The war waged by the Manchu court against the Oirad, a tribe of the Western Mongols, only a few decades after the establishment of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) is the subject of this study. The Oirad leader Galdan, who favoured pan-Mongolian aspirations, thus challenging Emperor Kangxi, finally succumed to the superior military forces of the Qing (1696). The documents used in this study are drawn exclusively from the compilation Qing Shilu. Those entries which are related to the Oirad war and its origins have been translated, arranged chronologically and annotated.