History of Ningxia

Ningxia and its surrounding areas have been incorporated into the Qin empire as early as the 3rd century BC. Throughout the Han dynasty and the Tang dynasty, there were further evidence of settlements and by the 11th century, the Tangut tribe have established the Xixia dynasty on the outskirts of the then Song dynasty.

It then came under Mongol domination after Ghengis Khan conquered Yinchuan in the early 13th century. After the Mongols departed and its influences faded, Turkish speaking Muslims slowly began moving into Ningxia from the west. This created unavoidable tensions between the Han and the Hui ethnic groups in the following centuries.

In 1914, Ningxia was merged with the province of Gansu and became a part of it but then in 1928 Ningxia was created a province of China. In 1958, Ningxia formally became an autonomous region of China. In 1969, Ningxia's border was extended to the north and acquired parts of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. However it was reverted back again in 1979.