In the history of mankind, great states have arisen more than once, which throughout their existence have actively influenced the development of entire regions and countries. After themselves, they left to their descendants only cultural monuments, which are studied with interest by modern archaeologists. Sometimes it is difficult for a person far from history to even imagine how powerful his ancestors were several centuries ago. The Dzungar Khanate for a hundred years was considered one of the most powerful states of the seventeenth century. It led an active foreign policy, annexing new lands. Historians believe that the khanate to some extent exerted its influence on a few nomadic peoples, China and even Russia. The history of the Dzungar Khanate is the clearest example of how civil strife and an irrepressible thirst for power can destroy even the most powerful and strong state.
Seat of State
The Dzungar Khanate was formed approximately in the seventeenth century by the tribes of the Oirats. At one time they were true allies of the greatGenghis Khan and after the collapse of the Mongol Empire were able to unite to create a powerful state.
I would like to note that it occupied vast territories. If you look at the geographical map of our time and compare it with ancient texts, you can see that the Dzungar Khanate stretched across the territories of modern Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China and even Russia. The Oirats ruled the lands from Tibet to the Urals. The militant nomads owned lakes and rivers, they completely owned the Irtysh and the Yenisei.
In the territories of the former Dzungar Khanate, numerous images of Buddha and the ruins of defensive structures are found. To date, they are not very well studied, and experts are just beginning to discover the fascinating and eventful history of this ancient state.
Who are the Oirats?
The Dzungar Khanate owes its formation to the militant tribes of the Oirats. Later they went down in history as the Dzungars, but this name became a derivative of the state they created.
The Oirats themselves are descendants of the united tribes of the Mongol Empire. During its heyday, they were a powerful part of the army of Genghis Khan. Historians argue that even the very name of this people came from the kind of their activities. Almost all men from their youth were engaged in military affairs, and the combat detachments of the Oirats were during the battles on the left side of Genghis Khan. Therefore, from the Mongolian language, the word "oirat" can be translated as "left hand".
It is noteworthy that even the first mention of this people refers to the period of their entry into the Mongol Empire. Many experts claim that thanks to this event, they radically changed the course of their history, receiving a powerful impetus for development.
After the collapse of the Mongol Empire, they formed their own khanate, which at first stood at the same level of development with two other states that arose on the fragments of the common possessions of Chigis Khan.
The descendants of the Oirats are mainly modern Kalmyks and Western Mongolian aimaks. They partly settled in the territories of China, but this ethnic group is not very common here.
Establishment of the Dzungar Khanate
The state of the Oirats in the form in which it existed for a century did not form immediately. At the end of the fourteenth century, after a serious armed conflict with the Mongol dynasty, four large Oirat tribes agreed to create their own khanate. It went down in history under the name Derben-Oirat and acted as a prototype of a strong and powerful state, which the nomadic tribes sought.
In short, the Dzungar Khanate was formed around the seventeenth century. However, scientists disagree on the specific date of this significant event. Some believe that the state was born in the thirty-fourth year of the seventeenth century, while others argue that this happened almost forty years later. At the same time, historians even calldifferent personalities who led the unification of the tribes and laid the foundation for the khanate.
Most experts, after studying the written sources of that time and comparing the chronology of events, came to the conclusion that the historical figure who united the tribes was Gumechi. The tribesmen knew him as Hara-Hula-taiji. He managed to bring together the Choros, Derbets and Khoyts, and then, under his leadership, send them to the war against the Mongol Khan. During this conflict, the interests of many states, including Manchuria and Russia, were affected. However, in the end, the territories were divided, which led to the formation of the Dzungar Khanate, which extended its influence throughout Central Asia.
Briefly about the genealogy of the rulers of the state
Each of the princes who ruled the khanate has been mentioned in written sources to this day. Based on these records, historians have concluded that all the rulers belonged to the same tribal branch. They were descendants of the Choros, like all the aristocratic families of the Khanate. If we make a short digression into history, we can say that the Choros belonged to the most powerful tribes of the Oirats. Therefore, it was they who managed to take power into their own hands from the first days of the existence of the state.
Title of the ruler of the Oirats
Each khan, in addition to his name, had a certain title. He showed his high position and nobility. The title of the ruler of the Dzungar Khanate is Khuntaiji. Translated from the Oirats language, it means "greatruler". Such additions to names were very common among the nomadic tribes of Central Asia. They sought by all means to consolidate their position in the eyes of their fellow tribesmen and impress their potential enemies.
The first honorary title of the Dzungar Khanate was given to Erdeni Batur, who is the son of the great Khara-Hula. At one time he joined his father's military campaign and managed to exert a noticeable influence on its outcome. Therefore, it is not surprising that the united tribes very quickly recognized the young warlord as their sole leader.
"Ik Tsaanj Bichg": the first and main document of the Khanate
Since the state of the Dzungars was, in fact, an association of nomads, a single set of rules was needed to manage them. For its development and adoption in the fortieth year of the seventeenth century, a congress of all representatives of the tribes was assembled. Princes from all remote corners of the khanate came to it, many set off on a long journey from the Volga and from Western Mongolia. In the process of intense collective work, the first document of the Oirat state was adopted. Its name "Ik Tsaanj Bichg" is translated as "Great Steppe Code". The collection of laws itself regulated almost all aspects of tribal life, from religion to the definition of the main administrative and economic unit of the Dzungar Khanate.
