(The following is a preview chapter that contains major spoilers, and is subject for change in the future)
IX: My Brother
The elks of the Altai Mountains had been feasting on the lush grass and plants all summer, thus making their bodies fat and plump for the autumn season. Sengge’s two sons: Sonom and Tsewang were out hunting with their father, along with his generals and ministers. They had gathered to hunt; not just to gather game to eat, but to train in military tactics and how to shoot from horseback with the new firearms purchased from Russian, India and Persia. The boys rode forwards, quickly galloping in front of the rest of the hunters, eager to be the first one to fell one of the elks. But despite their size, the elks were fast, zig-zagging across the rocky forest as the boys continued to chase after them, hoping to get a good shot at one of them. Then as they continued to chase the herd down hill, Tsewang fired his gun, and it spit in two as it exploded right in front of his face. Tsewang fell off his horse and stuck his head hard on the rocky terrain. His body stiffened and shook violently in painful spasms before he fell unconscious. To the relief of the everyone around he quickly re-woke, but was disoriented and left blind in one eye. His horse was left squealing and snorting from pain as it had broken its leg during the fall. Sengge gave Tsewang his knife, and told the boy to put his horse out of it misery. It would be the only animal felled during the hunt, as the group slaughtered and skinned the horse in silence before returning to take care of the boy’s head trauma.
In 1657, Ubushi’s grievances the Dzungars had not gone away, and when civil war broke out between Sengge and his older brother Tsetsen, who wished to take the throne for themselves. But thanks to Galdama’s mediation, a bloody battle did not occur, as he instead challenged the enemy army’s commander to a game of chess instead of fighting. Though Galdama loved war, and had no qualms about spilling blood, he was not eager to throw away the lives of his brethren because of a succession dispute. Thanks to his arrival in Dzungaria, the fighting largely stopped; no one dared to fight Galdama head on as he was far to popular to go against publically, and far too good of a general to make people want to fight him. But the peace that Galdama’s imposed with his authority would not last long, and the civil war further escalated among the Khoshuts in Alxa, between Ochirtu and his brother Ablai over the inheritance of Ochirtus mother’s tribe. Since the trade between China and Russia stretched through the lands of both Ochirtu and Ablai’s lands, the Russians supported Ablai’s annexation of his mother-in-laws lands, instead of her son. This inevitable lead to conflict between the two, and Ubushi was eager to support Ablai, along with the Dörbet prince Dayan Ombo; Sengge followed through with his obligations to aid Ochirtu, and Dzungaria was once again plunged into war between its princes.
In the winter of 1661, Sengge set out to meet the pretenders with his army. When the two armies encountered one another on the Emil River, Sengge proceeded to stop his forces at an advantageous position; but were caught by surprise by Ablai who attacked them from the rear. Following a bloody skirmish, both sides fortified during the night. But Sengge, having obtained cannons from the Russians, used them to devastate the enemy army the following day. After their defeat, Tsetsen and Ablai made their way to his monastery of Ablaikit, where they were besieged for a month. Albai’s lands, horses and wealth were taken as he hid at the monastery. With the siege dragging out, Galdama told his father and Sengge to return the stolen riches and lands that had been taken during the war, and to reconcile with their their brothers to end the conflict. Galdama had no authority to make demands such as this, but Sengge agreed that it was the wise decision. Galdama rode up to to the monastery with only 3 unarmed men, and gave Ablai the offer to surrender with the agreement that Galdama had suggested; which he agreed to. But even though Galdama returned to south to guard the border, the conflict between Sengge and his brothers still had not come to an end.
