Paper short abstract:

On the basis of the archival and published materials, the composition of the existing dynasties of Kazakh sultan families in the territory of the Middle Zhuz in the 19th century and their social practices of interaction with each other and with the Russian administration will be analyzed.

Paper long abstract:

On the basis of the identified archival and published materials, the composition of the existing dynasties of Kazakh sultan families in the territory of the Middle Zhuz in the 19th century and their social practices of interaction with each other and with the Russian administration will be analyzed. The heterogeneity of the Kazakh society and the dispersion of the Kazakhs forced the Russian administration to pursue a policy of maneuvering between clans and groups, between representatives of the aristocracy from the "white bone" and "black bone".

In the first quarter of the 19th century, the implementation of administrative reforms on the territory of the Kazakh steppe of the Siberian department was launched. In 1822, on the territory of the Middle Zhuz, they began to design outer districts (okrugs), the population of which was Kazakhs. The sultans, as representatives of the "white bone", became the social group from whose midst it was supposed to attract to the positions of management of the outer district (okrug) and volosts. However, in quantitative terms, the sultans were inferior to the biys and foremen (starshina) from the "black bone", who began to compete with the sultans for the positions of volost sultans, and then for the positions of senior sultans.

The individual strategies of the Kazakh sultans of the Middle Zhuz in the exercise of power in the 19th century acquired different directions and social practices. In the context of the gradual displacement of the norms of customary law and the spread of the legislation of the Russian Empire, in each of the eight outer districts, certain sultan families were represented, who were recruited into the service of the empire and were awarded awards and ranks. At the same time, those sultanic groups also operated in the border area, which sought to maintain an independent existence as far as possible.

As a result of the gradual establishment of the Russian Empire in the steppe space of the Middle Zhuz, the Kazakh sultans gradually began to lose their positions in managing the subordinate population.