Stories from Urumqi · China

Five Mongol tribes, including Torguts, Choros, Khoshuts, Derbets, and Hoyits, led by Taishi princes, migrated west from their territory in the western Mongolian steppes. They moved west and southwest into areas inhabited by Uzbek khanates and Kazakhs. This migration also led to the displacement of the weakened and fragmented Nogai Horde. Historical accounts indicate that Mongol tribes undertook westward migrations, a movement that resulted in the displacement of Turkic peoples. This migration pattern significantly altered the demographic and political landscape of the regions involved. This migration and its consequences were established by the 17th century, with Russian garrisons and voivodes exercising authority in areas like Astrakhan. Treaties in 1655 and 1657 permitted Kalmyks to settle on Russian territory, forming their own Khanate within the Russian state.