Ways in the life of the Kalmyk khanate of the 18th century (based on the documents of the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia)

Introduction. The object of the analysis is the ways in which the Kalmyk Khanate of the 18th century used communication routes and movements along these paths for a specific purpose. Methods and materials. The official correspondence of Kalmyk khans and owners with representatives of different government levels of the Russian state of the 18th century from the funds of the National Archives of the Republic of Kalmykia is considered, data on the movements of representatives of the Kalmyk Khanate is revealed, and a typology of these movements is proposed. Analysis. It is shown that ways differ in place, time, and purpose of movement. In the life of the Kalmyks, internal and external ways stood out. The internal ones are seasonal migrations within the khanate in order to change pastures for livestock. The documents report on the places of nomads, folk traditions, holidays, and various difficulties. External ways connected the Kalmyks with the world outside the khanate and were divided into postal (communication between different subjects), official (delivery of salaries, trips on judicial and other matters), diplomatic (visits to the court, trips to other states to conclude and maintain peace), military (military campaigns, border protection), trade (trips to Russian and other cities for the purchase and sale of livestock and various goods), and religious (pilgrimage to Tibet, trips for baptism to Stavropol-on-the-Volga).