Tsewang Rabtan (from ''Tsewang Rapten''; ; ; 1643–1727) was a

Choros (Oirats) Choros or Tsoros ( mn, Цорос, ; ) was the ruling clan of the Ööld and Dörbet Oirat and once ruled the whole Four Oirat. They founded the Dzungar Khanate in the 17th century. Their chiefs reckoned their descent from a boy nourished b ...

prince and the

Khong Tayiji Khong Tayiji ( mn, , хун тайж; ), also spelled Qong Tayiji, was a title of the Mongols, derived from the Chinese term ''Huangtaizi'' (皇太子; "crown prince"). At first it also meant crown prince in the Mongolian language. It was origina ...

of the

Dzungar Khanate The Dzungar Khanate, also written as the Zunghar Khanate, was an Inner Asian khanate of Oirat Mongol origin. At its greatest extent, it covered an area from southern Siberia in the north to present-day Kyrgyzstan in the south, and from t ...

from 1697 (following the death of his uncle and rival

Galdan Boshugtu Khan Erdeniin Galdan (1644–1697, mn, Галдан Бошигт хаан, , ), known as Galdan Boshugtu Khan (in Mongolian script: ) was a Choros Dzungar- Oirat Khan of the Dzungar Khanate. As fourth son of Erdeni Batur, founder of the Dzungar ...

) until his death in 1727. He was married to

Lha-bzang Khan Lha-bzang Khan (; Mongolian: ''Lazang Haan''; alternatively, Lhazang or Lapsangn or Lajang; d.1717) was the ruler of the Khoshut (also spelled Qoshot, Qośot, or Qosot) tribe of the Oirats. He was the son of Tenzin Dalai Khan (1668–1701) and g ...

's sister.

Political and military action

Tsewang Rabtan married his daughter, Boitalak (), to Danjung (), the eldest son of Lha-bzang Khan in 1714. He used the occasion to destroy some of Lha-bzang's troops in preparation for an invasion of Tibet. He consolidated Dzungar power by 1715, and in 1717 sent one army of 300 into

Amdo Amdo ( �am˥˥.to˥˥ ) is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being U-Tsang in the west and Kham in the east. Ngari (including former Guge kingdom) in the north-west was incorporated into Ü-Tsang. Amdo is also the ...

to retrieve the

7th Dalai Lama Kelzang Gyatso (; 1708–1757), also spelled Kalzang Gyatso, Kelsang Gyatso and Kezang Gyatso, was the 7th Dalai Lama of Tibet, recognized as the true incarnation of the 6th Dalai Lama, and enthroned after a pretender was deposed. The Seventh ...

, planning to consolidate Tibetan support by bringing him to Lhasa, and another army of 6000, led by his brother Tseren Dondub, that successfully took

Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China. The inner urban area of Lhas ...

from the

Khoshut The Khoshut ( Mongolian: Хошууд,, qoşūd, ; literally "bannermen," from Middle Mongolian ''qosighu'' "flag, banner") are one of the four major tribes of the Oirat people. Originally, Khoshuuds were one of the Khorchin tribes in southeast ...

and killed Lha-bzang Khan. However, the first army failed to acquire the Dalai Lama, having been defeated by Qing troops at

Kumbum A Kumbum ( "one hundred thousand holy images") is a multi-storied aggregate of Buddhist chapels in Tibetan Buddhism. The most famous Kumbum forms part of Palcho Monastery. The first Kumbum was founded in the fire sheep year 1427 by a Gyantse p ...

. Dzungar troops went on the rampage through Lhasa and its environs, looting, raping and killing. Soon, the Tibetans were appealing to the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to ...

to rid them of the Dzungars. The Dzungar occupation of Tibet became more difficult to sustain as time passed and though they managed to defeat a poorly organized Chinese invasion at the

Battle of the Salween River The Battle of the Salween River () was fought in September 1718 close to the Nagqu (i.e., Salween River) in Tibet, between an expedition of the Qing dynasty to Lhasa and a Dzungar Khanate force that blocked its path. After Tsering Dhondup conque ...

in 1718, Qing troops took Lhasa in 1720 during their second and larger expedition. After Danjung died circa 1717, allegedly at the hands of Tsewang Rabtan, Boitalak married a ''taisha'' or prince of the

Khoid The Khoid, also Khoyd or Khoit (; "Northern ones/people") people are an Oirat subgroup of the Choros Choros may refer to: * Choros (Oirats), a Mongolic people and historical clan * Chôros, a series of compositions by Heitor Villa-Lobos * Choros ...

, a section of the

Dzungar people The Dzungar people (also written as Zunghar; from the Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand') were the many Mongol Oirat tribes who formed and maintained the Dzungar Khanate in the 17th and 18th centuries. Historically they were one of major t ...

, and later gave birth to

Amursana Amursana ( Mongolian ; ; 172321September 1757) was an 18th-century ''taishi'' () or prince of the Khoit- Oirat tribe that ruled over parts of Dzungaria and Altishahr in present-day northwest China. Known as the last great Oirat hero, Amursana wa ...

(1723–1757), who would grow up to be Khan of Dzungaria during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.

References

Bibliography

* * * History of Kalmykia 18th-century monarchs in Asia 17th-century Mongol rulers 1643 births 1727 deaths {{CAsia-hist-stub

Political and military action

See also

References

Bibliography