The New Oirat Historical and Literary Monuments of the Second Half of the XVIIIth and XIXth Centuries

Abstract

To study and understand the rich and eventful history of the Oirats in the 17th-18th centuries, it is especially iTo study and understand the rich and eventful history of the Oirats in the 17th-18th centuries, it is especially important to look into the sources written by the Oirats themselves, as they offer an “insider’s view” of the major events in the Oirat and Kalmyk history. Among them, a special mention must be made of the historico-literary works discovered in Mongolia and China in the 20th century. Written in “clear script”, they possess significant academic and cognitive value. The majority of them were produced by the representatives of nobility and Buddhist clergy. Up to a certain degree, they managed to convey the mood and way of thinking characteristic of the common people. The works by those authors reflect the people’s historical mentality - more archaic and simplified, and their estimation of certain events and personas. Here, we are dealing with the transformation of real historic facts in oral tradition and with their written fixation. This paper is dedicated to the most significant works in that category: 1. “The Story of Kho Orluk”; 2. The anonymous “History of the Dörben Oirat”; 3. The genealogy of Torghut khans and princes known under the short title “Torgudyn Garulga” (“The Origin of Torghuts”).