khanate · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Setsen Khanate

1580 CE – 1691 CE (approx.)

The eastern of the three Khalkha khanates of Outer Mongolia, in the Kherlen valley, which submitted to the Qing with the rest of Khalkha in 1691.

Origins

Among the descendants of Geresenje, son of Dayan Khan of the Northern Yuan, the princes of eastern Khalkha along the Kherlen river took the title Setsen Khan in the late 16th century, forming one of the three great divisions of Khalkha alongside the Tüsheet Khanate and Zasagt Khanate.

Rule and society

Its khans ruled herding peoples of the eastern steppe under a council of Chinggisid nobles. Being nearest to Manchuria, the khanate had early contact with the rising Manchu state. Sholoi Setsen Khan exchanged embassies and sent tribute to the Later Jin (1616-1636) and the early Qing Empire, sometimes clashing with them over raids and border subjects. Gelug Buddhism spread here as across Khalkha.

Decline and legacy

When the Dzungar ruler Galdan invaded Khalkha in 1688, the Setsen Khan's people fled towards Inner Mongolia. At the assembly of Dolon Nor in 1691 the Khalkha princes accepted Qing rule, and the khanate became a Qing administrative league.

Lineage

Setsen KhanateQing Empire 1644 CE – 1912 CE

Connections (1)

Setsen Khanate was part of Northern Yuan1580 CE – 1635 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Setsen Khanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/setsen-khanate
MLA: “Setsen Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/setsen-khanate. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Setsen Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/setsen-khanate.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Setsen Khanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/setsen-khanate (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