinjiang and Uyghur nationalism was promoted by Soviet versions of history on turcology. Soviet turcologists like D.I. Tikhonov wrote pro-independence works on Uyghur history and the Soviet supported Uyghur historian Tursun Rakhimov wrote more historical works supporting Uyghur independence and attacking the Chinese government, claiming that Xinjiang was an entity created by China made out of the different parts of East Turkestan and Zungharia. These Soviet Uyghur historians were waging an "ideological war" against China, emphasizing the "national liberation movement" of Uyghurs throughout history. The Soviet Communist Party supported the publication of works which glorified the Second East Turkestan Republic and the Ili Rebellion against China in its anti-China propaganda war. Soviet propaganda writers wrote works claiming that Uyghurs lived better lives and were able to practice their culture only in Soviet Central Asia and not in Xinjiang. In 1979 Soviet KGB agent Victor Louis wrote a thesis claiming that the Soviets should support a "war of liberation" against the "imperial" China to support Uighur, Tibetan, Mongol, and Manchu independence. The Soviet KGB itself supported Uyghur separatists against China. Among some Uyghurs, the Soviet Union was viewed extremely favorably and several of them believed that people of Turkic origin ruled the Soviet Union, claiming that one of these Turkic Soviet leaders was Mikhail Gorbachev.
Uyghur workers at a restaurant provided money in Zeytinburnu to the terrorist who committed the nightclub massacre at Reina for his taxi fare. The Seferoğlu Sokak based Uyghurs in Zeytinburnu aided the attacker when he fled the nightclub. The 7 Uyghurs were arrested by Turkish police. Zeytinburnu became the site of over 50 police sweeps against "East Turkistanis" (Uyghurs), Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Uzbeks. Zeytinburnu is infamous for being used by Syria destined jihadists as a transit point. A Uyghur committed the nightclub attack according to Turkish news. Turkish news said he was from ISIS's "East Turkestan" arm. Erdoğan's government has deliberately facilitated the travel of Jihadist Uyghurs through Zeytinburnu, with Turkish intelligence involved and the nightclub massacre at Reina is a result of this. Uzbeks and Uyghurs reside in Zeytinburu's Yenidoğan area where the attacker fled to in addition to Syrians. Istanbul's Uyghurs aided the attacker The restaurant was owned by Şemseddin Dursun. Xinjiang was the origin of the attacker. The attacker's wife was interrogated. He went to Konya with his children and wife from Kyrgyzstan via Istanbul. In Başakşehir and Zeytinburnu he contacted ISIL. Turkey nabbed Abuliezi Abuduhamiti and Omar Asim, both Uighurs. There are more than 100,000 Xinjiang and Central Asian origin unregistered people in Zeytinburnu.
Most Uyghur inhabitants of the Besh Balik and Turpan regions did not convert to Islam until the 15th century expansion of the Yarkand Khanate, a Turko-Mongol successor state based in western Tarim. Before converting to Islam, Uyghurs were Tengriist, Manichaeans, Buddhists, or Nestorian Christians.
The name Xinjiang was changed to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where they are the largest ethnic group. Uyghurs are mostly concentrated in the southwestern Xinjiang.[47]
The World Uyghur Congress (, ULY: Dunya Uyghur Qurultiyi, USY: Дунйа Уйғур Қурултийи; ; abbreviated WUC) is an international organisation of exiled Uyghur groups that aspires to "represent the collective interest of the Uyghur people" both inside and outside of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (also called East Turkestan) of the People's Republic of China. The World Uyghur Congress describes itself as a nonviolent and peaceful movement that opposes what it considers to be the Chinese occupation of East Turkestan, and advocates rejection of totalitarianism, religious intolerance and terrorism as an instrument of policy. The Congress is funded in part by the National Endowment for Democracy or NED of US.
