Lama Dorji, or Lama Darja (; ; 1726 or 1728–1753) was a ruler of the

Dzungar Khanate The Dzungar Khanate ( Mongolian: ), also known as the Zunghar Khanate or Junggar 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 Kyrgyz ...

, a confederation of Mongol tribes that ruled over most of present-day

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

and part of eastern

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

and southern

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

. He was the eldest son of

Galdan Tseren Galdan Tseren (; ; 1693–1745) was a Choros prince and the '' Khong Tayiji'' of the Dzungar Khanate from 1727 until his death in 1745. Galdan Tseren was the eldest son of Tsewang Rabtan. After the assassination of his father by rival faction ...

Khong Tayiji Khong Tayiji (; ), 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 originally given only to desc ...

of the Dzungar Khanate from 1727 until his death in 1745. Before his death,

had designated his second son Tsewang Dorji Namjal to succeed him. However, a succession dispute soon erupted among

's three sons. Lama Dorji conspired with the husband of his sister Ulam Bayar, the

Baghatur Baghatur is a historical Turkic and Mongolic honorific title, in origin a term for "hero" or "valiant warrior". The Papal envoy Plano Carpini ( 1185–1252) compared the title with the equivalent of European Knighthood. The word was common am ...

Sayin Bolek and other ''saisans'' or high officials (), to kill Tsewang Dorji Namjal while he was on a hunting trip. During an abortive attack on the plotters in 1750, Tsewang Dorji Namjal was captured and blinded then sent as a prisoner to

Aksu, Xinjiang Aksu (, ; zh, s=阿克苏, p=Ākèsū) is a city in and the seat of Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, lying at the northern edge of the Tarim Basin. The name Aksu literally means "white water" (in Turkic) and is used for both the oasis town and the A ...

along with his brother, Tsewang Dashi. Despite his low birth as a Choros tribe, Lama Dorji's encountered little opposition except from the

Dawachi Dawachi (; ; died 1759) was the last ruler of the Dzungar Khanate from 1753 until his defeat at the hands of Qing and Mongol forces at Ili in 1755. Dawachi belonged to the highest rank of Dzungar aristocracy. He traced his ancestry back directl ...

, grandson of

and

Tsewang Rabtan Tsewang Rabtan (from ''Tsewang Rapten''; ; Mongolian: ; 1643–1727) was a Choros prince and the Khong Tayiji of the Dzungar Khanate from 1697 (following the death of his uncle and rival Galdan Boshugtu Khan) until his death in 1727. He w ...

's cousin Tsering Dhondup (). In 1751, Lama Dorji defeated Dawachi, who was forced to flee across the border into Kazakh Khanate territory with about a dozen men. Amursana was one of Dawachi's few followers who returned to

Tarbagatai Tarbagatai, Tarbagatay or Tarvagatai may refer to: *Tarbagatai Mountains in the north-western parts of Xinjiang, China and East Kazakhstan * Tarvagatai, a sub-range of the Khangai massif, Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia * Tarvagatai River, in the Tes ...

to join up with his Khoit clansmen. With a thousand men, he then marched to

Ili Ili, ILI, Illi may refer to: Abbreviations * Indian Law Institute * Influenza-like illness * Intelligent Land Investments * Intensive lifestyle intervention, a type of lifestyle medicine * International Law Institute, a non-profit organization ...

where they surprised Lama Dorji and killed him on 13January 1753. Other sources claim that Lama Dorji was killed by his own troops in December 1752. Dawachi then assumed the title ''Khong Tayiji'' of the Dzungars.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorji, Lama Dzungar Khanate 18th-century Mongol khans Tibetan Buddhist monks 1720s births 1753 deaths

See also

References