According to the adopted document, one of the currents of Buddhism, Lamaism, was adopted as the main state religion. This decision was influenced by the princes of the most numerous Oirat tribes, since they adhered to precisely thesebeliefs. The document also mentioned that the ulus is established as the main administrative unit, and the khan is not only the ruler of all the tribes that make up the state, but also of the lands. This allowed the Khuntaiji to rule their territories with a strong hand and instantly stop any attempts to raise a rebellion even in the most remote corners of the khanate.
State administrative apparatus: features of the device
Historians note that the administrative apparatus of the khanate was closely intertwined with the traditions of tribalism. This made it possible to create a fairly orderly system for managing vast territories.
The rulers of the Dzungar Khanate were the sole rulers of their lands and had the right, without the participation of aristocratic families, to make certain decisions regarding the entire state. However, numerous and loyal officials helped to effectively manage the Khuntaiji Khanate.
The bureaucracy consisted of twelve posts. We will list them starting with the most significant:
- Tushimely. Only those closest to the khan were appointed to this position. They de alt mainly with general political issues and served as advisers to the ruler.
- Dzharguchi. These dignitaries were subordinate to the tushimels and carefully monitored the observance of all laws, in parallel they performed judicial functions.
- Democi, their assistants and albachi-zaisans (they also include assistants of albachi). This group was engaged in taxation and collection of taxes. However, eachthe official was in charge of certain territories: the demotsi collected taxes in all territories dependent on the khan and conducted diplomatic negotiations, the assistants of the demotsi and albachi distributed duties among the population and collected taxes within the country.
- Kutuchiners. Officials in this position controlled all the activities of the territories dependent on the khanate. It was very unusual that the rulers never introduced their system of government on the conquered lands. The peoples were able to retain the usual legal proceedings and other structures, which greatly simplified the relationship between the khan and the conquered tribes.
- Handicraft production officials. The rulers of the khanate paid great attention to the development of crafts, so positions responsible for certain industries were allocated to a separate group. For example, blacksmiths and casters were subject to the uluts, the buchiners were responsible for the production of weapons and cannons, and the buchins were in charge of only cannon business.
- Altachins. The dignitaries of this group oversaw the extraction of gold and the manufacture of various items used in religious rites.
- Jahchins. These officials were primarily guards of the borders of the khanate, and also, if necessary, performed the role of people investigating crimes.
I would like to note that this administrative apparatus existed for a very long time with virtually no changes and was very effective.
Expanding the borders of the Khanate
Erdani-Batur, despite the fact thatthe state initially had quite extensive lands, sought by all possible means to increase its territories at the expense of the possessions of neighboring tribes. His foreign policy was extremely aggressive, but it was conditioned by the situation on the borders of the Dzungar Khanate.
Around the state of the Oirats, there are many tribal unions that were constantly at enmity with each other. Some asked for help from the khanate and in exchange annexed their territories to its lands. Others tried to attack the Dzungars and after the defeat fell into a dependent position from Erdeni-Batur.
Such a policy allowed for several decades to significantly expand the boundaries of the Dzungar Khanate, turning it into one of the most powerful powers in Central Asia.
Rise of the Khanate
Until the end of the seventeenth century, all the descendants of the first ruler of the Khanate continued to conduct his foreign policy. This led to the flourishing of the state, which, in addition to hostilities, actively traded with its neighbors, and also developed agriculture and cattle breeding.
Galdan, who is the grandson of the legendary Erdeni Batur, conquered new territories step by step. He fought with the Khalkhas Khanate, the Kazakh tribes and East Turkestan. As a result, Galdan's army was replenished with new warriors ready for battle. Many said that over time, on the ruins of the Mongol Empire, the Dzungars would recreate a new great power under their flag.
This outcome was fiercely opposed by China, which saw the khanate as a real threat to its borders. This forced the emperor to get involved in hostilities.and unite with some tribes against the Oirats.
By the middle of the eighteenth century, the rulers of the khanate managed to resolve almost all military conflicts and conclude a truce with their ancient enemies. Trade with China, the Khalkhas Khanate and even Russia resumed, which, after the defeat of the detachment sent to build the Yarmyshev fortress, was extremely wary of the Dzungars. Around the same period of time, the Khan's troops managed to finally break the Kazakhs and annex their lands.
It seemed that only prosperity and new achievements awaited the state ahead. However, the story took a very different turn.
The fall and defeat of the Dzungar Khanate
At the time of the highest prosperity of the state, its internal problems were exposed. From about the forty-fifth year of the seventeenth century, the pretenders to the throne began a long and bitter struggle for power. It lasted for ten years, during which the khanate lost its territories one by one.
The aristocracy was so carried away by political intrigues that they missed when one of the potential future rulers of Amursan asked for help from the Chinese emperors. The Qing dynasty did not fail to take advantage of this chance and broke into the Dzungar Khanate. The soldiers of the Chinese emperor mercilessly slaughtered the local population, according to some reports, about ninety percent of the Oirats were killed. During this massacre, not only warriors died, but also children, women, and the elderly. By the end of the fifty-fifth yeareighteenth century, the Dzungar Khanate completely ceased to exist.
Reasons for the destruction of the state
The answer to the question "why the Dzungar Khanate fell" is extremely simple. Historians argue that a state that has waged aggressive and defensive wars for hundreds of years can only maintain itself at the expense of strong and far-sighted leaders. As soon as weak and incapable claimants for the title appear in the line of rulers, this becomes the beginning of the end of any such state. Paradoxically, what was built by the great military leaders for many years turned out to be completely unviable in the internecine struggle of aristocratic families. The Dzungar Khanate died at the peak of its power, almost completely losing the people who once created it.
