Major General A. B. Buturlin in Derbent in 1732—1733: Military and Economic Activity

This article analyzes the activity of Major General A. B. Buturlin in administering the Derbent garrison in 1732–1733. Through his case, the study examines the place and role of the generals of the Nizovoy Corps in the governance and economic development of the Western and Southern Caspian littoral. The research draws on documents from Fond No. 18 “Commandant of Derbent” at the Central State Archive of the Republic of Daghestan, many of which are introduced into academic circulation for the first time. The novelty of the study lies in elucidating the powers and main lines of activity of Major General Buturlin as the Russian governor of Derbent and the Derbent Khanate. The authors conclude that the actual head of the Derbent garrison of the Nizovoy Corps during 1722–1735 was the general, although Russian Caucasus studies attribute supremacy to the commandant. It is emphasized that although the commandant's jurisdiction included local financial, economic, and administrative functions, it was the general of the Nizovoy Corps who in fact controlled the commandant's work and directed his operations. The analysis of the documents demonstrates that the Derbent commandant could not resolve any significant issue without the general's prior approval.