Abstract:
The proposed scientific article, based on the data of Kazakh and Russian archives, examines the
political and social activities of the institute of batyrs who served in Western Siberia as part of the Russian
Empire in the XVIII-XIX centuries. After joining the Russian Empire, there were a number of changes in the
structure and direction of development of the institute of batyrs of Kazakh society. First of all, it is necessary
to pay attention to increasing the political and diplomatic missions of the batyrs. The tsarist government
intensified the political activity of the Kazakh batyrs of the West Siberian Steppe, involving them in various
state and border issues. It must be recognized that at the previous stage, the activities of the Batyr Institute
were limited exclusively to military purposes. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, Russian researchers who were in
the Kazakh steppe for various reasons characterized the comprehensive development of the role of batyrs in
society. During the analysis of the Russian archival data, we were convinced that the position of the Batyr
institute in the system of power has changed. They successfully carried out a connecting activity between the
common people and the ruling khan-sultans. Representatives of the Batyr Institute were able to effectively
interact with the tsarist administration to resolve conflicts that occurred in the districts of the fortress lines.
Also, state initiatives to resolve intertribal conflicts in Kazakh society and their elimination were significantly
influenced by the authority of the batyrs in the public environment. Such batyrs as Bogenbai, Kabanbai,
became advisers to the khan-sultans. One of the changes that took place in the institute of batyrs during this
period can be called their ascent to the rank of the ruling elite of society. Having gained the trust of the tsarist
government, the batyrs achieved the position of foreman, tarkhan.
