Socio-demographic portrait of the Yakut merchant class second half of the XIX - early XX century)

The article examines the socio-demographic characteristics of the Yakut merchant class of the second half of the XIX - early XX century. The aim of the study is to analyze the conditions of formation of the tradespeople in Yakutia, its composition and replenishment. In addition, marriage, age, nationality, gender, literacy, religion, and other characteristics peculiar to the upper class of the provincial merchant class in the region are assessed. On the basis of archival data, population census, legislative acts of the area under consideration, an idea of the peculiarities of commercial and entrepreneurial activity of the indicated social class is formed. Consequently, a socio-demographic portrait of the regional merchant class of the specified historical period is drawn up. The author concludes that the characteristic feature of the merchant class was the absence of traditionalism, and belonging to a class was usually determined by the presence of capital, not by origin