七至八世紀在漠北地區以突厥化為主的民族關係變動浪潮中，以回紇為首的鐵勒諸部，卻一直謀求政治上的獨立發展，從而呈現出異向發展即背離突厥化發展的新動向。在屢次共同對抗突厥和南下投唐等集體經歷中，借助「回紇聯盟」模式，逐漸孕育出鐵勒諸部的一體化意識。在此基礎上，八世紀中葉回紇成功取代突厥立國漠北，標誌著回紇在政治組織形式上最終完成了從部落聯盟到遊牧帝國的轉變，亦可視為是回紇部長期以來與其他九姓鐵勒部落在政治上達成一致或相互認同的結果。其後在回紇汗國的政治框架內，由突厥時代的九姓鐵勒（以回紇部為首）演化而來的回紇內、外九姓，通過共理國政和相互聯姻等方式，展開進一步整合，以促進相互之間的混融與認同，從而在政治認同與族群認同雙重構建的過程中，逐漸走向回紇/回鶻族群的一體化。

Amidst the wave of Turkicization in the Mobei area during the seventh and eighth centuries, the Tiele tribes led by the Uyghur tribe strove for political independence, showing a different direction of development in terms of ethnic relationship, that is, the trend of Uyghurization. The Tiele tribes gradually developed an integrated identity as they established the so-called Uyghur alliance through the common experience of being frequently against the Turks and allied with the Tang Dynasty. In the mid-eighth century, the Uyghur empire succeeded in replacing the former nomadic state of the Turk Khanate. This can be seen as the result of the Uyghur tribe integrating with other Toquz Tiele tribes and identifying with each other politically through long time cooperation. Within the political frame of the Uyghur empire, the Inside Toquz and the Outside Toquz of the Uyghur (回紇內、外九姓), originating from the Toquz Tiele (九姓鐵勒) pioneered by the Uyghur tribe in Turk Khanate times, strengthened ethnic identity and blending between them by co-managing the government and intermarrying with each other. The transformation of the Inside and Outside Toquz of the Uyghur from political identity to ethnic identity prompted their increasing cohesion, shaping them into a unified ethnic group.