Dzungar Khanate: Map & History
The Dzungar Khanate, also known as the Zunghar Khanate or Junggar Khanate was the last nomadic empire of Oirat origin.
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The Dzungar Khanate, also known as the Zunghar Khanate or Junggar Khanate was the last nomadic empire of Oirat origin. At its greatest extent, it covered an area from southern Siberia in the north to Tibet in the south, and from present-day west of Mongolia and the Great Wall of China in the east to present-day Kazakhstan in the west. The core of the Dzungar Khanate is today part of northern Xinjiang, also called Dzungaria.
Modern Countries Once Part of Dzungar Khanate
At its mapped extent, Dzungar Khanate covered territory in 5 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Mongolia1687–1695 CE · most
- Kyrgyzstan1677–1756 CE · a large part
- Kazakhstan1677–1756 CE · a small part
- China1609–1756 CE · a small part
- Russia1687–1695 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Dzungar Khanate's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Dzungar Khanate in Depth
History
The Oirats were originally from the forested region of northwestern Mongolia, where they lived during the early 13th century. In The Secret History of the Mongols, the Oirats are classified as a "forest people" (oy-yin irgen) and are not included among the lineages that constituted the Mongol nation. The Oirats were regarded as a distinct people rather than as one of the branches of the Mongols proper, and are portrayed as a non-Mongol people, alongside groups such as the Kereits and Naimans. The chronicle mentions them only briefly, identifying them as one of the forest peoples who submitted to Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan, during his campaign of 1207.
Culture
The Oirats were once the most powerful nomadic horsemen in the steppes of Inner Asia during the post-Mongol period. The Oirats rose to prominence under charismatic leaders such as Esen Taishi (r. 1439–1455) and Galdan Boshugtu Khan (r. 1671–1697), who forged powerful—though ultimately short-lived nomadic empires, which harassed their neighboring Chinggisid polities, including the Northern Yuan (1368-1691), Moghul Khanate (1347-1680s), the Uzbek Khanate (1501–1747), and the Kazakh Khanate (1450s–1848). From the mid-seventeenth century onward, the Oirats of the Volga region, known as the Kalmyks, alone menaced their nomadic neighbor, such as the Nogais and Tatars.
Oirat society was similar to other nomadic societies.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Dzungar Khanate (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Dzungar Khanate Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Dzungar Khanate appears, with the other states of the time.
Dzungar Khanate Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 3,653,443 km² in 1688 CE.
Dzungar Khanate: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Dzungar Khanate exist?
The Dzungar Khanate is dated to 1609 CE – 1756 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
What was the capital of the Dzungar Khanate?
The capital of the Dzungar Khanate was Ghulja.
How large was the Dzungar Khanate at its peak?
At its peak in 1688 the Dzungar Khanate covered about 3,653,443 km².
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