The historical term "Uyghur" was appropriated for the language that had been known as Eastern Turki by government officials in the Soviet Union in 1922 and in Xinjiang in 1934. Sergey Malov was behind the idea of renaming Turki to Uyghurs. The use of the term Uyghur has led to anachronisms when describing the history of the people. In one of his books the term Uyghur was deliberately not used by James Millward. The name Khāqāniyya was given to the Qarluks who inhabited Kāshghar and Bālāsāghūn, the inhabitants were not Uighur, but their language has been retroactively labelled as Uighur by scholars. The Qarakhanids called their own language the "Turk" or "Kashgar" language, and did not use Uighur to describe their own language, Uighur was used to describe the language of non-Muslims but Chinese scholars have anachronistically called a Qarakhanid work written by Kashgari as "Uighur". The name ""Altishahri-Jungharian Uyghur"" was used by the Soviet educated Uyghur Qadir Haji in 1927.
Contemporary scholars consider modern Uyghurs to be the descendants of a number of people, including the ancient Uyghurs of Mongolia who arrived at the Tarim Basin after the fall of the Uyghur Khaganate, Iranic Saka tribes, and other Indo-European peoples who inhabited the Tarim Basin before the arrival of the Turkic Uyghurs. DNA analyses indicate that the peoples of central Asia such as the Uyghurs are all mixed Caucasian and East Asian. Uyghur activists identify with the Tarim mummies, remains of an ancient people who inhabited the region, but research into the genetics of ancient Tarim mummies and their links with modern Uyghurs remains problematic, both to Chinese government officials concerned with ethnic separatism, and to Uyghur activists concerned that the research could affect their people's claim of being indigenous to the region.
Even though Muslim women are forbidden to marry non-Muslims in Islamic law, from 1880 to 1949 it was frequently violated in Xinjiang when Chinese men married Muslim Uyghur women. A reason for this, suggested by foreigners, is that even though Uyghur women who married Chinese men were labelled as whores by the Uyghur community, the women obtained benefits from marrying Chinese men as the Chinese protected them from Islamic authorities, meaning that the women were not subjected to the tax on prostitution and were able to save their incomes for themselves. Chinese men gave their Uyghur wives privileges which Uyghur men's wives did not have, e.g. the wives of Chinese men did not have to wear a veil and a Chinese man in Kashgar once beat a mullah who tried to force his Uyghur wife to veil. The Uyghur women also were not subjected to any legal binding to their Chinese husbands. This meant that they could force their Chinese husbands provide them with as much money as they wanted for their families by threatening to leave them. Additionally, the property of Chinese men was left to their Uyghur wives after they died. Uyghur women considered Uyghur men to be inferior husbands to Chinese and Hindus. Because they were viewed as "impure", Islamic cemeteries banned the Uyghur wives of Chinese men from being buried within them. Uyghur women got around this problem by giving shrines donations and buying a grave in other towns. Besides Chinese men, other men such as Hindus, Armenians, Jews, Russians, and Badakhshanis (Pamiris) intermarried with local Uyghur women. The local society accepted the Uyghur women and Chinese men's mixed offspring as their own people despite the marriages being in violation of Islamic law. Uyghur women also conducted temporary marriages with Chinese soldiers temporarily stationed in the area for tours of duty. Once the soldiers' tours of duties ended, they returned to their own cities and often sold their mixed daughters with Uyghur women to their comrades. If they could afford it, the soldiers would take their mixed sons back to their own cities but would leave them behind if they couldn't. The soldiers typically sold their temporary Uyghur wives to comrades or simply left them behind.
