Siberian Village Land and Life in the Sakha Republic - Essay Example

The Tsarist motivation in colonizing Siberia resulted from a desire to acquire more resources. The colonization of the Yakutia by Soviet Union began as a result of building a fortress in the present day Yakutsk city, and provided shelter to Russian military, merchants, government officials and exiles. The Soviet Union government then engaged in collecting yasak, also known as fur tax, which the local community paid in a similar manner to other communities residing in Siberian regions. The policies adopted by the Soviet Union government resulted in establishing Yakutian Province, and creation of an administrative unit constituting termed as okrugs.

The okrugs were further subdivided into units known as uluses. Further, the tax system implemented in the region targeted the patrilineal clan, which existed as a simple unit in terms of social organization2 . The Soviet Union government further formed administrative units within the clans to establish a bureaucratic system necessary for state administration. During this era, administrative posts within the Yakut society acted as vital posts for colonial positions established for the Siberian natives.

However, this period resulted in the Yakut population settling, in the rural areas rather than, the colonial centres established by, the Soviet Union government. The community’s traditional settlement involved one or three dwellings that consisted of approximately twenty people. Their subsistence economy entailed breeding horses and cattle, considered vital in the winter and summer settlements3. The government established an administrative system within the community, and introduced toyons, to head these administrative clans.

However, the toyons adopted a militant aristocracy by amassing power in the area of politics and economy. The introduction of toyons resulted in each district accommodating approximately seven percent of toyons within the population. They grabbed more land within the districts and owned more domestic animals at the expense of the population in their administrative posts. In addition, the toyon clans acquired more influence after their registration by the colonial administration, as administrative units.

Because of the Soviet Union’s reorganization, the patrilineal clans embraced by the Yakut became unfunctionally4. During the period of Russian Revolution, the Yakuts were already engaged in a push for autonomy. In that period, Yakutia dominance revolves around the Shakha. On the other hand, the Soviet Union comprised approximately ten percent of the population. The elite among the sakha were relatively knowledgeable in relation to the political sphere, as a result of the existence of intelligent exiles from Russia.

In the process of clamouring for autonomy, Yakut got embroiled in the Russian Civil war. As a result, a conflict emerged between two divergent groups where, one group advocated for uniting with Far East Siberia, to establish a Republic under the protection of the Japanese. Conversely, the opposing group, formed alliances to assist in the cause of fighting against communism. The end of the struggle resulted in the establishment of an autonomous Yakut, under Moscow control5. The Soviet Union relied on the illusionary established autonomous Yakut for resources ideal in enhancing industrial growth in Russia.