The legal basis of the relations between the Moscow Kingdom and its nomadic subjects (by example of the Russian- Mongolian relations in the 17th century)

Abstract

The article provides an analysis of the structure and contents of the legal acts which regulated the relations between the Moscow Kingdom and Mongol rulers who were (or at least were considered to be by the Moscow tsars) Russian subjects. The author concludes that the legal sources were numerous, they were issued by different Russian authorities and had different legal force. In many respects this was caused by the too complicated system of the ministries (“prikazy”) in the Moscow Kingdom. Besides it, the relatively short term of the relations between the Moscow tsars and Mongol rulers (these relations were ceased at the end of the 17th century when Mongol rulers had to recognize the suzerainty of the China Empire) didn’t allow them to create a clear and successive policy so that the relations between the neighbouring countries could rely on the codified regulating documents.