An Annotated Translation of Čeveng’s Ethnography of Mongolian MinoritiesㆍⅢ: The Qotung, the Bayad, the Ögeled, the Mingγad, the ǰaqačin,the Torγud, the Čaqar, and the Dariγangγa
Authors:   The Korean Association for Mongolian Studies, Kim Janggoo 
Published: December 2023

This article is an annotated translation of the Ethnography of Mongolian Minorities written by ǰamsaring-un Čeveng, a great modern Mongolian scholar, covering from the Qotung to the Dariγangγa.
First of all, the livelihood of the Qotung is farming, and they have been absorbed into the culture of the Mongols dwelling in the midst of the Dörbed. However, their appearance still retains many Turkic characteristics. They practice Islam as their faith and seek marriage partners only within the same tribe. They used to offer grain (wheat), livestock, and silver to the princes and provided labor as well.
The Bayad’s habitat is suitable for raising livestock and farming. Their livelihood is raising the five kinds of livestock, with numerous yaks and few oxen, while some engage in hunting.
The Ögeled’s habitat is good for raising cattle. The Ögeled are of Mongolian descent and were members of the Four Oyirad. They raise numerous yaks, camels, and sheep, but sow crops on a small scale, with some practicing hunting.
The origin of the Mingγad is of Turkic descent, but they gradually started using Mongolian language. Their customs are similar to those of the Qotoγoid, and their physique is similar to that of the Mongols. Their main occupation is nomadic, and they do not practice agriculture.
The ǰaqačin have Torγud origins, and in history, the guards of the borders of the Jungar state were called ǰaqačin. Their primary occupation is nomadic, with some engaging in farming and others in hunting.
The Torγud have a distinct way of life, customs, dialect, etc., but they are close to the ǰaqačin. As means of subsistence, they have livestock for transhumance, with some engaging in farming, and they were a branch of the Four Oyirad.
The aforementioned the Dörbed, Ögeled, Torγud, ǰaqačin, and so on were all tribes of the Four Oyirad, and the remnants after the fall of the Jungar state.
The 16 sumuns of the Čaqars of the Ili in the Sinkiang province consisted of the people from the Čaqar and the Naiman qosiγun who were relocated and settled to guard the border regions and promote farming in 1758. When the Mongolian National Revolution occurred in 1911, Sumiya of the Čaqars led his subjects to join Mongolia, and they were resettled in the west of Kyakhta. The Čaqars are alert and proficient in their work, with a fondness for swift horses and a dedication to improving horse breeds.
The Dariγangγa people are those who were relocated from Naiman qosiγun (Banner) of the Čaqar, subjects of Ligden Qutuγtu Qaγan. Dariγangγa is the narrowest point for crossing the Mongolian Gobi Desert, and from early times it has served as a passage for great armies. The origin of the Dariγangγa pasture dates back to the Kangxi emperor of the Qing dynasty. After defeating the Ögeled when Γaldan of the Ögeled attacked the Khalkha, the Kangxi Emperor ordered to gather and raise the captured livestock in Dariγangγa. Every year, a specific number of cattle established by the Čaqar’s yamun was delivered.
In this way, Čeveng systematically organized various sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the lives, natural environment, history, and culture of the ethnic minorities that constitute Mongolia. In particular, the detailed descriptions of the borders of Mongolia aimed to help understand the population and economic conditions of the ethnic minorities, who were part of the newly independent Mongolia in 1921, and contribute to stable governance.