Home Region: Mongolia (Central and Northern Eurasia)

Zungharian Empire

1670 CE 1757 CE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 mn_zungharian_emp / MnZungh

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[cultural assimilation; Khalkhas] [absorption] Update here

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

Displayed:

Learn more about polity border choices. Map Modern Map only Opacity Year Play rate (y/s)
Hit enter after changing the year or setting the play rate.

General Description

The Zungharian polity was, according to Atwood, ^[1] "the last great independent power of the steppe". The tribal name "Zunghar" first appeared in the seventeenth century, as part of the Oirat confederation of steppe tribes; their rise to dominance within the confederation began under the leadership of Khara-Khula (d. 1634), but it was only in the 1670s, under Galdan, that they officially became the confederacy’s leading tribe, and recognised as such even by the Dail Lama, who gave Galdan the title of Boshogtu Khan. ^[1] At its height, the Zungharian polity included portions of Central Asia, Kazakhstan, western Mongolia, neighbouring areas of southern Siberia, and Xinjiang. ^[2] In 1755, the Qing empire was able to annex the Zungharians following a relatively quick and bloodless military campaign; because the Zungharians had successfully repelled the Chinese army several times before, the cause for this sudden collapse can most likely be found in the conflict between the successors of the last great Zugharian ruler, Galdan-Tseren (d. 1735). ^[3]
Population and political organization
The Zungharian ruler, known as Khung-Taiji, benefited from the support of an office (yamu) or court (zarghu) composed of four chief officials, known as ministers (tüshimed), judges (zarghuchis), or grand councillors (zaisangs). Galdan-Tseren, the only Zungharian ruler to also be known by the title of Khan, added six additional councillors. Each of the tribes that made up the Zungharian-led confederacy (previously known as the Oirat confederacy) and its own ruler who was himself supported by his own councillors, as well as minor functionaries such as standard-bearers and trumpeters. Finally, each tribe was itself subdivided into otogs, which were themselves subdivided into smaller units (of 40 and then 20 households) governed by local commoner officials. ^[4]
Sources say that the Zungharian polity included "200,000 households"; ^[4] with a conservative estimate of 3-8 people per household, the population would therefore have been in the range of 600,000-1,600,000 people.

[1]: (Atwood 2004, 622)

[2]: (Rogers 2012, 236)

[3]: (Atwood 2004, 623-624)

[4]: (Atwood 2004, 421)

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

4 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 History

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions

7 Power Transition

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp) was in:
(1695 CE 1745 CE)	Orkhon Valley

Home NGA: Orkhon Valley

General Variables

Identity and Location Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	45 T	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Original Name	Zungharian Empire	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Zungharia	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Zunghars	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Junghar	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Dzungar	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Temporal Bounds Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1679 CE ➜ 1745 CE]
Loading...

Duration	[1670 CE ➜ 1757 CE]
Loading...

Political and Cultural Relations Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Supracultural Entity	Oirats	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity	China - Early Qing	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Relationship to Preceding Entity	cultural assimilation	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Preceding Entity	cultural assimilation; Khalkhas [absorption] Update here
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	confederated state	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Language Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Mongolic	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Language	Oirat	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Religion Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Polity Territory	[170,000 to 210,000] km²	1700 CE
Loading...

Polity Population	[600,000 to 1,600,000] people	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Hierarchical Complexity Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[2 to 3]	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Religious Level	[1 to 2]	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Military Level	[3 to 6]	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Administrative Level	[2 to 5]	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Professions Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Professional Priesthood	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Professional Military Officer	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Bureaucracy Characteristics Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Merit Promotion	Absent Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Full Time Bureaucrat	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Examination System	Absent Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Law Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Judge	Absent Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Formal Legal Code	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Court	Absent Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Irrigation System	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Food Storage Site	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Transport Infrastructure Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Port	Absent	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Canal	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Bridge	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Special-purpose Sites Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Information / Writing System Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Script	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Nonwritten Record	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Sacred Text	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Religious Literature	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Practical Literature	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

History	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Information / Money Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Precious Metal	Absent	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Paper Currency	Absent	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Indigenous Coin	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Foreign Coin	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Article	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Information / Postal System Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Courier	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Information / Measurement System Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Modern Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moat	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Earth Rampart	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Ditch	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Long Wall	unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Military use of Metals Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Iron	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Copper	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Bronze	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Projectiles Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Sling Siege Engine	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Sling	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Self Bow	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Javelin	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Handheld Firearm	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Crossbow	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Composite Bow	Present Inferred	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Atlatl	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Handheld weapons Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Sword	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Spear	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Polearm	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Dagger	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Battle Axe	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Animals used in warfare Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Elephant	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Donkey	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Dog	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Camel	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Armor Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Shield	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Scaled Armor	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Plate Armor	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Leather Cloth	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Laminar Armor	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Helmet	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Chainmail	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Naval technology Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Present	1670 CE 1757 CE
Loading...

Human Sacrifice Zungharian Empire (mn_zungharian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More