TOPICAL ISSUES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIVESTOCK BREEDING AND AGRICULTURE IN WESTERN KAZAKHSTAN AT THE END OF THE 19TH AND THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURIES

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the formation and development of a mixed economy based on livestock breeding and agriculture in Western Kazakhstan during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The study examines in detail the natural-geographical conditions, socio-economic influences, and political decisions that led the local population to gradually shift from traditional nomadic pastoralism to semi-nomadic and sedentary forms of life. It also analyzes the internal and external factors that contributed to the spread of agriculture in the steppe regions, including land issues, changes in colonial administrative policies, and the exchange of agricultural practices between the local population and settlers. The article demonstrates that the emergence of a mixed economy in Western Kazakhstan not only transformed the region’s economic structure but also had a significant impact on the social profile of the population, everyday livelihood models, labor skills, and traditional economic culture. Through an examination of the evolution of economic relations, the study reveals important aspects such as social stratification during the colonial period, specific features of land use, and the formation of new economic linkages. The findings of the research provide a deeper understanding of the historical transformations in the economic development of Western Kazakhstan, identify regional characteristics of the colonial era, and assess the influence of the mixed economy on subsequent agrarian policies and the formation of rural society.