The Migration of the Torguts in 1771

Introduction. The migration of the majority of the Kalmyk people from the Russian Volga region to Central Asia in 1771 remains one of the most complex topics, including a range of issues. The assessment of facts and events largely depends on the nature of the sources, and the topic remains one of the most relevant in Mongolian studies. Even the name of the people in historiography is different, since the Oirats who remained in the Volga region finally adopted the self-designation “Kalmyks”, and those who migrated to Altai are called the Torguts, since they mainly represented this ethnic group. This article examines some aspects of the migration of the Kalmyks to Central Asia in 1771. The purpose of the work is to reconstruct the social and political picture of the migration of the Oirat—Torguts (Kalmyks) in 1771 using documents from the Qing archives. Materials and methods. The article analyzes archival documents related to the history of the Torguts (1731–1772), extracted from their “Collection of archival documents in the Manchu language on Xinjiang during the Qing Dynasty” (Guilin, 2012), which includes orders from Manchu and Chinese ministers and officials for the protection of the western and northern borders of the Qing Empire, and published in translation into Mongolian (Ulaanbaatar, 2021). The work undertakes a source analysis, scientific criticism of the source, processing and analysis of the data contained in the source, which, from the standpoint of the principles of historicism and objectivity, allowed us to consider the process of Kalmyks migration in the context of the era under consideration. Results. The study of Qing archival documents makes it possible to supplement the data on the migration of the Kalmyks (Oirats-Torguts) in 1771. When considering the reasons for the migration of 1771, it is worth considering the fact that in 1770 during their participation in the Russian-Turkish war, the Kalmyks were able to receive some material reinforcements, which accelerated their decision to migrate. Due to the warm winter, more than 18,000 families remained in the Volga nomads on the right bank, unable to cross the river. The 14 Oirat (Kalmyk) Taishi, who brought the Oirat-Torguts to the territory of Xinjiang, were received in a solemn ceremony by the Manchurian emperor. The article provides information about the specifics of policy-making in relation to migrants, that the plan for the creation of the Oirat seimas (Chuulgans) belonged to the Janja Hutukhta, about the audience on October 16-24, 1771 at Qianlong, about the appointment of the head of the Oirat seimas. Conclusions. When comparing Mongolian and Russian written sources, the secret reports of the Manchu ministers Shuhede, Iletu and Tsebden Balchur, and the Qianlong decrees, many questions become clear, including the goals, the time of the start of the migration, the route, the number of participants, and the policies of Russia and the Manchus. The migration of the Torguts in 1771 has left a dark mark on the history of the Oirat people, damaged the territorial integrity, population growth and, consequently, future development. The Manchus were able to strengthen their western borders due to them.

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