To the Issue of the Institution of Sultans in Kazakh Society in 1824–1869

This article examines the nature of social changes and the social status of the institute of sultans in the Steppe in the context of the administrative and social policy of the Russian government.In preparing the article, archival documents from collection 6 of the Chancellery of the Orenburg Governor-General (Orenburg, Russian Federation), collection 4 of the Regional Government of the Orenburg Kirghiz (Almaty, Kazakhstan), collection 27 of the Director of Public Schools of the Turgai Region of the Orenburg Educational District (Almaty, Kazakhstan) and collections of published documents were used.The documentary materials used for analysis contain important information that makes it possible to fully assess the state of Kazakh society in the imperial period, the level of their development, and will allow tracing the genesis and characterizing typological features.Using the example of legislative acts, the authors analyze various legal and social advantages of sultans in traditional Kazakh society and during the period of Russian rule in the XIX century.To solve the problem posed in the article, general scientific principles were used -objectivity, historicism and consistency.The authors note that as a result of the administrative-territorial measures carried out by the Russian government, new administrative institutions and state organizations were created in the Kazakh nomadic society, which contributed to the change in the socio-class structure of Kazakh society.The authors come to the conclusion that the spread of secular education in the territory of Kazakhstan was an important factor in the establishment of the sultans in the administrative apparatus -having received an education in the educational institutions of the Russian Empire, the sultans played an important role in the development of society, performing official functions in the civil and military bureaucratic structure.