They moved from Shaanxi to southeastern region controlled by the Northern Yuan dynasty based in the Mongolian Plateau in the 15th century.

When he died in Gansu on his way to Tibet, his son, Ejei, surrendered to the Manchu Later Jin dynasty in 1635 and was given the title of Prince (Chinese: 親王) and Inner Mongolian nobility became closely tied to the Qing royal family and intermarried with them extensively.

After Abunai showed disaffection with Manchu Qing rule, he was placed under house arrested in 1669 in Shenyang and the Kangxi Emperor gave his title to his son Borni.

The revolt was put down within two months; the Qing then crushed the rebels in a battle on April 20, 1675, killing Abunai and all his followers.

The Qing authorities resettled some of their population from the suburbs of Hohhot and Dolon Nor to the Ili River after the fall of the Dzungar Khanate in c. 1758.