In the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, inorodtsy (russian: иноро́дцы) (singular: inorodets (russian: инородец), Literally meaning "of different descent/nation", "of foreign (alien) origin") was a special
ethnicity
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
-based category of population. Informally, the term referred to non-Russian population of the empire (other than the
triune Russian nation
The All-Russian nation (russian: общерусский народ, ) or triune Russian nation (russian: триединый русский народ, label=none, ), also called the pan-Russian nation ( uk, пан-руський народ, ), i ...
of Great Russians, Little Russians, Byelorussians). In strict legal sense, it referred to certain indigenous ethnicities of non-European descent specifically listed in the corresponding code of law.
The term is sometimes translated as allogeneous (people) (cf. "
allogenes
Allogenes is a repertoire, or genre, of mystical Gnostic texts dating from the first half of the Third Century, CE. They concern Allogenes, "the Stranger" (or "foreigner"),Greek: (''allogenēs''), used in the Septuagint, meaning "rom adifferent f ...
") 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, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
, and
Russian Far East
The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admini ...
.
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 or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...
connotation of "lacking culture, uncivilized peoples". 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) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription).
Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require a ...
, reduction or exemption of taxes, protection of
grazing lands, and religious and governmental self-administration.
References
Pejorative terms for in-group non-members
Ethnic groups in Russia
Law in the Russian Empire
Society of the Russian Empire
{{Ethno-stub