For more than half a century many Uyghurs, members of a Muslim minority in northwestern China, have sought to achieve greater autonomy or outright independence. Yet the Chinese government has consistently resisted these efforts, countering with repression and a sophisticated strategy of state-sanctioned propaganda emphasizing interethnic harmony and Chinese nationalism. After decades of struggle, Uyghurs remain passionate about establishing and expanding their power within government, and China's leaders continue to push back, refusing to concede any physical or political ground. Beginning with the history of Xinjiang and its unique population of Chinese Muslims, Gardner Bovingdon follows fifty years of Uyghur discontent, particularly the development of individual and collective acts of resistance since 1949, as well as the role of various transnational organizations in cultivating dissent. Bovingdon's work provides fresh insight into the practices of nation building and nation challenging, not only in relation to Xinjiang but also in reference to other regions of conflict. His work highlights the influence of international institutions on growing regional autonomy and underscores the role of representation in nationalist politics, as well as the local, regional, and global implications of the "war on terror" on antistate movements. While both the Chinese state and foreign analysts have portrayed Uyghur activists as Muslim terrorists, situating them within global terrorist networks, Bovingdon argues that these assumptions are flawed, drawing a clear line between Islamist ideology and Uyghur nationhood.

《福乐智慧(精)》是公元十一世纪我国历史上喀拉汗朝时期用回鹘语写成的一部长诗。这部维吾尔族古典文学名著，十九世纪以来即为研究中亚及我国新疆地区历史和文化的中外学者所注目，吸引了众多的研究者。《福乐智慧》以其集中概括地反映了社会现实的深刻内容、深阐博引的丰富哲理、优美典雅的诗艺和熔于民族传统与多种外来文化于一炉的开放格调而具有多方面的研究价值，在中国古代文化中和中亚文化史上都占有重要的地位。 长诗的内容，概括起来就是赞美真主和先知，歌颂英明君主，劝喻统治者公正、睿智、知足；同时还分析和评价了当时各行各业的现实作用。作品以四个虚构的象征性人物之间的对话，深刻而细致地讨论了上述内容；作为公正化身的“日出”国王求贤心切，而象征幸福的“满月”前来谒见后，即被封为宰相，宰相临终之际，向国王推荐代表睿智的儿子“贤明”接替相位；但这位宰相之子需要自己的叔父－－最懂知足的“觉醒”当助手；因三请而不就，国王深为焦虑。