Countering the escapes of Orenburg and Stavropol baptized Kalmyks to the Kalmyk Khanate in 1737–1771

Abstract

Background. The baptized Kalmyks settled in the Middle Volga region and in the Southern Urals contributed to the economic development and defense of Russia’s south-eastern borders. The negative side of the creation of separate Kalmyk settlements was the desire of some of the baptized Kalmyks to return to the Kalmyk Khanate. The purpose of the work is to consider the measures taken by the Russian authorities to prevent the escape of baptized Kalmyks to the Kalmyk Khanate, as well as practical steps aimed at their detention and return in 1737–1771. Materials and methods. The basis of the research source base was the materials of the Joint State Archive of Orenburg Region and the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia. The historical-genetic, structural-functional methods of scientific research, the method of critical analysis of historical sources are used. Results. The analyzed sources do not allow us to judge unambiguously the effectiveness of measures aimed at preventing the escape of baptized Kalmyks. The escapes continued until the migration of the Volga Kalmyks to China and the liquidation of the Kalmyk Khanate. At the same time, the total number of fugitives by the end of 1760 did not exceed one per-cent of the total number of baptized Kalmyks settled in the Orenburg province.

Keywords

• kalmyk khanate
• baptized kalmyks
• escape
• orenburg province
• opposition
• ulus