The Zakhchin ( mn, Захчин) is a subgroup of the

Oirats Oirats ( mn, Ойрад, ''Oirad'', or , Oird; xal-RU, Өөрд; zh, 瓦剌; in the past, also Eleuths) are the westernmost group of the Mongols whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of Siberia, Xinjiang and western Mongolia. Histor ...

residing in

Khovd Province Khovd ( mn, Ховд, Howd, ) is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia, located in the west of the country. Its capital is also named Khovd. The Khovd province is approximately 1,580 km from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital. It take ...

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

. Zakhchin means 'Border people'. They are so called because they originated from the border garrison (mainly from

Torghut The Torghut ( Mongolian: Торгууд, , Torguud), , "Guardsman" are one of the four major subgroups of the Four Oirats. The Torghut nobles traced its descent to the Keraite ruler Tooril; also many Torghuts descended from the Keraites. Hist ...

, Dorbet Oirat, and

Dzungar Dzungar may refer to: *Dzungar people, Oirat tribes in the Dzungar Khanate *Dzungar Khanate, a historical empire * Jungar Banner, an administrative division of China *Junggar Basin The Junggar Basin () is one of the largest sedimentary basins in ...

) of the

Dzungar Khanate The Dzungar Khanate, also written as the Zunghar Khanate, was an Inner Asian khanate of Oirat Mongol origin. At its greatest extent, it covered an area from southern Siberia in the north to present-day Kyrgyzstan in the south, and from t ...

. They originally spoke the

Zakhchin dialect The Zakhchin ( mn, Захчин) is a subgroup of the Oirats residing in Khovd Province, Mongolia. Zakhchin means 'Border people'. They are so called because they originated from the border garrison (mainly from Torghut, Dorbet Oirat, and Dzungar ...

of the

Oirat language Oirat (Clear script: , , ; Kalmyk: , ; Khalkha Mongolian: , ) is a Mongolic language spoken by the descendants of Oirat Mongols, now forming parts of Mongols in China, Kalmyks in Russia and Mongolians. Largely mutually intelligible to other cor ...

, but actually pure Oirat language is used by elder generations, younger generations use a dialect being under a strong

Khalkha The Khalkha (Mongolian script, Mongolian: mn, Халх, Halh, , zh, 喀爾喀) have been the largest subgroup of Mongols, Mongol people in modern Mongolia since the 15th century. The Khalkha, together with Chahars, Ordos Mongols, Ordos and Tum ...

influence.

History

The Zakhchins conquered by the Manchus of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

in 1754 and controlled by Zasagt Khan aimag's Tsevdenjav gün, then moved to Zereg and Shar Khulsan. One Banner with 4(+1) sums were designated for them and noble Maamad (Mamuud) zaisan became the chieftain but Mamuud killed by Zungharian king Amarsanaa later and the Zakhchins revolted together with

Amursana Amursana ( Mongolian ; ; 172321September 1757) was an 18th-century ''taishi'' () or prince of the Khoit- Oirat tribe that ruled over parts of Dzungaria and Altishahr in present-day northwest China. Known as the last great Oirat hero, Amursana wa ...

against the Qing. The sums were: * Bichgiin meeren's sum (in modern Mankhan, Khovd province) * Güüj zan's sum (in modern Altai and part of Must, Khovd province) * Baljinnyam zahiragch sum (in modern Zereg and parts of Mankhan in Khovd province) * Jantsandorj's sum or Hoit (North) sum (in modern Mankhan, Khovd province) * Guniikhen (in modern Uyench, Khovd province) Administrative center was in Hoit sum's Tögrög Hüree. During the

Bogd Khanate of Mongolia The Bogd Khanate of Mongolia ( mn, , Богд хаант Монгол Улс; ) was the government of Outer Mongolia between 1911 and 1919 and again from 1921 to 1924. By the spring of 1911, some prominent Mongol nobles including Prince Tögs ...

, Zakhchin was subject to Dörbet Ünen Zorigt Khan

aimag An aimag (, ; xal, әәмг, ), originally a Mongolian word meaning 'tribe', is an administrative subdivision in Mongolia, Russia, and in the Inner Mongolia region of China. Mongolia In Mongolia, an aimag is the first-level administrative ...

. The south

Banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

is called ''Goviinkhon'' "people of the Gobi", while the north was called the ''Shiliinkhen'' "people of the mountain range".

Clans

Zakhchin has 16 tamga (seal) and 30 clans . Some of them are: * Donjooniikhon * Damjaaniikhan * Shurdaankhan * Baykhiinkhan * Emchiinkhen * Khereid * Tsagaan Yas * Aatiinkhan * Dumiyenkhen * Burd Tariachin * Adsagiinkhan * Tavagzaaniikhan * Nokhoikhon * Khotonguud * Khurmshtiinkhan * Mukhlainkhan

Number

The Zakhchin numbered 29,800 in 2000.''Хойт С.К.'' Последние данные по локализации и численности ойрат // Проблемы этногенеза и этнической культуры тюрко-монгольских народов. Вып. 2. Элиста: Изд-во КГУ, 2008. с. 136-157. - in Russian

Famous Zakhchins in modern Mongolia

Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj (, ''Cahiagín Elbegdorj'' ; also referred to as Mongolyin Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and Tsakhia Elbegdorj; born 30 March 1963) is a Mongolian politician who served as President of Mongolia from 2009 to 2017. He previously ser ...

, who is a former

President of Mongolia The president of Mongolia ( mn, Монгол Улсын Ерөнхийлөгч, ''Mongol Ulsyn Yerönkhiilögch'') is the executive head of state of Mongolia.Montsame News Agency. ''Mongolia''. 2006, , p. 42 The current president is Ukhnaagiin ...

* Damdingiin Demberel, who is current speaker of State Parliament *

Rinchinnyamyn Amarjargal Rinchinnyam Amarjargal ( Mongolian ; born February 2, 1961) was Prime Minister of Mongolia from July 30, 1999 to July 26, 2000. He is a leading member of the Democratic Party. Life Early years and education Amarjargal was born in Ulaanbaata ...

, who is a former

Prime Minister of Mongolia The Prime Minister of Mongolia () is the head of government of Mongolia and heads the Mongolian cabinet. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Mongolian parliament or the State Great Hural, and can be removed by the parliament with a vote of no ...

References

Literature

* [hamagmongol.narod.ru/library/khoyt_2008_r.htm ''Хойт С.К.'' Антропологические характеристики калмыков по данным исследователей XVIII-XIX вв. // Вестник Прикаспия: археология, история, этнография. No. 1. Элиста: Изд-во КГУ, 2008. с. 220–243.] * [hamagmongol.narod.ru/library/khoyt_2012_r.htm ''Хойт С.К.'' Калмыки в работах антропологов первой половины XX вв. // Вестник Прикаспия: археология, история, этнография. No. 3, 2012. с. 215–245.] Zakhchiny tüükh soël, öv ulamzhlal. Iadamzhav, ed. Ulaanbaatar : Soëmbo Printing KhKhK, 2014. {{Authority control Mongols Mongol peoples Ethnic groups in Mongolia Oirats