The prospect of grazing these grasslands proved an irresistible temptation for the Torghuts, who from the late 16th century began exploring routes across the deserts and through the steppe. Eventually they penetrated to e northern Caspian Sea and the Astrakhan region on the lower reaches of the Volga.
於是從十六世紀末年起，土爾扈特人開始陸續進行「探路」工作，他們愈行愈遠，穿越橫亙四千公里的沙漠和草原，最後抵達裡海北側、伏爾迦河下游的阿斯塔拉汗城。