title: The exemplary adaptation to imperial order: the Baitokin family's service, life, and nobility
abstract: The 19th-century social changes in the Kazakh steppe resulted from the emergence of new social classes within Kazakh society, including nobles, honored citizens, imperial officials, and intellectuals. Although privileged estates were traditionally associated with sultans, there were influential noble families from non-aristocratic backgrounds in the Kazakh community. These families earned their noble status through personal merit and loyalty to the imperial authority, creating a path to the uppe
journal: Journal of history