The Role of Supervisory Administration in the Formation of Kalmyk Steppe’s Ethnographic Science in the 19th Century

The production growth, industrial revolution, expansion of external and internal economic relations and prevalence of rationalizing attitudes contributed to the further development of scientific thought in the 19th century, collection of field data: folklore, archaeological, ethnographic materials, monuments of law, etc. in the national peripheries of the Russian Empire. Kalmyk Steppe inhabited by a non-Russian population which was of some interest not only as an object to be introduced into the common economic space of the Empire but also as an object of research - was not an exception. The article aims to determine the role of supervisory administration as administrative leverage in the formation and development of ethnographic science in Kalmyk Steppe in the latter half of the 19th century. With evidence from archival materials and published sources, the process of state-initiated ethnographic material collection was analyzed; the analysis revealed interest towards the material culture of the Kalmyks and the territory of Kalmyk Steppe (Astrakhan Governorate). At various times for various reasons, Kalmyk-inhabited territories were visited by a variety of people who published their observations and notes for a wide range of readers interested in manners and everyday life of the Empire’s peoples. Those include such persons as F.A. Bühler, J.V. Bentkowski, J.P. Dubrova, F.I. Leontovich, P.I. Nebolsin, M.G. Novoletov, etc. The article emphasizes that the trend was determined by the increase in economic growth rate, expansion of external and internal economic relations and prevalence of rationalizing attitudes which contributed to the further development of scientific thought, collection of field data: folklore, archaeological, ethnographic materials, monuments of law, etc. in the national peripheries of the Russian Empire in the 19th century. The paper analyses the contents of corresponding survey tools (questionnaires) and describes their appearances. Special attention is paid to the roles of the Governorate administration, Central office of Kalmyk National Directorate and Petrovskoe Society of Astrakhan Region’s Explorers in preservation of the Kalmyk people’s ethnic distinctiveness and identity. The research resulted in the author’s conclusion that supervisory administration represented by Kalmyk National Directorate (Directorate for Governing the Kalmyk People) acted as a special mediator between the scientific community and the Kalmyk population promoting further collection of ethnographic materials and, as a result, the very formation of Kalmykia’s ethnographic science. It was hardly possible to apply any other methods of field data collection during the mentioned period since there was no developed system of transport and social infrastructure. As is historically known, the population - especially representatives of elites - willingly assisted the researchers providing them with objects of material culture to be introduced into their collections as well as transport means, etc.

ethnographic science, collections, supervisory administration, Kalmyk Steppe, material culture, spiritual culture

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