INTRODUCTORY NOTICES. 
13 
The four tribes, or divisions, of the Oirat have been variously stated 
and the subject has given rise to some discussion, which there is no need 
to enter into here. Briefly put, the Qalmaq, or Oira, people may be regarded 
as merely the western branch of the Mongol race, while this branch has 
been divided always into four sections (whence the name Durben-Oirat), 
w-hich were again more or less subdivided. 
As in the case of most, if not all, Mongol tribes, the western, or Oira, 
nation originally consisted of two wings, called the “ Bight-hand ” or 
Boronghar and the “ Left-hand ” or Zunghar} The former of these seems 
almost completely to have disappeared previous to the conquests of 
Cingiz Khan, at the beginning of the 13th century ; though in reality a 
remnant was left as will appear lower down. Still the sections of the 
left wing alone have latterly formed the Four Oirat. Their names are :— 
(1) The Choros (or Cholos—the Cho-lo-sze of the Chinese). 
(2) The Durbet (or Turbate Tu-rh-po-te). 
(3) The Turgut (or Turghud—Tu-rh-hu-te). 
(4) The Khoshot (Ho-She-te). 
Thus, wTien we read of the Zunghar tribe (the Chongkar of the Chinese), 
it should mean, properly speaking, the whole of these four tribes, or all 
that exist of the Left-hand wing of the original Oirat. The vanity of a 
chief, however, caused at one period a modification of this simple rule— 
a matter that has been briefly explained by a Chinese author cited by 
Dr. Bretschneider. 2 We are told that on his accession the chief of the 
Choros tribe, known as Galdan Khan (about 1671) took the title of 
“ Zun gh ar Khan ”, and from this circumstance his tribe and country, 
especially, became known (for a time it would appear) by the name of 
Zunghar. In this way the whole of the Zun gh ar seem to have been regarded 
merely as the Choros under another name, while the latter name had (and 
has since) almost fallen out of ordinary use. On the other hand, however, 
the Choros having become the predominant tribe, and being known as 
Zunghar . this last name became subsequently a synonym with Oirat, or 
Eleuth—as indeed it more correctly should be. It may happen, therefore, 
that writings are to be met with where the term Zun gh ar is made to denote 
the Choros tribe alone, but if so it is incorrect. Our history of the Khojas 
is concerned almost entirely with the Choros tribe and its chiefs, so that 
when throughout the Turk! author’s text 3 w r e read of the “ Jungar ”, 
1 The Right-hand is always the Western, and the Left-hand the Eastern, Wing. 
1 Mediaeval Researches, 11, page 171. 
8 This will hardly appear in the Epitome, however. 
