AHistoryIndependent states
The Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho (843-1209)
The Uyghur state founded in the Turfan basin after the fall of the Uyghur Khaganate, known for its Buddhist art and culture of writing.
When the Kyrgyz destroyed the Uyghur Khaganate in 840, part of the Uyghurs moved south-west to the foothills of the Tian Shan. In 843 they founded a new state in the Turfan basin, with Qocho (Karakhoja) as winter capital and Beshbaliq as summer capital; the rulers bore the title Idiqut.
The Qocho Uyghurs left nomadic life for settled farming and trade. Buddhism, Manichaeism and Christianity lived side by side. The wall paintings of the Bezeklik caves and thousands of books copied in the Uyghur script survive from this period.
In 1209 the Idiqut Barchuq Art Tegin submitted to Genghis Khan of his own accord, and the Uyghurs gained an honoured place in the Mongol Empire. The Mongols relied on Uyghur scribes, and the Uyghur alphabet became the basis of Mongolian writing. The Idiquts of Qocho lived on as Mongol vassals into the 14th century.
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Updated: November 10, 2026