Oguz

Oguz, also written Oghuz, refers to a historic branch of the Turkic peoples. The Oghuz Turks constitute a major division of the Turkic world and are considered the ancestral source of several modern Turkic-speaking populations. Their languages form the southwestern branch of the Turkic language family, with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Turkmen, and Gagauz among the best known modern representatives.

Origins and historical development. The Oghuz are believed to have originated in Central Asia, forming tribal confederations that later spread westward. In the early medieval period they established political formations such as the Oghuz Yabgu State in parts of the western Central Asian and Caspian regions. From the 9th to the 11th centuries, many Oghuz groups migrated into Anatolia and surrounding areas, contributing to the emergence of the Seljuk Empire and influencing the subsequent Turkish-speaking polities of the region. The spread of Oghuz culture and Islam helped shape the linguistic and political landscape of the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Anatolia.

Culture and myth. In Turkic folklore, Oghuz Khan is a legendary ancestor of the Oghuz tribes, and the Oguzname tradition recounts the twelve Oghuz tribes and their lineages. This mythic framework has influenced national identities and literary traditions across Turkic-speaking communities.

Modern presence. Today, Oghuz-speaking populations are most prominently found in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan, with sizable communities and diasporas in Iran and elsewhere. The term remains a key identifier in discussions of Turkic ethnolinguistic history.