Moses, Larry W. "Uigur." In Muslim Peoples: A World Ethnographic Survey, edited by Richard V. Weekes, 451-454. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1978.

This short chapter outlines the history of the Uygurs. Only the last two paragraphs discuss Islam and they state that the Uygurs began to adopt Islam in the tenth century; like other Turkic groups, they were heavily influenced by Sufis; and they remained devout Muslims until the communist period.

Comments: 2/16/10
With regard to the communist period, Moses states: "In the twentieth century the Uighur remained devout Muslims until the advent of communism. It has become difficult to know how firm that commitment has held or how seriously it has been challenged." Fortunately, later scholars  have shown that the Uygurs did retain their faith during the communist period.

Descriptors: 1970s, chapter, China, ethnography, identity, M, Soviet, Uygur