▁Mu h iti ▁reached ▁S rin agar ▁in ▁India , ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁he ▁went ▁on ▁pil gr image ▁to ▁Me cca . ▁A ▁bu il dup ▁of ▁Soviet ▁military ▁assets ▁occurred ▁in ▁X in ji ang ▁before ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war . ▁Ar ound ▁K ash gar , ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁sent ▁AA ▁guns , ▁f ighter ▁plan es , ▁and ▁soldiers ▁of ▁Russian ▁and ▁K yr gy z ▁origin ▁in ▁great ▁amounts . ▁ ▁The ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁in ▁southern ▁X in ji ang ▁had ▁an ▁immediate ▁and ▁trag ic ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁about ▁ 4 0 0 ▁U yg h ur ▁students , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁sent ▁by ▁the ▁X in ji ang ▁government ▁to ▁the ▁USS R ▁( 1 9 3 5 – 3 7 ) ▁to ▁study ▁in ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁T ash k ent . ▁They ▁were ▁all ▁arrested ▁on ▁one ▁night ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁by ▁the ▁NK VD — the ▁Soviet ▁secret ▁police — and ▁executed ▁without ▁tri als , ▁alleg edly ▁by ▁order ▁of ▁Joseph ▁St alin . ▁Soviet ▁diplom atic ▁staff ▁were ▁also ▁p urg ed ▁throughout ▁the ▁province ▁in ▁Soviet ▁cons ul ates ▁in ▁U rum chi , ▁Kar ash ar , ▁Gh ul ja , ▁Ch ug uch ak ▁and ▁Al ta i . ▁Soviet ▁Cons ul - General ▁in ▁U rum chi ▁G are gin ▁A pres off ▁( former ▁Soviet ▁cons ul ▁in ▁M ash had , ▁Iran