Wheeled vehicles of the Minusinsk basin indigenous population in the XVII-XIX centuries (according to written sources)

Purpose. The work analyzes written sources mentioning wheeled vehicles of the Minusinsk basin indigenous population of the XVII-XIX centuries, circumstances of increased use of carts of a Central Asian type and replacing them by Russian carts and adaptation of wheeled vehicles of this new construction into the culture of the indigenous population. Results. It is found out that the term «podvoda», which was used in the sources of the XVII - the beginning of the XVIII century to denote the transport of the indigenous population, meant not a wheeled cart but pack animals. At the time, goods were mainly transported by pack animals, most often horses. Local two-wheeled carts were mentioned only once as a means of removing disassembled yurts. The new type of wheeled vehicles applied by the indigenous population was first registered in written sources in the XIX century. Due to a general decline in the use of wheeled carts in the XVIII century, expansion of wheeled vehicles of the new type really meant decrease of using saddle horses rather than displacement and substitution of a wheeled cart by another carriage. The first adaptation stage of using a Russian cart is marked by a range of constant features, such as the local population using bridle to command the draught animal instead of reins; the lasher seating on the horse’s back rather than in a cart; products of milk processing used as lubricants for wheels instead of tar. It was due to the fact that local population had no horses trained for harnessing, no cart harness and skills of using it, absence or poor development of certain types of manufacture and crafts. Mastering Russian wheeled vehicles was irregular in different parts of the region. In some settlements they produced load carts according to the Russian pattern, while in other settlements wheeled vehicles practice did not exist at all. Apart from applying them for household purposes, the Khakass started to use carts widely in funeral rituals. Conclusion: The decrease in using one type and its replacement by another type of wheeled vehicle is closely connected with serious political, economic, ethnic and social changes which took place in the region in the XVIII-XIX centuries. During this period, in 1703, the transfer of noblemen of the Yenisei Kyrgyz tribes, who lived in the steppe part of the Minusinsk basin, with their nomad camps to the territory of Dzungaria could have made a great impact on smaller use of wheeled vehicles. This event changed the ethnic and social structure of the society significantly and could not help affecting the use of wheeled transport as it was mainly used by the most noble and prosperous families of breeders.