Terrigenous sedimentary rocks are the dominant rock types in a continental sedimentary basin. The components of these rocks are mainly controlled by source rocks. Through systematical analysis of the components of terrigenous sedimentary rocks, the tectonic evolution of a sedimentary basin can be reconstructed. The Tur-pan Basin was examined using sandstone petrologic and geochemical methods and good consistency was obtained between the petrologic and geochemical results, indicating that the tectonic evolution of the basin can be divided into three stages : the Permian, the Triassic and Jurassic, and the Cretaceous and Tertiary. The components of sandstones of these three stages are different, which reflect the influence of tectonic movements on the evolution of the basin and surrounding areas.