Seydulla Seypullayov

Seydulla Seypullayov (January 1918 – 4 September 2002) was a Chinese politician, educator, and writer who held high-ranking positions in the regional and local governments of Xinjiang. He was an ethnic Uyghur from Turpan and received his higher education in the Soviet Union.

Early life and education Seydulla Seypullayov was born in Turpan County, Xinjiang Province (now the Gaochang District of Turpan), in January 1918 to a Uyghur peasant family. He graduated from a Soviet state university in Tashkent, Soviet Uzbekistan, in August 1937 and returned to Xinjiang shortly thereafter. He worked as a teacher at the Xinjiang Provincial Normal School in Dihua (present-day Ürümqi), then at Ili Secondary School and Ili No. 6 Secondary School in Ghulja (present-day Yining). Among his students at the No. 6 school was Mirsultan Osmanov, who graduated in 1943 and would grow up to become a renowned Uyghur linguist and Turkologist.

In 1940, he joined the pro-Soviet Xinjiang People's Anti-Imperialist Association. In 1943, he returned to the Soviet Union to continue his post-secondary studies. Seydulla later retroactively coined the name "Three Districts Revolution" to describe the rebellion, asserting it was a non-separatist revolution with the same objectives for Xinjiang as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Political career in the People's Republic of China He joined the CCP without a preparatory period (i.e. ideological training) in March 1950 after the proclamation of the People's Republic of China (PRC), and immediately took up several positions, including leader of the Southern Xinjiang Propaganda Department, member of the Southern Xinjiang Military and Political Committee, deputy director of the Southern Xinjiang Mass Work Department, deputy secretary of the Ili Prefectural Party Committee, member of the Standing Committee of the Kashgar Prefectural Party Committee, commissioner of the Kashgar Administrative Office, and director of the United Front Work Department.

From August 1954, he served as a representative of the first People's Congress of the Xinjiang UAR, a member of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang UAR Party Committee, deputy minister of the Xinjiang UAR Organisation Department, director of the Xinjiang UAR Personnel Department, and chief prosecutor of the Xinjiang UAR People's Procuratorate. In July 1956, he was appointed secretary of the Secretariat of the Xinjiang UAR Party Committee. In 1957, he was appointed deputy commissioner of the Hami Administrative Office.

On 4 September 2002, Seydulla died of illness in Ürümqi at the age of 84.