Kalmyks of the Russian Empire in the System of International Relations of Inner Asia (first half of the 18th century)

The article is devoted to a topical issue - foreign policy contacts of the Kalmyk Khanate. This Volga region entity actively interacted with the Dzungar Khanate, Qing China and Tibet. The place of the Kalmyks in the system of intra-Asian relations in the second half of the 18th century is analyzed. The article is based on the introduction of Russian archival materials into scientific circulation. Currently, there are only a few works on the topic under study. In addition, the need for a comprehensive and in-depth study of this problem dictates the use of interdisciplinary and civilizational-cultural approaches. A comprehensive analysis of the development of relations between the Volga region Kalmyks and the Dzungar Khanate, Tibet and the Qing empires in Inner Asia in the middle of the 18th century is the goal of this work, since it will clarify many events that had a significant impact on the historical fate of the Kalmyk people. The authors presented and analyzed archival materials and scientific literature. The time frames of the study chosen by the authors correspond to the task at hand, since provide an opportunity to trace the evolution of the relationship between the Volga Kalmyks in the system of international relations in Inner Asia in the first half of the 18th century. The article uses the following methodological principles: objectivity, historicism, and comprehensiveness. The Kalmyk factor played a significant role at that time in international relations in Inner Asia, which even the suzerain of the Kalmyk Khanate, the Russian Empire, could not ignore. The military potential of the Kalmyks attracted even Qing China, which was fighting with the Dzungar Khanate for hegemony in Inner Asia.