^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Islamic States in China

In the 1930's the Chinese government had lost control over many parts of the country. In the west, in the present day autonomous region Xinjiang-Uyghur, Muslim minorities established some ephemeral states. Among them was the "Republic of Uighuristan" which was known in English as "Islamic Republic of East Turkestan".

Reports of flags representing these areas are conflicting - probably more than one version of the flag was used. Below are shown images of some of them.

Uighuristan (Islamic Republic of East Turkestan)

Uighuristan (Islamic Republic of East Turkestan)

by mark sensen 26-JUN-1996
This flag uses the shahada out of the Saudi flag. An alternative rendering is shown below.
Uighuristan existed for less than a year between 1932 and 1933. It issued coins with national symbols on them: a triangular flag with a crescent and star, IIRC the crescent faces the hoist. On some of the coins the flag has a flamed border. Of course, no colors are provided.
harald mueller 1-JUL-1996

by mark sensen 30-JUN-1996
This rendering of the flag uses a shahada resembling that in the old flag of the Yemeni Imam. It is less artistic than the Saudi one.

by harald mueller 4-JUL-1996

by mark sensen 30-JUN-1996

The flag of the 'Republic of Uighuristan' was also said to be like the Turkish flag, with a blue background instead of red. Now, I have checked out flag depictions on coins from this "state", and they look different. The flag is triangular (like a diagonal cut of a normal oblong flag), and the crescent looks towards the hoist. Sometimes there are a kind of flames attached to the border.
harald mueller

I have seen two flags attributed to the Uighurs or East Turkestan, but I don't know the official status of either. One is the same as the Turkish flag but dark blue instead of red. The other is white with a dark blue crescent and star in the upper half, centred horizontally. Both crescent and star point toward the upper hoist. In the lower half is the Islamic Shahadah in Arabic script (the same as on the Saudi Arabian flag).
david lewellen 21-Jan-1996