Introduction (2)

In Modern English

12- Uşum: It means gathering and is taken from the verb "uşmak." "Uşub" also has the sense of "uşum"; its Arabized form is recorded as "huşûm." Among the Mongol and Khitan tribes its relational form is "Uşubat (Uşumat)"; the "Şubat" used today is the same as "Uşubat" with a small change. That is, "Uşum" is the month of February.

Thus every year, counted as three hundred and sixty-five days, is divided into four parts by the names "Bagar (Spring), Summer, Autumn, Winter." Every twelve years are called a "Tomar," and each of its years is tied in this order to one of the twelve animals called "Kesgü (Rat), Ox, Pars (Leopard), Koşkan (Hare), Luy (Luyun, Crocodile), İlan (Snake), Yunt (Horse), Koy (Sheep), Biçin (Monkey), Dakuk (Chicken), Dog, Pig"; these are called the "Turkish year" (Sâl-i Türkân). Every five "Tomars," that is sixty years, are called a "Bogun." After the "Bogun" has been repeated three times, that is after a hundred and eighty years have passed, it begins anew. For the turning of nine generations is the custom.

In reckoning history the "Bogun" is the basis. They claim that from Hazret-i Adam's descent to the earth until Oğuz Han's accession 27017 boguns, that is 1,621,020 years, passed; that until Genghis Khan's accession 27062 boguns, that is 1,623,720 years, passed; and that between Oğuz Han and Genghis Khan there are 45 boguns, that is 2700 years.

It is seen that the Turks, within the social order they founded in very ancient times, set special names for their days, weeks, months and years. Among calendar and star scholars the "Turkish year" is famous. I think there is no person of sound taste who would regard these useful, short and easily pronounced names as crude and prefer foreign words such as "Ağustos, Teşrin-i Evvel, Teşrin-i Sani, Kânun-ı Evvel, Kânun-ı Sani" and "Çehâr-şenbe, Penc-şenbe," which are truly crude, meaningless and cold.

The rules and judgments to which the Turks were bound were of three kinds, by the names "Türe, Kanun, Yasa." "Türe" is taken from the verb "torgamak" or "türgamak," meaning to preserve and arrange order; it carries the sense of politics, which means the administration of the house, and is said of the political measures the khagan takes to administer the land.

"Kanun" is said of the legal articles decided by the "Oylak" to secure the people's rights and accepted by the khagan. It is taken from the verb "kanmak," meaning to be sated, to be content, and is an adjective in the sense of a thing that has been accepted as sufficient and has been able to persuade the people. It is called "Kânûn" in the pattern of "Bâlûn" and "Kanın" in the pattern of "kalın." Today in Anatolia "Kanul, Kanıl, Kanın" is said. These are entirely Turkish, like the words "Kanak and Kanık."

"Yasa" is said of the penal articles laid down to secure order and obedience among the army and people, to restrain everyone from attacking another, and to set punishment for those who do forbidden things. It is taken from the verb "yasamak," meaning to give order to something, to arrange it in order and to adorn it; today the word "yasak" is used.

In the time of Altay Han's law, every "Anar" into which the Turks were divided by lineage was under the administration of a "Han," every "Tîre" of a "Bar," every "Oymak" of a "Şad," and all of these obeyed the command of one khagan. The khagan and the khan's sons, especially the heir chosen from among them, the khagan's son, were called "İnal."

Thanks to this order and civil arrangement, thanks to this ancient civilization, the Turks, rising from the foothills of the "Altay, Ural" mountains east of Sîlan, had encircled the farthest east and turned west, and, spreading in the four directions, had made their strength known on the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa and America.

While this unity of the Turan line, that is of the Turanian family, had made them known in Asia as a great and civilized nation, later external influences such as distance, the length of the period of separation and the nature of the places they were in changed to some extent the morals, customs, appearance and even language of every Anar and every Tîre, and national unity was broken. Every Anar and every Tîre began to defend its own khans and bars, the bars began to proclaim khanates, and to fight and show enmity against one another. The superiority established by other nations made them unrecognizable.

For this reason the Turks first divided into two great branches by the names "Uygur and Mongol," and the "Uygurs," by falling upon one another, became four divisions by the names "Uygur, Uz Uygur, On Uygur, Dokuz Uygur." Some, by migrating to the Mongols, took the name "Konug-Konuk." Then the "Uz Uygur" became known to the world as "Uzgur, Huz and in the plural Ahvaz"; the "On Uygur" as "Ongur, Hungar, Hun"; the "Tokuz Uygur" as "Toğuzgur, Tohsi, Tanguz (Tonguz)"; and the "Konug" as "Hunuc, Hunug, Havanıg."

Among these various names, since the word "Turan," the shortened form of "Türkân," fitted better to define and explain all the tribes of the Turks by a common name, the compound "Turanian family" entered among historical terms.

