How did the Uighur and Tibetan Empires differ?

The Uighur and Tibetan Empires differed primarily in their cultural and religious orientations. The Uighur Empire, which flourished in the 8th to 9th centuries, was heavily influenced by Turkic culture and adopted Manichaeism and later Buddhism. In contrast, the Tibetan Empire, reaching its height during the 7th to 9th centuries, was characterized by its strong Buddhist identity, particularly with the promotion of Vajrayana Buddhism. Additionally, while the Uighurs were more nomadic and interacted extensively with other Central Asian cultures, the Tibetans established a more centralized and theocratic governance structure centered around their religious institutions.