The Zakhchin () is a subgroup of the

Oirats Oirats (; ) or Oirds ( ; ), formerly known as Eluts and Eleuths ( or ; zh, 厄魯特, ''Èlǔtè'') are the westernmost group of Mongols, whose ancestral home is in the Altai Mountains, Altai region of Siberia, Xinjiang and western Mongolia. ...

residing in

Khovd Province Khovd (; ), alternatively romanized as Khobhd, is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia, located in the west of the country. Its capital is also named Khovd. Khovd province is approximately 1,580 km from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's cap ...

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

. Zakhchin means 'Border people'. They are so called because they originated from the border garrison (mainly from

Torghut The Torghut ( Mongolian: Торгууд, , Torguud, "Guardsman", ) are one of the four major subgroups of the Four Oirats. The Torghut nobles traced their descent to the Mongol Keraite ruler Toghrul, and many Torghuts descended from the Keraites. ...

, Dorbet Oirat, and Dzungar) 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 ...

. They originally spoke the Zakhchin dialect of the

Oirat language Oirat ( Clear script: , ; Kalmyk: , ; Khalkha Mongolian: , ) is a Mongolic language spoken by the descendants of Oirat Mongols, now forming parts of Mongols in China, Kalmyks in Russia and Mongolians. Largely mutually intelligible to oth ...

, but actually pure Oirat language is used by elder generations, younger generations use a dialect being under a strong

Khalkha The Khalkha (; ) have been the largest subgroup of the Mongols in modern Mongolia since the 15th century. The Khalkha, together with Chahars, Ordos Mongols, Ordos and Tumed, were directly ruled by Borjigin khans until the 20th century. In cont ...

influence.

History

The Zakhchins conquered by the Manchus of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

in 1754 and controlled by Zasagt Khan aimag's Tsevdenjav gün, then moved to Zereg and Shar Khulsan. One Banner with 4(+1) sums were designated for them and noble Maamad (Mamuud) zaisan became the chieftain but Mamuud killed by Zungharian king Amarsanaa later and the Zakhchins revolted together with

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

against the Qing. The sums were: * Bichgiin meeren's sum (in modern Mankhan, Khovd province) * Güüj zan's sum (in modern Altai and part of Must, Khovd province) * Baljinnyam zahiragch sum (in modern Zereg and parts of Mankhan in Khovd province) * Jantsandorj's sum or Hoit (North) sum (in modern Mankhan, Khovd province) * Guniikhen (in modern Uyench, Khovd province) Administrative center was in Hoit sum's Tögrög Hüree. During the

Bogd Khanate of Mongolia The Bogd Khanate of Mongolia was a country in Outer Mongolia between 1911 and 1915 and again from 1921 to 1924. By the spring of 1911, some prominent Mongol nobles including Prince Tögs-Ochiryn Namnansüren persuaded the Bogd Khan, Jebstundamb ...

, Zakhchin was subject to Dörbet Ünen Zorigt Khan

aimag An aimag ( ; ; ), originally a Mongolian word meaning 'tribe', is an administrative subdivision in Mongolia, Russia, and in the Inner Mongolia region of China. Mongolia In Mongolia, an aimag is the first-level administrative subdivision. ...

. The south

Banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

is called ''Goviinkhon'' "people of the Gobi", while the north was called the ''Shiliinkhen'' "people of the mountain range".

Clans

Zakhchin has 16 tamga (seal) and 30 clans . Some of them are: * Donjooniikhon * Damjaaniikhan * Shurdaankhan * Baykhiinkhan * Emchiinkhen * Khereid * Tsagaan Yas * Aatiinkhan * Dumiyenkhen * Burd Tariachin * Adsagiinkhan * Tavagzaaniikhan * Nokhoikhon * Khotonguud * Khurmshtiinkhan * Mukhlainkhan

Number

The Zakhchin numbered 29,800 in 2000.''Хойт С.К.'' Последние данные по локализации и численности ойрат // Проблемы этногенеза и этнической культуры тюрко-монгольских народов. Вып. 2. Элиста: Изд-во КГУ, 2008. с. 136-157. - in Russian

Famous Zakhchins in modern Mongolia

Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj (; born 30 March 1963) is a Mongolian politician and journalist who served as President of Mongolia from 2009 to 2017. He previously served as prime minister in 1998 and again from 2004 to 2006. Elbegdorj was one of the k ...

, who is a former

President of Mongolia The president of Mongolia is the executive head of state of Mongolia.Montsame NW Agency. ''Mongolina''. 2006, , p. 42 The current president is Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh. Political parties with representation in the State Great Khural nominate ...

* Damdingiin Demberel, who is current speaker of State Parliament *

Rinchinnyamyn Amarjargal Rinchinnyamyn Amarjargal (Mongolian ; born February 27, 1961) was Prime Minister of Mongolia from July 30, 1999 to July 26, 2000. He is a leading member of the Democratic Party. Life Early years and education Amarjargal was born in Ulaanb ...

, who is a former

Prime Minister of Mongolia The prime minister of Mongolia () is the head of the government of Mongolia. The prime minister is appointed by the Mongolian parliament or the State Great Khural, and can be removed by the parliament with a vote of no confidence. The incumbe ...

References

Literature

* [hamagmongol.narod.ru/library/khoyt_2008_r.htm ''Хойт С.К.'' Антропологические характеристики калмыков по данным исследователей XVIII-XIX вв. // Вестник Прикаспия: археология, история, этнография. No. 1. Элиста: Изд-во КГУ, 2008. с. 220–243.] * [hamagmongol.narod.ru/library/khoyt_2012_r.htm ''Хойт С.К.'' Калмыки в работах антропологов первой половины XX вв. // Вестник Прикаспия: археология, история, этнография. No. 3, 2012. с. 215–245.] Zakhchiny tüükh soël, öv ulamzhlal. Iadamzhav, ed. Ulaanbaatar : Soëmbo Printing KhKhK, 2014. {{Authority control Mongols Mongol peoples Ethnic groups in Mongolia Oirats