Summary: | . Introduction. The article deals with peculiarities of legal status of the Buryat
tribal aristocracy traced in the 17th-19th-century collections of national customary law.
Compiling codes of ‘steppe laws’, the tribal aristocracy actively adapted customary
law to their interests, thereby securing their privileged position in society. Compiling
answers to inquiries of the Russian Government, the Buryat aristocrats modified traditional norms and customs with the aim of asserting their high legal position, and sought
to vest themselves with broad powers. Goals. The article primarily aims to illustrate the
interests and privileges of the tribal aristocracy according to 17th-19th-century norms of
customary law. Materials. The paper analyzes customary law collections of the mentioned period. Results. The investigated documents show broad powers of the Buryat
tribal aristocracy. The latter remained in charge of administrative, fiscal, judicial, family
and marriage-related issues, also being authorized to resolve various contentious questions among the population. In addition, it is important to note that the Buryat tribal aristocracy were not limited in their law-making activities since they did not need to adapt
themselves to new laws. As a result, accommodating themselves to the new political
situation, the tribal aristocracy sought to both maintain their positions and influence in
society, as well as to concentrate broad powers in their hands, which was manifested in
adapting customary law to their interests.
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