Oirats are the westernmost group of the Mongols who unifiy several tribes origin whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of western Mongolia.

Although the Oirats originate in the eastern parts of Central Asia, the most prominent group today is located in the Republic of Kalmykia, a federal subject of the Russian Federation, where they are called Kalmyks.

The Kalmyks migrate from Dzungaria to the southeastern European part of the Russian Federation in the early 17th century.Historically, the Oirats are composed of four major tribes: Dzungar (Choros or Ööled), Torghut, Dörbet, and Khoshut.

The minor tribes include: Khoid, Bayid, Myangad, Zakhchin, Baatud, Barga and Darkhad.