Eighteenth-Century Trade Ties of Kalmyks

Abstract

Introduction. There are virtually no works dealing with Kalmyk trade and trade relations in the pre-revolutionary — including the eighteenth century — period. Only some scattered and brief messages can be found in works of pre-Soviet and Soviet historians. The post-perestroika era also lacks research attention to the topic. Meanwhile, it is impossible to attain a complete understanding of historical life throughout certain periods without insights into trade affairs at large — and foreign trade relations in particular. Goals. So, the paper seeks both to expand our knowledge of eighteenth-century Kalmyk trade and draw attention to the need of further extended research into the topic. Materials and methods. To facilitate these, the work analyzes and introduces archival material largely discovered in Collection И-36 (‘Kalmyk Affairs Inspector under Astrakhan Governor’) at the National Archive of Kalmykia. The historical comparative and analytical methods have been identified as most instrumental herein. Results. In eighteenth-century Kalmyk society, the development of trade and its essentials were determined by the specific nomadic economy and life. Many household utensils could not be produced directly in the steppe and were to be purchased from outside. Lack of cash implied that Kalmyks often acquired what they needed by simply exchanging it for cattle and livestock products. They were not that skilled in ins and outs of trade relations, so sedentary traders would often take the initiative in direct trade operations. Eighteenth-century Kalmyk trade was distinguished by that Armenians native to the Crimean Khanate would play a major role in the process.