Oirats
Oirats (Mongolian: Ойрад, Oirad, Mongolian pronunciation: [ɔiˈrɑt]) or Oirds (Ойрд, Oird; Kalmyk: Өөрд; Chinese: 瓦剌, Wǎlà/Wǎlā), also formerly Eluts and Eleuths (Chinese: 厄魯特, Èlǔtè), are the westernmost group of the Mongols whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of Siberia, Xinjiang and western Mongolia.
The location of the Four Oirat | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 655,372 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| China (mainly in Xinjiang) | 250,000 (2013 estimate) |
| Mongolia | 205,000 (2010 census) |
| Russia | 183,372 (2010 census) |
| Kyrgyzstan | 12,000 (2018) |
| Other | 5,000 (2020) |
| Languages | |
| Mainly: Oirat, Russian, other Mongolian languages Regional: Chinese | |
| Religion | |
| Tibetan Buddhism, Mongolian shamanism, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Kalmyks and other Mongol peoples, Tuvans | |
Historically, the Oirats were composed of four major tribes: Dzungar (Choros or Olots), Torghut, Dörbet and Khoshut. The minor tribes include: Khoid, Bayads, Myangad, Zakhchin, Baatud.
The modern Kalmyks of Kalmykia on the Caspian Sea in southeastern Europe are Oirats.
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