The late Qing and early Republic of China era, spanning from 1877 to 1933, is widely recognized as a time of significant transformation in the region of Xinjiang or East Turkestan in Chinese Central Asia. During this period, there was a notable emergence of modern Uyghur national identity, leading to ethnonational conflicts. However, focusing solely on ethnic identity overlooks other factors that contribute to conflict, such as tensions that arose during periods of rapid economic change. Our discussion with Eric Schluessel highlights that much of the violence in Xinjiang was driven by competing local and regional interests. Despite this, the provincial government's information-gathering systems and the way they presented events to the outside world propagated the belief that the violence was due to differences in ethnicity and religion - a clash of Chinese and Muslim cultures. The people in power promoted portrayals of their society that served their political agendas and, in turn, benefited modern Chinese politics.