Merchants of the Russian Empire Trading with Central Asia: Cultural-Anthropological Aspects

Abstract

This article examines the personal qualities of Russian merchants who traded with Asian states in the nineteenth century. The author analyses the mental characteristics of entrepreneurs in demand in international trade and the correspondence of merchants’ behaviour to business conditions. The research methodology relies on the anthropological approach, which makes it possible to examine entrepreneurs’ personality traits and physical characteristics as the main elements of business success. The innovative character of the study lies in the fact that for the first time, the author considers the foreign trade activity of merchants in the Asian direction from the perspective of the moral, psychological, intellectual, and physical readiness of individuals to master the labour-intensive sphere of commerce. The lack of specialised works that detail the mental properties, specific skills, and knowledge intended to help merchants to solve business problems in the external arena makes the article relevant and innovative. Researchers have not considered the health and physical potential of entrepreneurs previously. The new sources introduced into scholarly circulation will help fill the research gaps and harmoniously supplement the existing historiographic block. In addition, the search for the most effective mechanisms to adapt to the rapidly changing realities of the modern market has made works reflecting the historical experience of developing labour-intensive areas of entrepreneurship relevant. This work refers to materials from the State Archives of Orenburg Region (GAOO) available in the fund of the Office of the Military Governor. Also, the author examines published sources of personal origin produced by direct participants and contemporaries of the events. The negative factors that turned foreign trade business operations into an extremely risky venture included robbery, severe natural and climatic conditions, the inconvenience of long journeys in a caravan, the need to temporarily get by without familiar food, and discrimination against Russian Christian merchants by Asian officials. Doing business in extreme conditions radically influenced the mentality of merchants. The desire to compensate for losses or gain excess profit sometimes pushed merchants to violate the law. At the same time, these same businesspeople had a high level of intelligence, courage, and unshakable willpower, which made them take on a seemingly hopeless business with renewed vigour. The high-level communication abilities of merchants, a combination of their skills, knowledge, and physical characteristics made them ideal actors for the Russian advancement into Asian markets in the nineteenth century.