Overview
Tseren, known by the Manchu title efu (imperial son-in-law), was the Khalkha prince of the Sain Noyon house who became the Qing dynasty's most trusted Mongol commander of his generation. He married Princess Chunque, a daughter of the Kangxi Emperor, in 1706, and led the Khalkha forces that defeated the Dzungars near Erdene Zuu in the early 1730s. He held the rank of Jasagh khoshoi chin van, the highest princely title below khan, from 1728 until his death in 1750.
Rise to Power
Tseren belonged to the line of Tümenkhen, the founder of the Sain Noyon house. In 1725 the Yongzheng Emperor created a separate Sain Noyon aimag from western Tüsheet Khan lands to reduce the Tüsheet khans' dominance, and Tseren became its leading figure.
Rule and Achievements
- Married Princess Chunque, daughter of the Kangxi Emperor, in 1706, binding his house to the imperial family
- Led the Khalkha victory over the Dzungars near Erdene Zuu monastery in the early 1730s, after a Qing army had been defeated near Khoton Lake
- Held the rank of Jasagh khoshoi chin van from 1728 to 1750, the effective head of the new Sain Noyon aimag
- Died in 1750; his son Subashili, born of the princess, continued the family's high standing
Legacy
Tseren's career shows how the Qing bound the Khalkha nobility to the throne: through marriage, rank and shared war against a common enemy. His victory near Erdene Zuu, close to the monastery Abtai Sain Khan had founded, defended Khalkha against the Dzungars at a moment when the Qing army had failed.