Russia's Steppe Frontier : The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1500-1800

Anyone familiar with the author’s first book Where Two Worlds Met (1992) must look forward to reading this new volume, which is a comprehensive study of Moscow’s relations with the steppe nomads from the emergence of a Russian empire until the closing of the frontier 300 years later. He will not be disappointed. In the author’s own words, this book is about the transformation of a dangerous frontier into a part of the empire and of its peoples into subjects. Certainly more controversial is his determination to show that Russia was no less a colonial empire than any of the other western powers. Machine Generated Contents Note: [1] The Sociology Of The Frontier, Or Why Peace Was -- Impossible / 7 -- Social And Political Organization In The Steppe -- Raiding And Warfare -- Captives And Slaves -- Trade And Economy -- A Khan, Or A Search For Central Authority -- Religion -- Ideology Through Diplomacy -- [2] Frontier Concepts And Policies In Muscovy / 46 -- The Frontier -- Shert': A Peace Treaty Or An Oath Of Allegiance? -- Amanat: Hostages Of Sorts -- Yasak: Tribute Or Trade? -- Presents And Payments: Bestowed Or Extorted? -- Translating Or Colonizing? -- [3] Taming The Wild Steppe, 1480-1600s / 76 -- Moscow And The Great Horde: The Ugra Standoff -- Reconsidered -- The End Of The Golden Horde, 1481-1502: On To Kazan -- The End Of The Crimean-muscovite Alliance -- The Nogays And Kazan, 1530s-1550s: Kazan Annexed -- The Nogays And Astrakhan, 1550s -- The Astrakhan Campaign Of 1569 -- Containing The Nogays, 1577-1582 -- Debilitating The Nogays, 1582-1600 -- [4] From Steppe Frontier To Imperial Borderlands, 1600-1800 / 126 -- The Nogays -- New Strategies -- The Kalmyks -- The Kazakhs -- [5] Concepts And Policies In The Imperial Borderlands, -- 1690s-1800 / 184 -- Representations -- Non-christians Into Russian Orthodox -- Migration Of The Native Elite And Commoners -- Colonial Contest I: Law And Administration -- Colonial Contest Ii: Land -- Conclusion / 221 -- Glossary / 230 -- List Of Abbreviations / 233 -- Notes / 235 -- Bibliography / 269 -- Index / 283. Michael Khodarkovsky. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [269]-281) And Index. This study of Russia's colonial expansion across the Eurasian steppe is “a tremendously important contribution to the field of Russian history” (Valerie Kivelson).From the decline of the Mongol Golden Horde to the end of the 18th century, the Russian government expanded its influence and power throughout its southern borderlands. The process of incorporating these lands and peoples into the Russian Empire was not only a military and political struggle but also a cultural contest between the indigenous worlds of the steppe and Russian imperial hegemony. Drawing on sources and archival materials in Russian and Turkic languages, Michael Khodarkovsky presents a complex picture of the encounter between the Russian authorities and native peoples. A major contribution to the comparative study of empires and frontiers, “no other work treats Moscow's colonial expansion to the south and east so competently” (Russia). "Drawing on sources and archival materials in Russian and Turkic languages, Russia's Steppe Frontier presents a complex picture of the encounter between indigenous peoples and the Russians. The book is a resource for understanding Russia's imperial experience."--Jacket