Galdan Boshugtu Khan

Infobox Monarch
name =Galdan
title =Khan


caption =
reign =
coronation =
othertitles = Boshugtu
full name =
predecessor = Sengge
successor = Tsewang Rabtan
suc-type =
heir =
queen = Lady Anu
consort = Anudara
spouse 1 =
spouse 2 =
spouse 3 =
spouse 4 =
spouse 5 =
spouse 6 =
issue =
royal house = Choros
dynasty = Jungaria
royal anthem =
father =Erdeni Batur Hongtaiji
mother =Yum-Aga Hatun
date of birth =1644
place of birth =
date of death =1697
place of death =Acha Amtai, Kobdo region
date of burial =
place of burial =|

Choros Erdeniin Galdan (1644-1697) was a Choros-Oirat Khan of the Dzungar Khanate. He was the fourth son of Erdeni Baatur Hongtaiji, founder of the Dzungar Khanate, and the grandson of Güshi Khan, the first Khoshut-Oirat King of Tibet.

As a youth, Galdan was sent to Lhasa to be educated as a lama under the 5th Dalai Lama. When Galdan heard that his eldest brother, Sengge, was murdered by a half brother, Tseten, he renounced his status as a lama and quickly returned to the IrtyshFact|date=December 2007 Valley to avenge his brother's death. Galdan was granted the title, Hongtaiji, in 1671 by the Dalai Lama. After victory over Ochirtu Khan, the Dalai Lama gave Galdan the highest title of Boshughtu Khan.

During Galdan's rule, Dzungaria embraced Eastern Turkistan and parts of Central Asia, which he conquered by 1679. He is the founder of Kobdo city, which was his military garrison. To oppose the expansion of the Manchu Empire, Galdan attempted to unify Mongolia by occupying Khalkha in 1688. While he was fighting in Eastern Mongolia, his nephew Tsewang Rabtan seized the Dzungarian throne in 1689. After a series of successful battles in the Khangai mountains, at Lake Olgoi and Ulahui river, he approached near the Great Wall. The Khalkha leaders retreated to Inner Mongolia with their troops and the Khalkha territory fell under Galdan's rule. The Qing deceived him to arrive near Beijing saying that they needed a treaty, but ambushed him at Ulaan Budan, where Galdan's troops were seriously defeated by the Khalkha troops supported by the Qing army and Galdan retreated back to Khalkha. This time, the Qing Emperor dared to cross the Gobi to invade Khalkha and Galdan's troops were surrounded by the overwhelming Qing army at a site Zuunmod at the river Terelj in 1696. Galdan was saved freed from the encirclement by his spouse queen Anu who herself lost her life during the battle. With his remaining troops, Galdan retreated to Kobdo and died in 1697 in a suicide to avoid being captured by the enemy.

Further reading

* Zlatkin, Ilia Iakovlevich (1964). История Джунгарского ханства, 1635-1758. (History of the Jungarian Khanate, 1635-1758 ).