Chinese sources link the Tiele people and Ashina to the Xiongnu, not all Turkic peoples. According to the Book of Zhou and the History of the Northern Dynasties, the Ashina clan was a component of the Xiongnu confederation,[89][90] but this connection is disputed,[91] and according to the Book of Sui and the Tongdian, they were "mixed nomads" (traditional Chinese:雜胡; simplified Chinese:杂胡; pinyin:zá hú) from Pingliang.[92][93] The Ashina and Tiele may have been separate ethnic groups who mixed with the Xiongnu.[94] Indeed, Chinese sources link many nomadic peoples (hu; see Wu Hu) on their northern borders to the Xiongnu, just as Greco-Roman historiographers called Avars and Huns "Scythians". The Greek cognate of Tourkia (Greek: Τουρκία) was used by the Byzantine emperor and scholar Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in his book De Administrando Imperio,[95][96] though in his use, "Turks" always referred to Magyars.[97] Such archaizing was a common literary topos, and implied similar geographic origins and nomadic lifestyle but not direct filiation.[98] Some Uyghurs claimed descent from the Xiongnu (according to Chinese history Weishu, the founder of the Uyghur Khaganate was descended from a Xiongnu ruler),[99] but many contemporary scholars do not consider the modern Uyghurs to be of direct linear descent from the old Uyghur Khaganate because modern Uyghur language and Old Uyghur languages are different.[100] Rather, they consider them to be descendants of a number of people, one of them the ancient Uyghurs.[101][102][103]
The differences between the two standard languages are mostly seen in the orthography, where Standard Xinjiang Uyghur uses an Arabic-derived alphabet, Uyghur Ereb Yéziqi, while Standard Soviet Uyghur uses an Cyrillic-derived alphabet, Uyghur Siril Yéziqi; and in the lexicon where Standard Xinjiang Uyghur is heavily influenced by Chinese, in particular Mandarin Chinese, while Standard Soviet Uyghur is heavily influenced by Russian.
Another ethnicity, the Western Yugur of Gansu, have consistently been called by themselves and others the "Yellow Uyghur" ("Sarïq Uyghur"). Some scholars say that the Yugur's culture, language, and religion are closer to the original culture of the original Uyghur Karakorum state than is the culture of the modern Uyghur people of Xinjiang. Linguist and ethnographer S. Robert Ramsey has argued for inclusion of both the Eastern and Western Yugur and the Salar as subgroups of the Uyghur based on similar historical roots for the Yugur and on perceived linguistic similarities for the Salar. These groups are recognized as separate ethnicities, though, by the Chinese government. 
Born in Qopan, a small village in Kargilik, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region ,China，On July8,1978. He started studying guitar when he was twelve , In 1997 he went to Beijing to go to university and started his music career. Graduated from the Minzu University of China ，Central Conservatory of Music and Los Angeles Musicians Institute.
Erkin Abdulla is a Uyghur musician, music style is Contemporary Folk, Uyghur pop and Flamenco. With his unique voice and superb guitar skills, his music has various elements. Erkin combined Uyghur folk and modern music styles to create a cross-cultural and borderless global music style.
In 2002, released first album "Caravan",  was awarded “Best Musical Album” and “Best Adapted Folk Music” of the Nanning International Folk Song Art Festival.
In 2003, won The Pop Musician Golden Medal at the Chinese National Vocal Competition. His original song “Uyghur girl” won the Nanning International Folk Song Art Festival’s "Ten Golden Melody Awards". Another original song "Can't Live Without You" won "Best Music Award" at the Asia Music Festival which was held in Shanghai, China.
In 2004, released second album “One Thousand and One Nights”. He held a live concert tour in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and became the symbolic figure of Kashgar City.
In 2005, released third album "Night of the City" ,He won the 2005–2007 Chinese annual Golden Record "Rock Class Musicians’ Award". 
In 2006, released fourth album "The Story of Dungköwruk". His original song “What's Up” won the “Best Original Music Award “in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region’s Kurban Eid festival concert.
In 2007, released fifth album “ Blog”, his original song “Kashgar” won the “Golden Medal Award” in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Network MV Contest. 
In 2008, Erkin released his sixth album “ The Thousand Caves”.
He became the music director for the Children's Art Group's album “Colorful Kashgar”. For his songs “Mother” and “Helpless” he won the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Original Pop Music Contest “Golden Melody Award”.
In 2012, held his personal concert at Baoli Theater in Beijing, China.
In 2013, released his seventh album “Trace”.
In 2014，became a judge for the TV show “Voice Of The Silk Road”.
In 2014, He moved to the United States to start his global music career.
As a Uyghur musician, Erkin Abdulla has been focusing on the development of the Uyghur ethnic traditional music heritage. He has fully learned the ancient Uyghur Muqam – Dolan’s artistic essence, created many songs with Uyghur ancient and modern elements, like “The Eagle of Tengri Tagh”, “The Thousand Caves” the best modern Uyghur music. Also, he consolidated, produced, performed and did the adaptations for the Pamir ethnic folk rhythms which are becoming extinct in recent years. He always dedicates his music works to enrich the Uyghur ethnic culture and make the music world more colorful.
