THE TARBAGATAI REGION: THE CONSEQUENCES OF COLONIZATION AND THE TOPONYMIC HISTORY

Abstract

In this article, the authors examine the history of the Tarbagatai region of the East Kazakhstan area, paying particular attention to the colonization of the territory by Tsarist Russia and the history of changes in the toponymic names of settlements, rivers, and lakes as they transitioned to another language. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that, for the first time, it explores the construction of strategically important military fortification lines by the colonizers and their naming.

The main goal of the article is to analyze the transformations that occurred with local toponymic names of the Tarbagatai region during the period of colonization by Tsarist Russia, describing geographical names (toponyms) and their characteristics rooted in ancient times. Furthermore, one of the key objectives of the study is to investigate the ancient history of local toponyms that acquired Slavic names, as well as to consider administrative reforms and the emergence of regulations for governing Kazakh lands during the colonial period.

The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity, which constitute the foundation of historical science.

Based on this methodological framework, the authors conclude that despite changes in social forms over nearly two centuries of the colonial period in the Kazakh steppe, the methods of colonial policy remained continuous.