In the late 14th century, the
Oirats emerged as the dominant power opposing the
Khalkha Mongols. The ruling clan of the
Four Oirat was Choros at the time. Under their leadership, the Western Mongols established
Dzungar Khanate. In 1455 other Oirat tribes overthrew the Choros Khan,
Esen Taishi, who had enthroned himself
Khagan of the
Mongols. About 1620 the Choros scattered after bitter fighting with the
Altan Khan of the Khalkha. The Khalkha and southwestern
Inner Mongolian princes repeatedly raided them from 1552 to 1628, forcing them to migrate further west. Some of the Choros fled with a group of the
Dörbet Oirat northward into
Siberia and present-day
Barnaul. But they crushed the Khalkha Altan Khan; and made an alliance with the northern Khalkhas in 1640. By 1690 three Oirat states had emerged: the
Khoshut, the
Kalmyk and the
Dzungar khanates. The majority of the Choros with the Dörbet and the Khoids settled in the region of the Black Irtysh, the
Ulungur River, the
Emil River, and the
Ili River, forming the Dzungar Khanate. The Dzunghar Khanate was ruled by the Dörbet and the Choros, displacing the Khoshut in from their homeland
Dzungaria. Although they reached their peak in the late 17th century, they began to disintegrate after
Galdan Boshugtu Khan's wars with the Qing. The Choros were defeated in 1697 and 1771 and they were annexed by the
Qing dynasty. File:Ili_region_Taiji_(Mongol_Prince)_and_his_wife,_Huang_Qing_Zhigong_Tu,_1769.jpg|Oirat Choros Prince (
Taiji, ) from
Ili, and his wife.
Huang Qing Zhigong Tu, 1769. File:Huang Qing Zhigong Tu, 1769, Mongol tribal leader (Zaisang, 宰桑) from Ili and other regions, with his wife.jpg|Oirat Choros tribal leader (Zaisang, 宰桑) from
Ili, with his wife.
Huang Qing Zhigong Tu, 1769. File:Huang Qing Zhigong Tu, 1769, commoner from Ili and other regions, with his wife.jpg|Oirat Choros commoners from
Ili region.
Huang Qing Zhigong Tu, 1769. ==Notes==