Deputations of the Kazakh Ruling Elite to the Court of the Russian Emperors (mid – second half of the 19th century)

Abstract

The article explores the history of Kazakh deputations to the Russian imperial court in the mid-to-late 19th century. For the first time in historiography, we have analyzed the deputative missions of the Kazakhs during this period as a mechanism for interaction between the imperial ruling circles and the steppe elite. The article aims to scrutinize the goals and objectives of sending deputations, the composition of participants, and the characteristics of this practice throughout its existence. Amidst the social transformation of Kazakh society – spurred by the integration of the steppe region into the broader imperial space – the status of the local elite began to be determined more by personal merits to the empire than by class origin. The Russian authorities viewed the practice of deputations as a means of bolstering the loyalty of the steppe aristocracy, and also to draw them in as participants in the empire’s civilizing mission in the East. For the Kazakh elite, this practice provided an opportunity to solidify the authority among their peers, served as recognition of their merits at the highest level, and offered a path to integrate into the pan-Russian administrative class. Over the period in question, the number of petitions submitted by representatives of the Kazakh elite has consistently dwindled. By the end of the 19th century, the practice of deputations had ultimately degenerated and began to assume a mostly symbolic role. This article is intended for specialists studying the policy of the Russian Empire in Kazakhstan.

Keywords

• russian empire
• kazakh steppe
• kazakhs
• kazakh elite
• zhuzes
• russian-kazakh relations
• deputative missions
• kazakh deputations
• interaction practices
• civilizing mission