TARKHAN

TARKHAN, a nobility’s title in the ancient Turkic states. The title of T. supposedly became widespread among the Bashkirs in the period of the Mongol Empire (13–14th centuries). After the accession of Bashkortostan to Russia, it was given for special merits and on behalf of the Russian tsar. The title could be both hereditary and personal (i.e. not inherited). A T.’s main duties included military service (ref. Military Service of the Bashkirs) and performance of diplomatic, administrative and other functions. Inherited and a part of personal T. were exempted from paying yasak (tribute paid off in furs) and had a privileged use of land. In the early 1730s, T. Aldar and Taymas Shaimov participated in the A.I.Tevkelev Embassy to the Kazakh Khan Abulkhair, which contributed to the acceptance of Russian citizenship by the Kazakhs. In the middle of the 18th century T. lost their privileges. The title is retained only as an honorific title. With the introduction of the canton system, a part of the T. received actual officer ranks, and personal or hereditary nobility. In 1845, on the basis of the Military Council provisions, T. were taxed. By the middle of the 19th century the institution of T. loses its legal significance.