Galdama and his men were camping on the Talas River, in 1658. When the soldiers occupied celebrating the new year, news of a 30.000 strong Bukharan army headed towards them. Quickly assembling an army of just 3.000 warriors to meet them, Galdama ambushed the Bukharans, and by attacking the army from behind and capturing their leader. Thus beheading the army’s leadership and sending them back across the border. This event would bring Sengge’s attention south to Moghulistan, he not only sought to expand trade with both China and Russia like his father, but also to the land where rich and ancient cities stood. Dzungar and Burut mercenaries had been serving as mercenaries for the Moghul Khan Abdallah; himself half-Oirat from his mother’s side. Sengge had been sending frequent incursions into Moghulistan, not just to raid, but to also test the Khan’s might. Sengge himself lead an invasion of Moghulistan in order to support the uprising of his fellow Buddhists: The Yugurs in the southern Taklamakan. But their rebellion was brutally crushed, and Abdallah was able to put all his attention towards Sengge and his army, which had just reached Keriya. He was met with an army of 10.000 coming from the south, and whilst attempting to move back north, Sengge’s rout was stopped with even more troops coming in from the west. Sengge was surrounded, and in order to break out of the envelopment, he was forced to fight his way out. Three separate attacks were launched, which resulted in bloody fighting without a clear winner; exhausted from battle, both sides agreed to a truce, and Sengge was allowed to return home with his army without further attack. Abdallah hoped that his battle with the Khong Taiji would be enough to dissuade further attacks, but instead it only lead Sengge to take further measured against Moghulistan. In 1665, the Dzungars lead by Galdama descended on the cities of Aksu, Kashgar, and Yarkant. Its ruler: Abdullah Khan, by decision of his Begs, was forced to flee to India. In his place, a Khan loyal from the Muslim religious order in Yarkant was placed as the leader of Moghulistan; securing Dzungar trade and bringing the riches of the seven cities north, and forcing the Bukharans to pay tax to Sengge. But due to the outbreak of war in Dzungaria, Galdama was forced to abandon his campaign and return back north. In his stead, Abdallah’s son Yulbars would be appointed Khan and leader of Moghulistan. But diffrent factions within Moghulistan also declared their own Khans, plunging the region into civil war between the two factions of the Black Mountain in Kashgar lead by his uncle Ishmail, and the White Moutain who supported Yulbars. Each were sections of the Naqshbandi, a religious sect stretching from the Caspian to India, now the two factions fractured into civil war between one another.
The now Lama Galdan returned to Dzungaria in 1664, where upon he was warmly greeted with gifts along the way by passer-byers who all asked for his blessings. Sengge embraced his younger brother; he was overjoyed to see him, and a large banquet was gathered in their honor. The town that their father had built was tiny compared Lhasa, but the valley it sat on was lush with grass and flowers, and was named: Khulja, taking its name from the Kazakh’s name for the Ili. Khulja’s palace was also tiny compared to the Dalai Lama’s residence at the Portala Palace. Its courtroom was dark, with small fires lit in each corner providing light and heat; with a bronze statue of the Buddha shining out of the darkness. Sengge sat slightly above the rest on a table, covered in white felt. Their childhood friend: Lady Anu. Beautiful with black hair, deep affectionate eyes and skin pale as the moon, had become a Queen, and Sengge’s wife. Their mother: Yum Agnas, could not be more proud of her son, and felt that Gandans return as the new Khutughtu had fulfilled the promise that had brouht him to this world in the first place. Everyone was eager to reunite with Galdan, and to hear of his time in Tibet; as Zaya Pandita’s successor, he had not only been an instrumental figure in Galdan’s life, but also for Sengge, who had also frequently met him whilst he was staying in Dzungaria. Now Galdans role would be immense, and Sengge was more than eager to help Galdan settle back into his old home.
Sengge had expanded Dzungar control greatly, and impressed Galdan greatly as a strong and powerful ruler, in spite of all the issues surrounding him at home. He would come to see Galdan’s might first hand in 1667, when Sengge lead a large army and captured the Altan Khanate Prince Rinchin; finally destroying the for good, and submitting the Khotogoid to Dzungar rule. Rinchin’s hand was cut off in punishment, and Sengge took one of his daughters as his wife. With the Altan Khanate being almost completely destroyed, the previous agreements with trade that the Russians had with the Altan Kanate were now void. The tribes of southern Siberia also came into dispute, as they were supposed to be under Dzungar control, but the Russians taxed the people there, claiming their previous agreements with the Altan Khan had granted them control over the upper Yenesei, Ob and Irtysh Rivers. Sengge fought several skirmishes against Russian Cossacks attempting to probe into the region, but no formal war broke out between the two states, and the Cossack skirmishes continued to Sengge’s’ frustration. The Buryats living around Lake Baikal fought a guerrilla war against the Russian Cossacks trying to settle in their lands. They had been subjects of the Altan Khan, and had now fought for their independence against the Russians, and had asked the Tusheet Khan to annex their lands in order to not fall under Russian control, who agreed to intervene. Instead of fighting the Russians head on, they instead abandoned their settlements, and withdrew into the forests, attacking the Russians and laying siege to their forts whenever the opportunity presented itself. Sengge invited Galdan to became part of the negations with the Russians regarding the Telengits, some of whom had migrated north into Russia. The Russian ambassador treated him with the same generosity that they bestowed with his brother, but Galdan clarified that he was only a Lama, and not a prince nor a general. Both the Tusheet Khan, and the Setsen Khan signed treaties with the Manchu Emperor in order to ensure peace. But the Zasagt Khan had refused the same agreement multiple times, and the Altan Khan had not received such an offer. Sengge’s defeat of the Altan Khan resulted in him becoming increasingly involved in the affairs of Khalkha. Even though the Zasagt Khan, who was receding in the Khangai Mountains, saw Sengge as a threat, but when the Tusheet Khan attacked, they were more willing to see Sengge’s aid in the conflict, and the war between them would divide Mongolia in two.