Erkin Abdulla is a Uyghur musician, music style is Contemporary Folk, Uyghur pop and Flamenco. With his unique voice and superb guitar skills, his music has various elements. Erkin combined Uyghur folk and modern music styles to create a cross-cultural and borderless global music style.
As a Uyghur musician, Erkin Abdulla has been focusing on the development of the Uyghur ethnic traditional music heritage. He has fully learned the ancient Uyghur Muqam – Dolan’s artistic essence, created many songs with Uyghur ancient and modern elements, like “The Eagle of Tengri Tagh”, “The Thousand Caves” the best modern Uyghur music. Also, he consolidated, produced, performed and did the adaptations for the Pamir ethnic folk rhythms which are becoming extinct in recent years. He always dedicates his music works to enrich the Uyghur ethnic culture and make the music world more colorful.
Erkin Abdulla married and the father of three children, two boys and a girl. The eldest child, a boy, is named Ilker Erkin; the second child, also a boy, is named Ilter Erkin, and the youngest child, a girl, is named Zilale Erkin
Uyghur independence activists express concern over the Han population changing the Uyghur character of the region, yet the historical native land of the Uyghurs is not the whole land of Xinjiang, but Tarim basin. Professor James A. Millward pointed out that the capital of Xinjiang Urumqi was even originally a Han and Hui (Tungan) city with few Uyghur people before recent Uyghur migration to the city, but foreigners mistakenly think that Urumqi was originally a Uyghur city and that the Chinese destroyed its Uyghur character and culture. Moreover, the Han and Hui mostly live in northern Xinjiang Dzungaria, and are separated from areas of historical Uyghur dominance south of the Tian Shan mountains (southwestern Xinjiang), where Uyghurs account for about 90% of the population. While a few people try to give a misportrayal of the historical Qing situation in light of the contemporary situation in Xinjiang with Han migration, and claim that the Qing settlements and state farms were an anti-Uyghur plot to replace them in their land, Professor James A. Millward pointed out that the Qing agricultural colonies in reality had nothing to do with Uyghur and their land, since the Qing banned settlement of Han in the Uyghur Tarim Basin and in fact directed the Han settlers instead to settle in the non-Uyghur Dzungaria and the new city of Urumqi, so that the state farms which were settled with 155,000 Han Chinese from 1760–1830 were all in Dzungaria and Urumqi, where there was only an insignificant amount of Uyghurs, instead of the Tarim Basin oases.
Some Uyghur nationalist claimed that they were descended from the Tocharians. Discovered well-preserved Tarim mummies of a people European in appearance indicates the migration of an Indo-European people into the Tarim area at the beginning of the Bronze age around 2,000 BCE. These people probably spoke Tocharian, and were suggested by some to be the Yuezhi mentioned in ancient Chinese text and who later founded the Kushan Empire.[7][8] The Uyghur claim is based partly on a word, which they argued to be Uyghur, found in written scripts associated with these mummies, although other linguists suggested that it was a Sogdian word later absorbed into Uyghur.[9] Later migrations brought peoples from the west and northwest to the Xinjiang area, probably speakers of various Iranian languages such as the Saka tribes. Other ancient people in the region mentioned in ancient Chinese texts include the Xiongnu who fought for supremacy in the region against the Chinese for several hundred years. Some Uyghur nationalists claimed descent from the Xiongnu (as well as being related to the White Huns), however this view is contested by modern Chinese scholars.[3] This Xiongnu claim originated from various Chinese historical texts; for example, according to Chinese history Weishu, the founder of the Uyghurs was descended from a Xiongnu ruler.[10][11]
Hans were around one third of Xinjiang's population in 1800, during the time of the Qing Dynasty. Professor of Chinese and Central Asian History at Georgetown University, James A. Millward wrote that foreigners often mistakenly think that Urumqi was originally a Uyghur city and that the Chinese destroyed its Uyghur character and culture, however, Ürümqi was founded as a Chinese city by Han and Hui (Tungans), and it is the Uyghurs who are new to the city. While a few people try to give a misportrayal of the historical Qing situation in light of the contemporary situation in Xinjiang with Han migration, and claim that the Qing settlements and state farms were an anti-Uyghur plot to replace them in their land, Professor James A. Millward pointed out that the Qing agricultural colonies in reality had nothing to do with Uyghur and their land, since the Qing banned settlement of Han in the Uyghur Tarim Basin and in fact directed the Han settlers instead to settle in the non-Uyghur Dzungaria and the new city of Ürümqi, so that the state farms which were settled with 155,000 Han Chinese from 1760-1830 were all in Dzungaria and Ürümqi, where there was only an insignificant amount of Uyghurs, instead of the Tarim Basin oases.
