The relationship between the Kazakhs and the peasant-migrants of Western Kazakhstan in the XIX - early XX century

Abstract

The relationships between Kazakhs and Russian peasants have evolved for a long time. Over the past 20 years, Kazakh historians were unable to find new methods of research on the agrarian colonization of Kazakhstan. Basically, agrarian colonization of Kazakhstan is considered as a negative process, as the Russification of the Kazakh people. The majority of Kazakh historians write in similar spirit, and hence it is quite difficult to give an objective assessment of the events. The article reveals the problem of adaptation of the Russian peasants in the Western Kazakhstan in the 19th and early 20th centuries. During the period of the Stolypin agrarian reform more than 1 million immigrants from various Russian provinces came to Kazakhstan. The tsarist government discussed the issue of agrarian colonization of Kazakhstan for a long time. The settlers began to rent the Kazakhs’ land. Settlements of Russian peasants appeared in the Kazakh steppes, and the Kazakhs began to settle near these villages. The relationship between the Kazakh population and the immigrants were peaceful. They worked together on the ground, sowed bread. Many Kazakhs began to learn the Russian language and were hired to work for Russian peasants. Labor contacts became more active. Western Kazakhstan was actively involved in the Russian market.