1949年9月，在新疆各族人民的努力下，新疆实现和平解放。10月1日，新疆各族人民同全国人民共同迎来了中华人民共和国的成立。新疆和平解放后，仍沿用过去的行省制。1949年12月17日，在中共中央及中共新疆分局领导下，成立了以包尔汉为主席，由新疆各族各界代表组成的新疆省人民政府，掀开了人民民主政权建设新的一页。在中国共产党的领导下，在中国人民解放军的大力支持下，新疆省政府领导各族人民平叛剿匪、镇压反革命武装叛乱，同时还开展了改造起义部队、整编民族军等工作。根据民族平等、团结、互助的原则，新疆各族人民当家作主，第一次推选出各级人民代表大会代表。随后进行的以农村土地改革为中心的各项民主改革，废除了封建土地所有制，使无地、少地的各族农民分得了土地，从根本上改变了千百年来新疆各族劳动人民受压迫、受剥削的悲惨命运。

　　新中国把坚持各民族平等团结和各民族共同繁荣发展作为解决民族问题和处理民族关系的基本原则，并确定在少数民族聚居地方实行民族区域自治制度。新中国成立时，在新疆聚居生活的主要有维吾尔、汉、哈萨克、回、柯尔克孜、蒙古、锡伯、塔吉克、满、乌孜别克、俄罗斯、达斡尔和塔塔尔等民族，其中维吾尔族人口居多。以上各民族呈“大杂居、小聚居”的特点，各民族之间存在密切而广泛的联系，这是新疆多民族共同聚居历史的延续。新疆实行民族区域自治制度，有力保障了新疆各民族人民当家作主的民主权利，对于加强各民族平等、团结、互助、和谐的关系，维护国家统一，加快新疆经济发展，促进新疆社会进步，都有着十分重要的意义。

In September 1949, Xinjiang was liberated peacefully, thanks to the efforts made by people of all ethnic groups there. On October 1, together with all their fellow countrymen, the ethnic peoples of Xinjiang witnessed the founding of the People's Republic of China. After liberation, Xinjiang kept its provincial system.

On December 17, 1949, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the CPC Xinjiang Bureau, the Xinjiang provincial people's government was established. Represented by deputies from all ethnic groups and social sectors in Xinjiang, and with Burhan al-Shahidi as chair, this opened a new leaf in the development of a new people's democratic government. Under the leadership of the CPC, and with the strong support of the ChinesePeople's Liberation Army, the provincial government of Xinjiang led the local ethnic peoples in successfully quelling revolts, suppressing bandits and putting down reactionary armed rebellions. The uprising troops of the former regime and ethnic armed forces were regrouped.

In line with the principles of equality, unity, and mutual assistance for ethnic groups, the peoples of Xinjiang became the masters of the region, and for the first time elected deputies to the people's congresses at all levels. The democratic reform that followed, with rural land reform at its core, abolished feudal land ownership and distributed land to the deprived local peasants, putting an end once and for all to centuries of oppression and exploitation for the working people of Xinjiang.

The People's Republic of China has upheld ethnic equality, unity, common prosperity and development of all ethnic groups as the basic principles in solving ethnic problems and handling ethnic relations. It made it a state policy to practice ethnic regional autonomy in areas where people of ethnic minorities live in concentrated communities. When the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the ethnic peoples of Xinjiang mainly comprised the Uygur, Han, Kazak, Hui, Kirgiz, Mongolian, Xibe, Tajik, Manchu, Uzbek,Russian, Daur and Tartar, with the Uygurs boasting the largest population. Each of these ethnic groups was characterized by living in homogenous communities of its own, or by living together with or mixing with other groups, and the various peoples maintained close and extensive relations - a continuation of the traditional lifestyle. The practice of ethnic regional autonomy in Xinjiang has ensured the democratic rights of all ethnic peoples in the region, making them the masters of Xinjiang. It is also of great significance in strengthening the harmonious relationship of equality, unity and mutual assistance of the various ethnic groups, safeguarding national unification, accelerating economic development, and promoting social progress in Xinjiang.