in the summer of 1756, chingunjav began his rebellion by leaving his post, gathering troops in his home area, and sending a letter to the qianlong emperor. however, although there was widespread unrest throughout khalkha, support from other nobles and even from the 2nd jebtsundamba khutughtu was not forthcoming, and chingünjav never managed to command more than 1,000-2,000 troops. by the time the manchu were able to reinforce their loyal outer mongolian troops with detachments from inner mongolia, chingünjav had achieved little more than spending time by waiting for an answer for his appeals to the nobility and the jebtsundamba, and consequently was not able to face the manchu in an open battle. he retreated northward towards the darkhad area, with his force continuously shrinking through desertions. when he was captured at a place now known as wang tolgoi, about from khankh, in january 1757, all but 50 of his men had left him.