In 1999 the Beijing municipal government demolished the settlement. The government's explanation was that it would help reform Beijing into a city that would serve as a model and that it would help prevent illegal street vending. Reza Hasmath, the author of "The Identification, Settlement, and Representation of Ethnic Minorities in Beijing," wrote that it may have been demolished to end violence and drug dealing in the community. Hasmath stated that in the late 1990s there was an increase in pro-separatism activity from Uyghur people and a general crackdown had gone into effect. The government of Beijing distrusted the Uyghurs, and had a strategy to "deport" Uyghur people to Xinjiang. In 2001 Nimrod Baranovitch, author of "Inverted Exile: Uyghur Writers and Artists in Beijing and the Political Implications of Their Work," wrote that Uyghur workers in the remaining parts of the Xinjiangcun stated that they did not want to go back to Xinjiang because they feared retaliation for being involved in political activities.
Ma Bufang and Ma Chengxiang's forces were stationed across Qinghai and Xinjiang along with Ospan Batyr's men, where were originally battling Soviet backed Uyghur rebels in the Ili Rebellion and the Mongols and Russians at the Battle of Baitag Bogd before the Communist victory in the Civil War and subsequent Incorporation of Xinjiang into the People's Republic of China. The anti-separatist, pro-Kuomintang Uyghur Yulbars Khan fought a final action at the Battle of Yiwu before fleeing to Taiwan.
The discovery of the Tarim mummies showed that the early people of the Tarim Basin were Europoids. According to Sinologist Victor H. Mair: "From around 1800BC, the earliest mummies in the Tarim Basin were exclusively Caucasoid, or Europoid." He also said that East Asian migrants arriving in the eastern portions of the Tarim Basin around 3,000 years ago, and the Uyghur peoples "arrived after the collapse of the Orkon Uighur Kingdom, based in modern-day Mongolia, around the year 842." He also noted that the people of Xinjiang are a mixture: "Modern DNA and ancient DNA show that Uighurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyzs, the peoples of central Asia are all mixed Caucasian and East Asian. The modern and ancient DNA tell the same story." Professor James A. Millward described the original Uyghurs as physically Mongoloid, giving as an example the images in Bezeklik at Temple 9 of the Uyghur patrons, until they began to mix with the Tarim Basin's original eastern Iranian inhabitants.
The ancient people of the Tarim Basin originally spoke different languages such as Saka (Khotanese), Tocharian and Gandhari. The Turkic people who moved into region in the 9th century brought with them their languages which slowly supplanted the original tongues of the local inhabitants. By the 11th century, it was noted by Mahmud al-Kashgari that the Uyghurs (of Qocho) spoke a pure Turkic language, but they also still spoke another language among themselves and have two different scripts. He also noted that the people of Khotan did not know Turkic well, and have their own language and script (Khotanese). Writers of the Karakhanid period, al-Kashgari and Yusuf Balasagun, referred to their Turkic language as "Khāqāniyya" (meaning royal), or the "language of Kashgar", or simply Turkic.
The Yuezhi were driven away by the Xiongnu, but founded the Kushan Empire, which exerted some influence in the Tarim Basin where Kharosthi texts have been found in Loulan, Niya and Khotan. Loulan and Khotan were some of the many city states that existed in the Xinjiang region during the Han Dynasty, others include Kucha, Turfan, Karasahr and Kashgar. The settled population of these cities later merged with incoming Turkic people such as the Uyghurs of Uyghur Khaganate to form the modern Uyghurs.