The Strategy of the Russian Empires Expansion: the Case of the Irtysh Military Line
Стратегия расширения Российской империи на примере Иртышской военной линии
Toraygyrov Y.M. Abenova B.S. Abenov D.K.
1 June 2025Cherkas Global University Press
Bylye Gody
2025#20Issue 2548 - 566 pp.
This article offers a comprehensive analysis of the Russian Empire’s territorial expansion strategy in the 18th century, using the formation of the Irtysh military line as a case study. The construction of this defensive system took place within a complex geopolitical context that included conflict with the Dzungar khanate, the development of trade relations with Central Asian states, and the gradual integration of the Kazakh steppe into the russian sphere of influence. The study focuses on the preconditions for the creation of the line, its key stages of development, and its strategic significance in consolidating imperial presence in the Irtysh region. Particular attention is paid to russia’s military and administrative policies in the frontier zones, the practice of building fortifications, and the specific nature of interactions between kazakh clans and cossack communities, whose role in the colonial process was both complex and often contradictory. The article examines how the system of fortified lines contributed to the advancement of russian borders, the entrenchment of imperial authority, and the transformation of the local landscape. The relevance of this study lies in the need to understand the strategic and long-term consequences of Russian expansion into Northeastern Kazakhstan. Although the military history of the region has been the subject of extensive research, the history of the Irtysh Military Line remains insufficiently explored. Analyzing this phenomenon provides deeper insight into the features of Russian colonial policy in the 18th century and its enduring impact on regional development. The study draws on a wide range of sources, including archival materials and the works of Russian and Kazakhstani scholars. This comprehensive approach allows for a nuanced understanding of the Irtysh Line’s role within the broader context of imperial frontier policy. Copyright
colonization , cossacks , Irtysh line , irtysh region , kazakh-russian relations , Middle zhuz , Siberian lines
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Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology
Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University
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