The Kalmyk Factor in the History of the Kazakh Steppe: Migrations and the “Great Last Camping” of 1771
Калмыцкий фактор в истории Казахской степи: миграции и «Великое последнее кочевье» 1771 года
Uzhkenov E.M. Tabynbayeva Z.S. Shotanova G.А.
1 March 2026Cherkas Global University Press
Bylye Gody
2026#21Issue 188 - 104 pp.
This article explores one of the least studied periods in the history of Kazakhstan, beginning around 1600 year. The seventeenth century marked an era of profound change across the Great Steppe. The process of widespread decentralization coincided with the gradual decline of the remnants of the Golden Horde and the emergence of new peoples. Rapid shifts in political dominance and the constant emergence of new threats compelled local societies to adapt. These transformations affected not only state territories but also patterns of lifestyles, military strategies, and even everyday practices, ultimately leading to modifications in customs and traditions. Under the threat of war, the Kazakhs were forced to abandon their relatively slow-moving kibitkas characteristic of earlier times and switch to lighter, more mobile yurts. The westward expansion of the Kalmyks, driven by the search for new pastures and settlement areas, acted as a major catalyst for these changes. Internal fragmentation and weakening of the main nomadic polities of the region – the Nogai and Kazakh Hordes – allowed the Kalmyks to achieve a number of military and political successes. However, the relatively stable institutions of the Kazakh Horde allowed it not only to retain part of its territory but also to eventually regain lost lands. At certain stages, some Kalmyk groups even became part of the Kazakh Khanate. The Chinggisid lineage of the Kazakh rulers and the comparatively large population of the Steppe played a key role in this process. For instance, despite a series of defeats inflicted on the Nogais, the Kalmyks managed to push them out of the western Kazakh steppes only by the mid-seventeenth century. The wide settlement of the Kalmyks across the Kazakh Steppe is well documented in historical maps and written sources. Relations between the Kazakhs and Kalmyks are especially well reflected in Russian archival materials. Due to the Steppe’s proximity to the borders of the Moscow Tsardom, Russian officials and the Posolsky (Ambassadorial) Prikaz closely monitored power shifts in regional and the formation of alliances. Particular attention was paid to the nature of temporary or long-term agreements concluded between the Kazakhs and the Kalmyks. The relative weakness of Russian frontier garrisons and the period of political instability known as the Time of Troubles within Muscovite state itself prompted a careful examination of possible coalitions between the major steppe powers. The Kalmyks, as one of the principal actors in Central Asian political affairs of the seventeenth century, maintained a degree of autonomy even as they collectively moved westward. In essence, their advance into the Kazakh Steppe represented the migration of individual tribes and clans united by a general tendency toward the Caspian region. The fragmentation and eventual collapse of the Nogai Horde allowed the Kalmyks to consolidate control over certain areas of Kazakhstan and later occupy former Nogai pastures. The historical role of the Kalmyks in the formation and development of the Kazakh state remains insufficiently examined and often underestimated, which complicates the objective reconstruction of Kazakhstan’s broader historical narrative.
17th century , historical geography , History of Kazakhstan , Kalmyks , Kazakh steppe , Kazakhs , migrations , nomads
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Institute of Oriental Studies named after R.B. Suleimenov, Kazakhstan
Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology, Kazakhstan
Institute of Oriental Studies named after R.B. Suleimenov
Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026