THE IMPORTANCE OF THE KAZAKH STEPPE IN THE CROSS-BORDER TRADE OF THE CHINA AND RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19th – EARLY 20th CENTURY
ЗНАЧЭННЕ КАЗАХСКАГА СТЭПУ Ў ТРАНСГРАНІЧНЫМ ГАНДЛІ КІТАЯ І РАСІЙСКАЙ ІМПЕРЫІ Ў ДРУГОЙ ПАЛОВЕ XIX – ПАЧАТКУ XX ст
ЗНАЧЕНИЕ КАЗАХСКОЙ СТЕПИ В ТРАНСГРАНИЧНОЙ ТОРГОВЛЕ КИТАЯ И РОССИЙСКОЙ ИМПЕРИИ ВО ВТОРОЙ ПОЛОВИНЕ XIX – НАЧАЛЕ XX в
Alimdjanov B.A. Nurbayev Z.E., Sr. Sultangazy G.Z.
2 December 2025The Belarusian State University
Zhurnal Belorusskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta. Istoriya
2025#2025Issue 358 - 67 pp.
Based on unpublished archival documents, data from commercial banks and biographies of merchants and bais, the article examines the development of trade on the border between the Kazakh Steppe, China and the Russian Empire in the se- cond half of the 19th – early 20th century. In historical literature, the situation on this border is characterised as modernising and combining features of imperial and colonial policies. It is argued that imperial rather than colonial policy was pursued on the border of East Turkestan, since the region was not under control and there was no pressure on local merchants and border populations. Passive intervention by the imperial administration in cross-border trade brought certain benefits to political players and ensured a loyal attitude from local trade structures. The above-mentioned border recorded the political ambitions of Chi- na and Russia without having a significant impact on cross-border trade, which contributed to the growth of entrepreneurship on both sides. This situation changed the steppe region of Kazakhstan in social-economic terms, namely, it transformed the traditional structure of Kazakh society (new social categories such as bais and Kazakh merchants appeared) and internal trade. Imperial policy led to the growing role of border towns (Verny, Kashgar, Kuldja, Orenburg and Tashkent) in trade.
bai , Central Asia , cross-border trade , East Turkestan , Empire , frontier , Kazakh Steppe , merchants
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Kimyo International University in Tashkent, 156 Sh. Rustaveli Street, Tashkent, 100121, Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 4 Beibitshilik Street, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Maqsut Narikbayey University, 8 Korgalzhynskoe Highway, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Kimyo International University in Tashkent
Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Maqsut Narikbayey University
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