Uyghur War

The Uyghur War was a regional insurrection by the Islamic State of Uyghuristan against the People’s Republic of China.

Uyghur Kingdoms
Modern Uyghurs are descendants of the Turkic Uyghur Khanate that ruled the Central Asian Steppes between the 8thto 9th Century. They came to power after they defeated the Western Turk Khanate with assistance from the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Although they would be crushed by the Kyrghyz Khanate, the Uyghurs would migrate to live in the region that would be known as Xinjiang. The Kingdom of Qocho was established by their descendants and would be undisturbed until the Mongol Invasions. Qocho is absorbed into the Mongol Chagatai Khanate and be influenced by Islam.

Dzungar Khanate emerges from Chagatai’s corpse as an Ethnically Oirat Khanate with Uyghur subjects until annexation by the Qing Dynasty and the Russian Empire. The Qing removed Oirats from the lands and pushed for migration by Chinese peoples to the North, while South in the Tarim Basin came to be dominated by Uyghurs. Qing officials will name the province Xinjiang.

The First and Second East Turkestan Republics
In 1912, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown, and a Republican government took power. Uyghurs staged their own uprisings against the Republicans and taken brief control of Xinjiang twice with Soviet support. The First East Turkestan Republic was proclaimed and later crushed by the Republicans in 1934, leaving a Han Chinese governor in place until his recall. In 1944, the Second East Turkestan Republic ruled only a fraction of Xinjiang with Soviet support until 1949, annexed by the Communist People’s Republic of China.

Chinese suppression
Uyghur identity was fragmented as the nation-state project failed. Nationalists were torn between Pan-Islamism, Pan-Turkic, or a third “Uyghuristan” national identity. Neither groups were able to make a majority in public opinion with Chinese suppression. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing were only eager to suppress with the Uyghur identity with instances of human-rights abuse accused by Western governments.

Syrian Civil War
Some Uyghurs left China, often illegally to fight in the Syrian conflict. Syria was becoming a hotbed for international terrorists. Uyghurs joined various anti-government groups such as Jabhat Al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). When the war ended, some of these Uyghur fighters, radicalised and seasoned by the war made their return to China.

World War III
China was one of the main belligerents of World War III. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fought against the combined CDC forces, but lost the war. Although peace was made with no gains or loss in territories but claims to other territories were renounced.

China’s defeat sent a social shockwave to all in China. The military that was once boasted to be able to challenge the West failed, breaking its image that was built over the years.

Terror attacks
China has seen periodic terrorist attacks, but none to threaten the country at whole until 2068. A modified commercial drone was used in an attempted assassination of the Chinese President, although he was evacuated in time with only the death of a bodyguard. A second attack struck Urumqi in a shopping mall by a suicide bomber, killing thousands.

The President declared a State of Emergency. ION Services was employed by the CCP to bolster security. China realised that Beijing has lost control.