This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the specific features and structures of the local socio-political and administrative governance system within the Kazakh Khanate, specifically focusing on the 18th century. The relevance of the study lies in the necessity to understand the self-governance mechanisms of Kazakh society prior to the colonial era. Due to a significant scarcity of primary written records concerning the lower levels of authority, the research utilizes methods of ethnographic data extrapolation and comparative historical analysis, drawing on the methodological frameworks established by scholars. The findings indicate that the administrative structure of the Khanate was rooted in a kinship-based communal hierarchy rather than territorial boundaries, progressing from the nuclear family unit to the unified Khanate. A key focus is placed on the meritocratic nature of local leadership, where the institutions of Bis and Batyrs emerged based on personal integrity, wisdom, and military prowess rather than hereditary right alone. The author concludes that while this decentralized model of "Steppe Democracy" was highly effective for the nomadic lifestyle and internal dispute resolution, the lack of a centralized bureaucratic apparatus and a standing army ultimately weakened the state’s capacity to implement modernization reforms and resist external imperial expansion by the end of the 18th century.

Keywords: Kazakh Khanate, local governance, Institute of Bi, meritocracy, decentralization, 18th century, Steppe Democracy.