ON RUSSIAN-KUMYK TRADE IN THE XVIII CENTURY

Abstract

The article discusses the reasons for deepening trade relations between Kumyk and Russia of the XVII century (mainly during the reign of Catherine II and Paul I). Among them, the following facts are noted: the location of Kumyks on the Volga-Caspian international trade route, a variety of political and economic ties with the Russian state and left bank neighbors that were established since the XVI-XVII centuries, the presence of the feudal elite that assimilated new household items quickly and passed to prestigious consumption, favorable natural and climatic conditions for farming, the policy of "caressing" that was carried out by the Russian authorities in the center and in provinces. A fairly stable situation in the region (before and after Sheikh Mansur uprising) led to the participation of the general population of Kumykia in trade operations with Russia. All these actions allowed Kumyks not only to develop, and specialize their own economy, but also to be intermediaries in trade with Iran and the mountain peoples of the region. At the same time, the formation of common economic space was hindered by the actions of some Russian commandants and customs officers, fees from merchants of Kumyk princes, discrepancies in the system of measures and weights, undeveloped infrastructure, etc.