Oriental Studies (Dec 2021)
Essays on the History of the Volga Kalmyks by N. N. Palmov: Author’s Additions, 1929–1932
Abstract
Introduction. The article examines additional comments (1929–1932) made by Professor N. N. Palmov on his Essays on the History of the Volga Kalmyks (1926). Goals. The study seeks to introduce this new material which shows the scholar’s persistent interest in the subject and, at the same time, contributes to a better understanding of the history of the Kalmyk Khanate. Materials and Methods. The research involved the identification of the chronological framework of the handwritten material, its categorization into thematic blocks, and contribution to the subject. Results. In the library of Astrakhan State Museum of Historical Archives, the authors discovered thirty seven handwritten additions made by Palmov on the pages of his copy of Essays on the History of the Volga Kalmyks, vols. I–II. These were made between 1929 to 1932 when the scholar apparently continued his studies on the subject using the materials of Astrakhan Kalmyk Archives and scientific literature. The author’s comments covering the period up to the 1760s contain valuable data on the 1702 conflict between Khan Ayuka and his sons and provide detail on the feudal conflict of 1724. Also, Palmov provides additional evidence on Noyon Donduk-Ombo’s activities during the period of feudal wars and, later, when he was Kalmyk Khan. Finally, the comments include important data on the foreign policy of the Kalmyk Khanate, chiefly the history of its interaction with the Dzungar Khanate in the 17th–18th centuries. Conclusions. Palmov’s handwritten comments discovered on the pages of his Essays on the History of the Volga Kalmyks are a significant contribution to his scientific heritage that sheds light on the history of feudal strife in the Kalmyk Khanate in the 1720s–1730s.
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