Power and Business in the Middle Ages: Legal Aspects of Relations (Experience of the Mongol Empire and Its Uluses)

The article is an analysis of specific features of relations between the state authorities and merchants in the Mongol Empire and its uluses (Yuan Empire in China, Mongol Iran, Golden Horde, Chaghatay Ulus). The sources of legal regulations of the trade in the Chinggisid uluses are studied. The article contains the first Russian-language publication and interdisciplinary commentary of yarlik (edict) on the appointment of the head of merchants from the treaty “Dastur al-katib” by Muhammad Nakhchivani, the Persian official of the 14 th c. The analysis of the document gives an opportunity to re-construct some legal aspects of relations between authorities and merchant corporations in the Mongol Empire and its uluses. Legal anthropological approach allows to examine the regulation of the trade relations not only as a series of legal acts but also as specific actions and decisions of rulers and representatives of the trade societies of the Oxidant and Orient who interacted with them with taking into account the changes of the economic situation in the proper states and regions.