Disruption of Pastoral Nomadism: The Impacts of Russian Colonialism on the Kazakh Steppe during the 19ᵗʰ and 20ᵗʰ Centuries

Abstract

This study examines the multifaceted impacts of Russian colonization on the Kazakh Steppes during the 19ᵗʰ and 20ᵗʰ centuries. The colonization process caused significant destruction in various fields in the region, including migration routes, livestock herds, socioeconomic life, trade networks, housing and dietary patterns of nomadic communities. Russian expansionism, aimed at establishing control over the steppe, led to the blockage of ancient migration routes and the restriction of nomadic economic resources. The blockage of migration routes, forced transition to capitalism, forced sedentarization and interaction with sedentary life transformed the livestock herds of the nomads. Socio-economic life and trade were restructured by the Tsardom for reasons such as integration into the Russian Empire market, change of commercial centers and concentration of wealth. The changing structure of pastoral nomadism also led to transformations in housing and diet. Comprehending the complex dynamics of Russian colonialism on the Kazakh Steppe will reveal the destruction of nomadic life by scrutinizing the historical and contemporary sociocultural landscape of the region.