Karbainov N.I. «Yasachno-baptized», «yasachny foreigners», «yasachny Buryats» and «yasachny Tunguses»: regional policy of categorization of mixed communities of Baikal Siberia in the XVII century – 1920s. In: Servants and yasachnye in Russia XV-XIX centuries: features of land ownership, class nominations: a collection of articles ...

Abstract

The article examines the evolution of the regional categorization policy in relation to mixed communities in Baikal Siberia from the XVII century to the 1920s to the XVIII century. Yasashny people after being baptized, receiving the status of «New Baptists» could leave the yasachny state and become Russians. Since 1703, this practice has been discontinued and a new category of yasashni has emerged – «yasachno-baptized». An unintended consequence of the regional policy of allocating the category of «yasachno-baptized» in Baikal Siberia was the emergence of special mestizo communities known as (self)names like «karymy» and «yasachnye». This category of the population was no longer considered ethnically as Buryats or Tunguses, but was also not recognized as Russians. With the adoption of the «Charter on the management of foreigners» in 1822, regional officials began to use special categories for this group of the population: «yasachnye foreigners», «yasachnye». With the increasing influence of ethnic factors in determining nationality, local officials began to be more inclined to recognize «yasachny foreigners» as Buryats or Tunguses. During the Soviet period, the terms «alien» and «yasachny» were removed from the official language. Despite this, in Buryat-Mongolia in the 1920s, they continued to use these categories by inertia.