Political and Public Activity of the Institute of Batyrs of Western Siberia as Part of the Russian Empire (XVIII-XIX centuries)

Abstract

The proposed scientific article, based on the data of Kazakh and Russian archives, examines the political and social activities of the institute of batyrs who served in Western Siberia as part of the Russian Empire in the XVIII-XIX centuries. After joining the Russian Empire, there were a number of changes in the structure and direction of development of the institute of batyrs of Kazakh society. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to increasing the political and diplomatic missions of the batyrs. The tsarist government intensified the political activity of the Kazakh batyrs of the West Siberian Steppe, involving them in various state and border issues. It must be recognized that at the previous stage, the activities of the Batyr Institute were limited exclusively to military purposes. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, Russian researchers who were in the Kazakh steppe for various reasons characterized the comprehensive development of the role of batyrs in society. During the analysis of the Russian archival data, we were convinced that the position of the Batyr institute in the system of power has changed. They successfully carried out a connecting activity between the common people and the ruling khan-sultans. Representatives of the Batyr Institute were able to effectively interact with the tsarist administration to resolve conflicts that occurred in the districts of the fortress lines. Also, state initiatives to resolve intertribal conflicts in Kazakh society and their elimination were significantly influenced by the authority of the batyrs in the public environment. Such batyrs as Bogenbai, Kabanbai, became advisers to the khan-sultans. One of the changes that took place in the institute of batyrs during this period can be called their ascent to the rank of the ruling elite of society. Having gained the trust of the tsarist government, the batyrs achieved the position of foreman, tarkhan.