Kashgar has a history of more than 2"000 years. The earliest reference appeared in Persian documents referring to an alliance of Tushlan tribes, who founded their capital here. Kashgar was possibly the first of the Buddhist kingdoms of the Tarim basin. In the second century AD, Hinayana Buddhism flourished here and continued to do so until the ninth or tenth century. During this period Indian and Persian cultural influences were strong. Xuan Zang noted that the Kashgaris had green eyes perhaps a reference to Aryan origins and that for their writing they take their model from India. The disposition of the men is fierce and impetuous, and they are mostly false and deceitful. They make light of decorum and politeness and esteem learning but little.
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