Since 2001, the People's Republic of China has renewed its efforts to transform the Uyghurs of Xinjiang (a Turkic-speaking, Muslim people) into culturally normative Chinese citizens. The specific methods of this sino-normative civilizing project reflect the deep legacy of past empires in the behavior of the modern Chinese state. This talk will provide a brief overview of developments in policy over the past twenty years and explore changes in practice since 2009 aimed at transforming Uyghur hearts and minds by controlling Uyghur bodies.