Women of the Noyon Estate in the Kalmyk Khanate in the 18th Century: towards the Everyday Life History

Abstract

Introduction. There are good sketches about the status of the Kalmyk women in everyday life and social relations in the 19th and early 20th centuries in the pre-re­volutionary historical literature on the Kalmyks. The 18th century was an important stage in the formation of new realities in the Kalmyk everyday life and in this regard in the development of socio-psychological mentality. Living in the south of the European Russia, where the spirit of the Cossacks and the fugitive peasantry had a great place in the mentality of the local population, could not fail to affect the Kalmyks, including their women. The aim of the article is to highlight the real situation of the Noyon women in the 18th century and to reveal the new social and living conditions of their life. Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, the relevant literature and, for the most part, archival materials introduced into scientific circulation for the first time were used. Historical, historical-comparative and historical-genetic methods were used in the study of the docu­mentary material. Results. In the 18th century the Kalmyk noyons gradually got rid of some of the customs and household regulations that were embarrassing for them. At the same time, the changing social and living conditions introduced new circumstances into the situation of the noyon women. Such a process led to discord in the Noyon fami­lies and made it possible for the Russian administration to intervene in these feuds. Its actions were not always correct.