http://www.bjreview.com AUGUST 1, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 15
extremism in Xinjiang. This resulted in an
increasing number of incidents of terror
and violence that pose a serious danger to
the lives and property of the people in the
region and to social stability.
Drawing lessons from international ex-
periences and in view of the reality of the
region, Xinjiang has taken resolute action to
ĶJKWWHUURULVPDQGH[WUHPLVPLQDFFRUGDQFH
with the law, and clamp down on the spread
of religious terrorism. Through these ef-
forts Xinjiang has responded to the public’s
expectation of security for all ethnic groups,
protected the basic human rights, and main-
tained social harmony and stability.
;LQMLDQJoVĶJKWDJDLQVWWHUURULVPDQGH[-
tremism is a battle for justice and civilization
against evil and barbaric forces. It deserves
support, respect and understanding. QCopyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar
Comments to [email protected]XIN
HU
AYoung women enjoy their night out in an open-air restaurant
in a grape-themed park in Turpan, Xinjiang, on July 19Xinjiang Has Long Been
Inseparable Part of
Chinese TerritoryFrom the Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) to the middle
and late Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the vast
areas both north and south of the Tianshan
Mountains in Xinjiang were called the Western
Regions. Xinjiang was formally included in
Chinese territory in the Han Dynasty.
In 138 B.C. and 119 B.C., the Western Han
(206 B.C.-A.D. 25) Government dispatched an
envoy to the Western Regions, who convinced
the Rouzhi and Wusun peoples to form an al-
OLDQFHWRĶJKWWKH;LRQJQXZKROLYHGLQQRUWK
China. They then set up four prefectures in key
passageways from the Central Plains to the
Western Regions.
In 101 B.C., the Western Han began to send
troops to transform wastelands to arable land
in Luntai and some other places in Xinjiang, and
DSSRLQWHGORFDORIĶFHUVWRFRPPDQGWKHP
In 60 B.C., the Xiongnu king who ruled the
areas north of the eastern Tianshan Mountains
surrendered to the Han Government, which
thereby incorporated the Western Regions into
the Han territory.
The Kingdom of Wei of the Three Kingdoms
Period (220-265) adopted the Han system,
stationing a garrison commander to rule the
Western Regions.
The Western Jin Dynasty (265-420) stationed
a garrison commander and a governor to ex-
ercise military and political administration over
the Western Regions.
The Sui Dynasty (581-618) ended the
long-term division of the Central Plains, and
expanded the areas in the Western Regions
that adopted the system of prefectures and
counties.
In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Central
Government strengthened its rule over the
Western Regions by establishing the Grand
Anxi Frontier Command and the Grand Beiting
Frontier Command to administer the region.
In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), local re-
gimes of the Western Regions paid tribute to
the Song.
In the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), the
Central Government strengthened administra-
tion over the Western Regions by establishing
the Beiting Command and the Pacification
&RPPLVVLRQHUoV2IĶFHWRPDQDJHPLOLWDU\DQG
political affairs.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the impe-
rial court set up the Hami Garrison Command
to manage local affairs, and then set up six gar-
rison cities to support local administration.
In the Qing Dynasty, the imperial court
quelled a rebellion launched by the Junggar
regime, defining the northwestern border of
China. It then adopted more systematic policies
for governing Xinjiang. In 1884, it established
a province and renamed the Western Regions
Xinjiang, meaning land newly returned.
In 1912, Xinjiang became a province of the
Republic of China.
In 1949, the People’s Republic of China was
founded, and Xinjiang was liberated peacefully.
In 1955, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
was established.(Source: Historical Matters
Concerning Xinjiang)be punished in accordance with the law,
the document said.
To survive and develop, religions must
adapt to their social environment. The his-
tory of religions in China shows that only by
adapting to the Chinese context can they
be accommodated within Chinese society.
Islam is neither an indigenous nor the
sole belief system of the Uygur. In the pro-
cess of accepting Islam, the ancestors of
the Uygurs and Kazaks integrated it with
local faiths and traditions, while absorbing
the cultures of other ethnic groups in the
region and from inland areas. Some of their
original religious concepts, rituals and cus-
toms remained as they evolved. Through
interaction with these elements, Islam in
Xinjiang gradually developed distinct local
and ethnic features.
Since the late 1970s and early 1980s,
particularly since the end of the Cold War,
the surge in religious extremism around
the world has caused a rise in religious