Ethnic Kalmyk Bokshurga Nazarov and His Application for Joining the Bashkirs of Tersyatskaya Volost

Introduction. The article examines such phenomenon of 17th–18th century Bashkir society as incorporation of individuals representing other ethnic groups. Goals. The study aims at transcribing the process of incorporating foreigners into Bashkir clan structures. And in this regard Kalmyks are of special interest since they were distinct not only from Bashkirs proper but rather from all peoples of the Southern Urals both linguistically and confessionally. However, those were Kalmyks who would get integrated into Bashkir clans most frequently, even as compared to ethnically close and neighboring groups. Materials and Methods. The work focuses on documents of management and record keeping contained in collections dealing with Ufa Governorate Senate at the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts. The source analysis was performed through the methods of historical criticism and diplomacy most instrumental in examining such documents. The explored papers of the 1733 Bashkir embassy to St. Petersburg describe a case of Bokshurga Nazarov, ethnic Kalmyk, who applied for joining a Bashkir community. Results. The study shows reasons and procedures of incorporating foreigners into Bashkir clans. The analysis attests to that the applicant was virtually a land holder already, and the Bashkirs had recognized him as their relative. Nazarov himself was just seeking for a legal confirmation of the accomplished fact, i.e. a ‘guardian law’. Conclusions. The work reveals that incorporation into Bashkir communities in the 17th – early 18th centuries was largely determined by the applicant’s nomadic life style (backgrounds) — and his ability to promptly adapt to alert living conditions within the militarized society — rather than by ethnic affinity (common faith, origins, or language). According to the documents, the request was satisfied, and the ex-captive was not only granted the status of a Bashkir land owner but even became a foreman of the vast Tersyatskaya Volost. Later he took an active part in the Bashkir Rebellion and was executed.