The Chinese war Military_operation against the Western Turks began Process_start in 640 with the annexation Change_of_leadership of the Tarim Basin oasis state Gaochang , an ally Collaboration of the Western Turks .

Later on , Turkic revolts Change_of_leadership ended Process_end Chinese hegemony beyond the Pamir Mountains in modern Tajikistan and Afghanistan , but a Tang military presence remained Temporary_stay in Dzungaria and the Tarim Basin .

The History of Xinjiang ( 新疆 ) concerns 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 .

The oldest Tarim mummies , found Know in the Tarim Basin , are dated to the 2nd millennium BCE , when the Indo-European Tocharians inhabited the Tarim Basin .

The oldest Tarim mummies , found Know in the Tarim Basin , are dated to the 2nd millennium BCE , when the Indo-European Tocharians inhabited the Tarim Basin .

The oldest Tarim mummies , found Know in the Tarim Basin , are dated to the 2nd millennium BCE , when the Indo-European Tocharians inhabited the Tarim Basin .

In the first millennium BCE the Tarim Basin was inhabited by the Indo-European Yuezhi nomads .

The Tarim Basin was first referred to as `` Xiyu '' ( ) under the Han dynasty , which drove Motion the Xiongnu out of the Tarim Basin in 60 BCE ( Han–Xiongnu War ) in an effort to build Building and secure the profitable Silk Road , maintaining a variable military presence until the early 3rd century .

The Tarim Basin was first referred to as `` Xiyu '' ( ) under the Han dynasty , which drove Motion the Xiongnu out of the Tarim Basin in 60 BCE ( Han–Xiongnu War ) in an effort to build Building and secure the profitable Silk Road , maintaining a variable military presence until the early 3rd century .