Descendants of Idegei: on the issue of the power structure in the Nogai Horde of the 16th century

Research objectives: To study the problem of comparing the level of organization of Nogai society at various levels up to the level of its elite. Research materials: This work is based on the analysis of Russian embassy books and chronicles. It is also based on the theoretical ideas of V.V. Trepavlov and P. Turchin. The research uses the idea of “overproduction of the elite” as a theoretical framework. Results and scientific novelty: In the narrow sense of the term, a limited number of top status positions in the Nogai Horde were suitable for the elite. Initially, these were the ulus bey and the Ulubi Horde. Naturally, with such a narrow base, fierce clashes for power were inevitable since overproduction of the elite occurred almost as soon as such a community appeared. Attempts to stabilize the system led to the emergence of a wing structure and an increase in high-status positions, but the number of applicants to these positions was constantly growing. As a result, the Nogai Horde fell into an “amplification effect” where the number of applicants for high-status positions was noticeably greater than the social organization of the Nogai Horde could satisfy. This “amplification effect” occurred in the middle of the 16th century. Due to the underdevelopment of the social structure of the Nogai confederation, it exploded from the inside.