What is "tunganistan"

Tunganistan (also called Dunganistan) was an independent administered region in the Southern part of the Chinese Province Xinjiang from 1934 to 1937. The Name Tunganistan was coined by the Austrian Mongolia-expert Walther Heissig. The territory included the oases of the southern Tarim Basin, the centre of the region was Khotan.

In 1934, the First East Turkestan Republic ended. Afterwards the Muslim Tungan warlord Ma Zhongying vanished into Soviet territory. His successor was Ma Hushan, who fled from Kashgar to Khotan.

Ma Hushan governed the region from 1934 until 1937, he was called "King" by his subjects. During his rule the Hui Muslims of Inner China governed the territory like a colony with Turkic Muslim subjects.

In 1935, the troops of Tunganistan crushed the Charkhlik Revolt.