Oghuz Turks

Oghuz Turks

Enthroned figure usually identified as the last Oghuz Turk Seljuk Empire ruler Tughril III (1176–1194), from Rayy, Iran. Philadelphia Museum of Art.[1]
Regions with significant populations
Before 11th century: Turkestan From 11th century: Anatolia Caucasus Greater Khorasan Cyprus Mesopotamia Balkans North Africa Historical: Yedisan Crimea
Languages
Oghuz languages
Religion
Predominantly Islam (Sunni Alevi Bektashi Twelver Shia) Minority: Irreligion Christianity Judaism Historical: Shamanism Tengrism
Related ethnic groups
Azerbaijanis[2] Turkmens[2] Turks[2]

The Oghuz Turks (Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, romanized: Oγuz) were a western Turkic people who spoke the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family.^[3] In the 8th century, they formed a tribal confederation conventionally named the Oghuz Yabgu State in Central Asia. Today, much of the populations of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are descendants of Oghuz Turks. Byzantine sources call them Uzes (Οὖζοι, Ouzoi).^[4] The term Oghuz was gradually supplanted by the terms Turkmen and Turcoman (Ottoman Turkish: تركمن, romanized: Türkmen or Türkmân) by 13th century.^[5]

The Oghuz confederation migrated westward from the Jeti-su area after a conflict with the Karluk allies of the Uyghurs. In the 9th century, the Oghuz from the Aral steppes drove Pechenegs westward from the Emba and Ural River region. In the 10th century, the Oghuz inhabited the steppe of the rivers Sari-su, Turgai and Emba north of Lake Balkhash in modern-day Kazakhstan.^[6]

They embraced Islam and adapted their traditions and institutions to the Islamic world, emerging as empire-builders with a constructive sense of statecraft. In the 11th century, the Seljuk Oghuz clan entered Persia, where they founded the Great Seljuk Empire. The same century, a Tengriist Oghuz clan, also known as Uzes or Torks, overthrew Pecheneg supremacy in the frontier of the Russian steppes; those who settled along the frontier were gradually Slavicized; the almost feudal Black Hat principality grew with its own military aristocracy.^[7] Others, harried by the Kipchak Turks, crossed the lower Danube and invaded the Balkans,^[8] where they were stopped by a plague and became mercenaries for the Byzantine imperial forces (1065).^[9] Oghuz warriors served in almost all Islamic armies of the Middle East from the 1000s onwards, and as far as Spain and Morocco.^[7]

In the late 13th century after the fall of the Seljuks, the Ottoman dynasty gradually conquered Anatolia with an army also predominantly of Oghuz,^[10] besting other local Oghuz Turkish states.^[11] In legend, the founder Osman's genealogy traces to Oghuz Khagan, the legendary ancient ancestor of Turkic people,^[12] giving the Ottoman sultans primacy among Turkish monarchs.^[13] The dynasties of Khwarazmians, Qara Qoyunlu, Aq Qoyunlu, Ottomans, Afsharids and Qajars are also believed to descend from the Oghuz-Turkmen tribes of Begdili, Yiva, Bayandur, Kayi and Afshar respectively.^[14]