Galdan
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Galdan (1644-1697) was the fourth son of Erdeni Baatur, Khong Taiji (Supreme Chief) of the Dzungars, a confederation of Oirat (West Mongolian) tribes. As a youth, Galdan was sent to Lhasa to be educated as a lama under the 5th Dalai Lama. When Galdan heard that his eldest brother, Sengge, was murdered by a half brother, Chechin Tayiji, he renounced his status as a lama and quickly returned to the Irtysh Valley to avenge his brother's death. After killing his brother, Tseten Khan, Galdan was granted the title, Khong Taiji, in 1671 by the Dalai Lama. After victory over Ochirtu Khan, the Dalai Lama gave Galdan the highest title of Boshughtu Khan.
As Khong Taiji, Galdan planned to reestablish a Mongol Empire based in Central Asia, conquering Kashgar (Kaxgar) and Turkestan by 1679. Shortly after his ascension as Boshigt Khan of the Dzungars, he launched an invasion of Outer Mongolia, decimating the East Mongols in 1687. The ferocity and persistence of his attacks led the East Mongols to seek the protection of the Manchu Empire.
Prevented by China from negotiating for an alliance with Russia, Galdan renewed his offensive personally leading a force of 30,000 into Outer Mongolia but was defeated in Mongolia by a Chinese army consisting of 80,000 soldiers under the command of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Empire. Forced to withdraw into Turkestan, Galden was again defeated by the Emperor's forces at the Battle of Zuun Mod near Urga, Mongolia in 1696, committing suicide the following year.
[edit] References
- Hummel, Arthur William, ed. Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644-1912). 2 vols. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1943.
- Latourette, Kenneth Scott. The Chinese: Their History and Culture. New York, 1960.
- Perdue, Peter C. China marches west: The Qing conquest of Central Eurasia. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2005.
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