Development of Indian Trading Community in Astrakhan in Context of Russian-Indian Relationship (1725–1800)

The contribution is devoted to qualitative and quantitative changes brought about by the 18th century in ongoing efforts of the Russian government circles to establish a direct contact with India, develop the Russian-Indian trade, and the role Indian trading communities had in the goods exchange between India and Russia. The study sets the mutual dependence of both phenomena in a direct context, and tries to show a cause of failure of the Russian side’s effort, which had also partially affected prosperity and change of the Indian trading community in Astrakhan.