Organizational and legal features of exchange trade in the Caucasus in the first half of the 19th century

The article explores a range of issues related to the organization and functioning of the institution of barter trade between the Russian Empire and the mountain societies of the North Caucasus in the first half of the 19th century. Based on an analysis of archival materials and contemporary accounts, the article examines key trade centers, the range of goods, and the legal and social aspects of barter relations. Special attention is given to the role of trade as a tool for political influence and integration of the region into the economic space of the empire, as well as its transformation during the Caucasian War. The administrative management structure created in accordance with the 1846 «Regulations on Exchange Trade with the Highlanders along the Caucasian Line» was analyzed separately. It is concluded that Russia's policy in the field of barter trade in the Caucasus in the first half of the 19th century went through a complex development path, from spontaneous neighborhood exchange to its use as a repressive tool, to an attempt to transform it into an instrument of integration and soft power. However, the emerging system faced insurmountable challenges: the objective economic logic (secret barter, the tendency towards monetary relations) and the difficulties of integration practices on the ground.

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