Battle of the Salween River
- When
- 1718
- Where
- Salween River, Tibet
- Episodes
- 1
In September 1718, a Qing expeditionary force attempting to expel Dzungar occupiers from Tibet was defeated by Dzungar Khanate troops near the Salween River. The Dzungars killed the Qing commander Erentei and besieged the retreating army, delaying Qing restoration of control in the region until 1720.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Following the Dzungar conquest of Tibet in 1717 under Khong Tayiji Tsewang Rabtan, the Qing Kangxi Emperor ordered a military response. However, logistical challenges delayed the mobilization of an army composed of Chinese and Muslim soldiers in Xining until 1718.
Combat. The Qing expedition encountered a Dzungar force blocking its path to Lhasa near the Salween River. In open-field combat, the Dzungars killed the Qing commander Erentei. The Qing forces were subsequently pushed back into their camp, where they faced a tight siege by Oirat and Tibetan troops.
Aftermath. The defeat at the Salween River prevented the immediate expulsion of the Dzungars from Tibet. Qing control was not re-established until 1720, when a larger expeditionary force entered Lhasa and expelled the Dzungar occupiers.
People involved
- Kangxi Emperor · Qing Emperor who ordered the expedition
- Tsewang Rabtan · Dzungar Khong Tayiji who ordered the conquest of Tibet
- Erentei · Qing commander killed during the battle
Sources
- Battle of the Salween River Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.