Ulgain

Ulgain lay in the grasslands near Shilingol. The Ulagai River, called Ulgain Gol in Mongolian, shares the name. The river rises west of the Greater Khingan Mountains and flows southwest before its lower course spreads into wetlands and lakes on the East Ujimqin grassland.

Across the wider Mongolian steppe, pastoral communities moved between grazing areas in response to seasonal conditions and water. In the early modern period, changing Mongol political divisions and the expansion of Qing authority brought new administrative relationships to the region.