. Turfan paid due homage to the
T'ang dynasty on its accession but later it was found that tributary
missions coming from the west to the Chinese court were stopped there
and the close relations of its king with the western Turks inspired
alarm. Accordingly it was destroyed by the imperial forces in 640.
This is confirmed by the record of Hsuan Chuang. In his biography
there is a description of his reception by the king of Kao-ch'ang on
his outward journey. But in the account of his travels written after
his return he speaks of the city as no longer existent.

Nevertheless the political and intellectual life of the oasis was not
annihilated. It was conquered by the Uigurs at an uncertain date, but
they were established there in the eighth and ninth centuries and
about 750 their Khan adopted Manichaeism as the state religion. The
many manuscripts in Sogdian and other Persian dialects found at
Turfan show that it had an old and close connection with the west. It
is even possible that Mani may have preached there himself but it does
not appear that his teaching became influential until about 700 A.D.
The presence of Nestorianism is also attested. Tibetan influence too
must have affected Turfan in the eighth and ninth centuries for many
Tibetan documents have been found there although it seems to have been
outside the political sphere of Tibet. About 843 this Uigur Kingdom
was destroyed by the Kirghiz.

Perhaps the massacres of Buddhist priests, clearly indicated by vaults
filled with skeletons still wearing fragments of the monastic robe,
occurred in this period. But Buddhism was not extinguished and
lingered here longer than in other parts of the Tarim basin. Even in
1420 the people of Turfan were Buddhists and the Ming Annals say that
at Huo-chou (or Kara-Khojo) there were more Buddhist temples than
dwelling houses.

Let us now turn to Khotan.[508] This was the ancient as well as the
modern name of the principal city in the southern part of the Tarim
basin but was modified in Chinese to Yu-t'ien, in Sanskrit to
Kustana.[509] The Tibetan equivalent is Li-yul, the land of Li, but no
explanation of this designation is forthcoming.

Traditions respecting the origin of Khotan are preserved in the
travels of Hsuan Chuang and also in the Tibetan scriptures, some of
which are expressly said to be translations from the language of Li.
These traditions are popular legends but they agree in essentials and
appear to contain a k