Overview
Galdan Tseren, eldest son of Tsewang Rabtan, held the Dzungar Khanate together for eighteen years. He fought the Qing to a standstill and then kept the peace.
Rise to Power
On his father's death in 1727 he defeated his half-brother in a civil war and became khan.
Rule and Achievements
- Fought the Qing from 1729; peace talks began in 1734, and the border was settled on the Altai and Lake Uvs by 1739
- Developed irrigation and workshops making cloth, paper and arms, partly with captured craftsmen such as the Swedish officer Johan Gustaf Renat
- Drew revenue from the caravan trade between Russia and China
Legacy
He died in 1745. His sons fought over the succession, and within ten years the Qing conquered the Dzungar Khanate and destroyed most of its people.