In the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, inorodtsy () (singular: inorodets (), literally meaning "of different descent/nation", "of alien origin") was a special

ethnicity An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they Collective consciousness, collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, ...

-based category of population that received a special treatment under the law. Informally, the term referred to all non-Slavic subjects of the empire. The term is sometimes translated as allogeneous (people) (cf. " allogenes") and sometimes as "aliens". The latter translation is misleading since in most cases the term was applied to the indigenous population of Siberia,

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

, and

Russian Far East The Russian Far East ( rus, Дальний Восток России, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in North Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asia, Asian continent, and is coextensive with the Far Easte ...

History

Initially, a legal statute was introduced for special treatment of certain peoples of Russia (including a certain degree of protection for their traditional life) for which some laws of the empire were deemed inappropriate. Over time, the term acquired a

pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...

connotation. Privileges and special treatment for ''inorodtsy'' varied depending on the group, area, and time period, but often included exemption of

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

, reduction or exemption of taxes, protection of grazing lands, and religious and governmental self-administration. The 19th century Russian code of law (beginning with the 1822 ) distinguished the following categories of ''inorodtsy'': *

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

n inorodtsy, all indigenous peoples of Siberia; some of them were in separate categories due to their "incomplete dependence on Russia": ** Chukchi of Primorskaya Oblast ** Dzhungarians (дзюнгорцы) of Tomsk Governorate ** Inorodtsy of Commander Islands *

Samoyeds The Samoyedic peoples (sometimes Samodeic peoples) are a group of closely related peoples who speak Samoyedic languages, which are part of the Uralic languages, Uralic family. They are a linguistic, ethnic, and cultural grouping. The name derive ...

Arkhangelsk Governorate Arkhangelsk Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, which existed from 1796 until 1929. Its seat was in Arkhangelsk. The governorate was located in the north of the Russ ...

* Kalmucks *"Kyrgyzs" (obsolete name: see the contemporary map; now the ethnicity in this area is known as

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (Kazakh language, Kazakh: , , , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common Culture of Kazakhstan, culture, Kazakh language, language and History of Kazakhstan, history ...

) of the Interior Horde *Nomadic inorodtsy of Akmolinsk, Semipalatinsk, Semirechye, Ural, and Turgay oblasts * Turkestan Krai inorodtsy * Transcaspian Oblast nomads (''ordyntsy'', "Horde people") * Mountain people of

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

References

Pejorative terms for strangers and foreigners Ethnic groups in Russia Law of the Russian Empire Society of the Russian Empire {{Ethno-stub