Muqam

The Meshrep section consists of more lively dance songs that were originally connected with the performances of sama by dervish musicians of Turkistan.

[2] It is however more likely that it was influenced by the Arabic maqam modal system that has led to many musical genres among peoples of Eurasia and North Africa.

Uyghurs have local muqam systems named after their historic oasis towns which are currently in Xinjiang, such as Dolan, Ili, Kumul and Turpan.

The concubine Amannissa Khan of the Yarkent Khanate (1526–1560) is credited with collecting and thereby preserving the Twelve Muqam, while reshaping its style to draw more from the indigenous traditions of the Tian Shan mountains and purging it of the Perso-Arabic.

[3][4] After the Chinese Communist Revolution, the state commissioned musicians Wan Tongshu and Turdi Akhun to record the Muqams on tape, so that it could not be lost.