The article dedicated to the social and economic foundations of formation of the ethnic territory of the Kazakh people. The main feature of this society is the fact that the location areas of Kazakh zhuzes, along with one ethnic group, should be viewed as a sign of the emergence of a state system at a certain level. In addition to the state system, the arrangement of Kazakh zhuzes on the basis of the ethnic territory were also observed. The socio-economic conditions of Kazakhs, who have embarked on a nomadic lifestyle, also played an important role in the formation of ethnic borders. In this regard, this article examines the main reasons for the problem based on sources covering socio-economic conditions for a defined period of time. Thus, centuries-long staging of the formation of the ethnic territory of the Kazakh people was historically investigated.