Galdan said farewell to his brother for the time being, and left for Alxa, along with lady Anu and her brother Galdama, along with a retinue of soldiers. He went off to teach the word of the Buddha and the Dalai Lama to Ochirtu’s people, and Ochirtu’s children joined Galdan to see their father, as they had now spent years apart. But even though the travelers would experience some calm out in the Gobi, all of their lives would unexpectedly take drastic turn shortly after arriving in Alxa. Galdama was poisoned by his step-mother: Ude Agas, in 1669, after having witnessed her having an affair with her Gelug physician. The actual reason for his death would remain a mystery for some time. His body was cremated, and the ashes were sent to Tibet to be blessed by the Dalai Lama, who upon opening his earn saw that his heart had turned to bone during his cremation. Dzungaria’s greatest warrior died without any blood being spilt, and his death would mark the restarting of conflict.
With Galdama gone, Ablai did not wish to stay in Dzungaria for long. Instead he traveled with his portion of the Khoshut tribe to the Urals; as he had established trade relations with the Russians decades prior. He was joined by his uncle: the Khoshut prince Ubushi and migrated in order to escape Dzungar rule, and again the Caspian shores were faced with Khoshut invasion. They battled with the Dörbet prince Dayan Ombo, and following a truce, Omdo joined the Khoshuts in their invasion. Continuing down the Yaik River, they conquered and subjugated the Khoshuts living on the river’s banks. The elderly Kalmyk prince Daichin, the son of Kho Orluk, went out to fight the Khoshut invaders, but was captured in battle. His young grandson: Ayuka, moved the Kalmyks across the Volga and asked the Russians to intervene. A dispute between the Khoshut princes eventually broke out over the division of the conquered Kalmyk lands Ubushi left to the east with his captives, where upon he was met with Ochirtu’s army. In the aftermath of the battle, both Ubushi and the Kalmyk prince Daichin were captured, and were sent off to Tibet in exile.
Following the end of one of many military meetings, Sengge grew drunker as he drank alone in his courtroom, then suddenly shouting could be heard by the guards outside. Riders had been spotted over the hills, and the soldiers began to prepare for a potential confrontation. Their father’s realm had been divided in two, with Sengge ruling over the south with the support of Ochirtu, and the north being ruled by their brother Tsetsen, along with many other nobles that had joined his side. No attack came, but everyone not inebriated were still on high alert. With the guests having left, the captain of the guards reported to Sengge about potential scouts being spotted, by that no army was in sight. Sengge waved him off, covered himself with a pillow and went off to sleep. When the captain of the guards left Sengge’s residence, and went off to the guard’s quarter, before encountering two men wishing to see the Khong Taiji. The captain, not recognizing the two men, told them angrily that he was sleeping, and for them to get out of here, before he was struck down. Meanwhile, other infiltrators killed the guards and stole their weaponry, the commotion was only now beginning as the people began to figure out what was going on. The two men were Tsetsen, and his brother general Zodov; they had been expecting their younger Sengge to be prepared for a fight, but instead he was sleeping peacefully. The fat and old Tsetsen could breathe a sigh of relief, as he nodded to his brother to finish with their task. Zodov drew his sword, and with all his might, struck the sleeping Sengge on the body. Sengge’s body trembled from the shock of the blow, he woke up in shock and panic in his eyes, and saw his two brothers before him. Unable to speak a word from the pain, Zodov struck Sengge again, this time in the head; killing him.