Tocharian languages
For several centuries the Tarim basin was ruled by the Xiongnu, Han Dynasty, Tibetan Empire and Tang Dynasty. From the 8th century AD, the Uyghurs – speakers of a Turkic language – settled in the region and founded the Kingdom of Qocho. The peoples of the Tarim city-states intermixed with the Uyghurs, whose Old Uyghur language spread through the region. The Tocharian languages are believed to have become extinct during the 9th century.