‘By Your Mercy I Used to Live Quietly. What to Do? Please, Arbitrate, Your Grace’: Revisiting the Beginnings of 1723 Political Crisis in Kalmyk Khanate

Abstract

Introduction. The article publishes one of the last letters submitted by Khan Ayuka of the Kalmyks to the Russian Emperor Peter the Great. Goals. The work aims at introducing newly discovered correspondence dealing with Russian-Kalmyk relations in the first quarter of the 18th century. Materials. The document analyzed is contained in Collection 119 (‘Kalmyk Affairs’) of Imperial Russia’s Foreign Policy Archive that houses quite a number of written sources in Kalmyk history. The never-published document is the first Kalmyk letter from the mentioned archive to be made available to the public. Results. The paper provides a brief historical review of the events described in Khan Ayuka’s letter. The most precious document sheds light on multiple circumstances to have preceded the outburst of the internal Kalmyk conflict in 1723. Conclusions. The examined 1724 letter is an invaluable source in the history of Kalmyk Khanate that shall essentially add to further understanding of 18th-century Russian-Kalmyk relations. So, the text clarifies Khan Ayuka’s stance on the emerging internal crisis. Having been one of those who wrecked the negotiation process between Chakdorjab’s sons, Ayuka turns to the Russian Emperor for assistance in his letter. The domestic conflict not only significantly weakened his positions as Khan but also resulted in external threats to Kalmyk Khanate at large.

Keywords

• historical sources
• russian-kalmyk relations
• kalmyk letter
• peter the great
• khan ayuka