Dependent ethnosocial groups in nomadic and semi-settled communities: similarity or communication (on the examples of the Turks-Yuryuks and Tyurks of Lower Volga area, the middle of 16th - the early 19th century)

The article is devoted to the problem of the understanding the principle «Our - Alien», mainly among the nomads from the different regions of the «Old World» who transited to a settled way of life. The main discussing problem is the relations between ruling and prestigious ethnic-social groups of the former nomadic communities and the subaltern groups which often have a different ethnic origin and a specific «alien traditional» appearance. The author concentrates on the phenomena of «dependence» and «prestigious subjection», along with some theoretic aspects of the so-called «potestas» (pre-politician and inner semi-politician) organization of nomadic and seminomadic societies. The second important principle considered is the principle of possible «ethnic-social upward mobility» of subalterns or «elevation of former dependence». The article provides some examples (based on archival and field studies) of the traditional ethno-cultural communities from the middle of the 16th century to the present times; they reflect the situation in the Lower Volga region which became part of Russia, compared with the situation in the Balkans which were dependent on the Ottoman Empire.