 This was partially spurred by Chinese policies of using Turkic soldiers, which unintentionally sped the Turkification of Xinjiang, rather than the Sinification that had occurred in other territories conquered by the Tang.The Tang dynasty recruited a large number of Turkic soldiers and generals, and the Chinese garrisons of Xinjiang were for the most part staffed by Turks rather than those of the Han ethnicity.Xinjiang began its transition into a linguistically and culturally Turko-Mongolic region, which continues today.