Recent studies of Uyghur society use civil documents as the historical materials. In this study the author has tried to research the actual conditions of the life of Uyghur landowners by an analysis of three types of Uyghur documents, USp. 107-113, USp. 114-123, 124-127 and SJ Kr.4/638, and others, all of which were discovered in the Turfan region and date from the 13th to 14th century. We find that these documents speak of the large family of inanci, which lasted for at least three generations as recorded in SJ Kr. 4/638. The supposed genealogy is shown in table VI. It is shown that some of the constituents of the family owned slaves, and certain brothers bought and sold land to each other in order to ensure that the land all remained within the family. Keeping land within the family was one way to maintain the social influence and prestige of the family at a time when Uyghur society was politically unstable. It is worthy of attention that the inanci family used to borrow grain on the occasion of funerals as recorded in SJ Kr. 4/638. When inanci died, his family borrowed grain to pay for the funeral from four persons, whose father was regarded as having connections with holders of official power. Thus, Uyghur landowners worked farms, engaged in commerce and held weddings and funerals in accordance with established practice, maintaining connections with official power holders. Ordinances issued to the Uyghur people during the Mongol = Yuan 元 dynasty reflected such autonomous customary Uyghur society
