Cause & Context
The Torghuts moved to the lower Volga in the seventeenth century. By the eighteenth century, relations with Russian authority, pressure on pasture, and regional warfare had grown tense; later national histories emphasize different causes for the 1771 movement.
Epochal Overview
In 1771 Ubashi led most Volga Kalmyk-Torghuts east toward Qing-controlled Dzungaria. Migrants suffered attacks, hunger, disease, and severe weather, with heavy losses; another part of the Kalmyk population remained west of the Volga.
Civilizational Impact
The migration altered the distribution of Volga Kalmyks and populations in the Qing northwest. Later Russian, Chinese, and Kazakh narratives use different names and interpretations, so the movement, Qing reception, and subsequent national memories should be distinguished.
Key Figures
Ubashi organized the migration; the Russian government tried to prevent the departure; and the Qianlong court received and resettled those who entered Qing territory. Migrants and communities along the route bore the costs of conflict and resource pressure.