The Letter of Five Judges as a Source for Studies of 19th-Century Judicial Proceedings of the Kalmyks

Abstract

The National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia contains quite a range of epistolary, diplomatic, administrative, judicial, and economic documents. Those are presented in the forms of official letters, registers, freedom certificates, contracts, oaths, receipts, letters of attorney, etc. Identification and introduction of written monuments into scientific discourse is always interesting for researchers as a means to acquire new materials that give impetus to further scientific investigations. In this regard, the study of the 1882 official Clear Script document revealed in the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia is relevant enough. The article aims to introduce into scientific circulation the official paper describing 19-century Kalmyk judicial proceedings. The work provides a first transliteration of the text and supplements it with a modern Kalmyk interpretation. The article also contains a Russian translation of that time made by some Russian court reporter. The introduction of a new written monument shall provide linguists with research materials for further insights into the history of the Kalmyk language.

Keywords

• archival documents
• judicial proceedings
• kalmyk laws
• legislative monuments
• judges
• astrakhan administration