How did Islam spread in Xinjiang after Tang power declined?

As the power of the Tang dynasty declined in the late 9th and early 10th centuries, the influence of Arab culture and the religion of Islam began to increase significantly in the Xinjiang region.1

During this period of transition, the region experienced a shift in religious and cultural dynamics. While Buddhism had flourished in Central Asia for centuries, its influence began to wane as Islam gained many converts. A pivotal development in this spread was the rise of the Karakhanids, a Turkic people who converted to Islam during the mid-10th century. The Karakhanids ruled over the Tarim Basin and established Kashgar as a major religious and cultural metropolis, which helped solidify the presence of Islamic culture in the region.23

As these changes occurred, the Turkic language became the dominant tongue in the oasis settlements, further integrating the region into the broader Islamic cultural sphere of Central Asia.1