Administrative and territorial changes in Kalmyk steppe of Astrakhan oblast in the late XIX-early XX centuries

The relevance of this issue is caused by its understudied nature: in a small number of works there are only fragmentary notes about the landmark events of the government policy in Kalmyk uluses of Astrakhan oblast in the late 19th - early 20th century: the management transfer of Kalmyk uluses to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the administrative reform of 1910. The influence of the reform of 1892 in Kalmykia on changes in the management system is in the focus. The issue is also actualized by the necessity to attract new and varied record-keeping sources. The purpose of the work is quite specific: to present a detailed description of administrative-territorial changes in Kalmyk steppe on the basis of a wide range of archival records, which we are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The study is based on the application of culture and civilization and interdisciplinary approaches, which, combined with the principles of historicism, system analysis and objectivity, allows to create a reliable picture of administrative and territorial transformations in a specific region with a traditional way of life. The content of the administrative and territorial policy in Kalmyk uluses was the "routine" activity of the administration, self-government bodies and officials in initiating, preparing and making decisions. The completed milestone events were the reform of 1892, the transfer of Kalmyk administration to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the administrative reform of 1910. During the period under study, the government tried to carry out administrative and territorial transformations in Kalmyk uluses as an important part of the general, including social and land, reorganization of Kalmyk society. However, this large-scale plan was only partially implemented due to stability of the civilizational and cultural features of Kalmyk society. The government was forced to limit itself to some streamlining of the activities of local governments, transferring the administration of the Kalmyks to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, creating zargos (courts) in all uluses, and enlarging Kalmyk aimaks and khotons by the 1910 reform.