Torghut
Location of Torghut in the Oirat Confederation | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 202,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| China | 106,000 |
| Russia | 82,500 |
| Mongolia | 14,176 |
| Languages | |
| Torgut dialect of Oirat | |
| Religion | |
| Tibetan Buddhism, Mongolian shamanism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Mongols, especially Oirats | |
The Torghut (Mongolian: Торгууд, ᠲᠤᠷᠭᠣᠣᠠ, Torguud, "Guardsman", simplified Chinese: 土尔扈特; traditional Chinese: 土爾扈特) are one of the four major subgroups of the Four Oirats. The Torghut nobles traced their descent to the Mongol Keraite ruler Toghrul, and many Torghuts descended from the Keraites. They are scattered in the provinces of Xinjiang (China), Kalmykia (Russia) and Khovd (Mongolia).