V predstavlennoy rabote vpervye v rossiyskoy istoriografii kompleksno issleduetsya dinamika statusa kazachestva s sotsial"no-politicheskoy i etnokul"turnoy tochek zreniya v svyazi s izmeneniem ego mesta i roli v sobytiyakh i yavleniyakh rossiyskoy istorii. Kazachestvo v dannoy rabote rassmatrivaetsya kak slozhnoe, neodnorodnoe, razvivayushcheesya sotsial"no-istoricheskoe yavlenie. Zadacha dannoy monografii - ob"ektivnoe i tselostnoe issledovanie soderzhaniya, konkretnykh form i evolyutsii sotsial"no-politicheskogo i etnokul"turnogo statusa kazachestva v istoricheskoy retrospektive. Vo glavu ugla dannogo issledovaniya stavyatsya sotsial"no-politicheskie i etnokul"turnye izmeneniya v statuse kazachestva, zakonomernosti, dinamika formirovaniya i funktsionirovaniya sistemy vzaimootnosheniy rossiyskogo gosudarstva i kazachestva, evolyutsiya polozheniya kazachestva v sisteme sotsial"no-politicheskikh i etnokul"turnykh vzaimootnosheniy s rossiyskim gosudarstvom i russkim etnosom v razlichnye istoricheskie periody i v razlichnykh usloviyakh. Kniga adresovana spetsialistam - istorikam i etnologam, - a takzhe shirokomu krugu chitateley, interesuyushchikhsya problemami istorii i kul"tury kazachestva.