As understood from Arabic and general historical studies and from the reading of more than thirty general books of genealogy, the "Turan" line was divided, in terms of languages and appearance, into nine anars, and from each anar very many tîres and clans arose; all of them came from "Olcas, Tütük, Yaguz." The said nine anars are these:

1- "Camat Anar": It became known among scholars of human lineages as the "Samidî Branch." All members of this branch are the children of "Camat ibn Hucul," of the grandchildren of "Olcas ibn Türk." But how many generations there are between "Camat ibn Hucul" and "Olcas ibn Türk" is not known.

"Camat" is the Arabized form of the word "Samat," meaning "gleaming weapon"; an armory is called "Camatdan-Camadan." "Hucul" is the Arabized form of the word "Koncul-Konkul," meaning a valiant youth, in which the letters h and c are read with damma in Arabic spelling, or of the word "Öngül," meaning foremost, leader. From this Anar came great tîres such as "Enes, Cugur, Cafun, Gura."

2- "Khazar Anar": The children descended from a ruler named "Khazar Han ibn Mensil," of the grandchildren of "Olcas ibn Türk," this whole line, are called "Khazar." Although they had a great state in the early ages, they later divided into parts and lost their old strength, and from them such nations as "As, Abhas, Cacan, Sakit, Hezare" formed. The word "Khazar" is shortened from "Hazar," that is "Havzar," and is the Arabized form of the word "Uzar"; it is also called "Huzar." The words "Mensil and Mencil" are Arabized from the word "Mengli." "Sakit" in the Turkish language is said of the star Jupiter and "Sakik" of Venus; "Sak, Sakay" were also said. Words such as "Sakar," "Sakak (temple)," "Sakal," "Sakan (Zekan)," "Sakav (Sakav, pepe)," "Sakur (Zagur, fawn)," "Sakun (outcry and request)," "Sakız," like these "Sakit and Sakik," are taken from the verb "sakmak," meaning to pull and fit, to squeeze out and to move a great deal. The word "Sakit" is written in the form "Sakit and Sakvit" and became famous under the name "Scythian." Its children are called "Scythians" in history.

3- "Sin Anar": It descended from a person known as "Sayın ibn Usturmay," of the grandchildren of "Yagur ibn Türk." Since there were very many branches and tribes among his children, each of its tîres was divided as an anar into other branches. "Sin" is Arabized from the word "Çin" and "Sayın" from the word "Çayın, Sayın," meaning happy and rich; "Çin" is shortened from the word "Çayın." "Usturmay" is written in corrupted forms such as "Usturtay and Suturtay" and is the Arabized form of the word "Usurbay," meaning intelligent.

4- "Tagmaç Anar": They descended from a khan's son known by the name "Tagmaç," of the grandchildren of "Tütük ibn Türk." Today they are called "Tibet." Judging by the Arabs' writing it "Tübbet," with the letter ta with damma and the letter be with shadda, it is understood that they Arabized it from the word "Tubat," but the original must be "Tibat"; later "Tibet" was said. "Tagmaç" is fixed in the form in which the ta is read with fatha and the ghayn with sukun; it is also written "Tevhac, Tevgac and Tavgac." In our Turkish there is the word "Tavgac," with ta with damma, meaning the place where it will rise, that is the horizon or place of ascent. Therefore "Tagmaç" is a corrupted form of the word "Tavgac."

5- "Fin Anar": The line descended from "Fin ibn Cüyar," of the grandchildren of "Yagur ibn Türk," is called in general "Fin, Fene, Fenva, Feni." The Christian tîres living in Asia and Europe such as "Ustun, Bulgar, Lanid, Macar" are of this line. "Fin" is Arabized from the word "Bayın," meaning good-natured and of orderly fortune, and "Cüyar" from the word "Guyar," meaning "burns, glowing and glowing"; the members of this generation are very mixed with the "Altaylıs."

6- "Malay Anar": It is said of the children of a person named Malay, of the grandchildren of Yagur ibn Türk. Malay is "malay," meaning "pure milk and the cream of milk," that is "balay."

7- "Mancu Anar": It is said of the children of the ruler named "Mancu," of the grandchildren of "Tütük ibn Türk." Shortened from "Mançur," known among the Turks as "Mancu, Mancur, İlmancur," it means adorned, embellished. The Turanian tribes living in "Manchuria" are of his line.

8- "Heralit Anar": It descended from a person named "Heral ibn Süday," of the grandchildren of "Tütük ibn Türk." The "Khitai, Kirayit" and other Mongol tîres came from this line. Arabized from the word "Heralit (Uralit)," also known as "Karalta," "Ural" means the anvil on which blacksmiths hammer nails and the like. "Süday" is Arabized from the word "Süktay," meaning rested.

9- "Heytal Anar": It is said of the children of the khagan known by the name "Heytal ibn Âlem ibni Sam ibn Turas," of the grandchildren of "Olcas ibn Türk." The famous tîres that made a name in the land of "Heytal," such as "Bersahaniyye, Harlahiyye, Tohariyye and Guriyye," descended from this "Heytal Anar." "Heytal" is the Arabized form of the word "Altay," meaning gold; in its relational form it is called "Heytalî" and in the plural "Heyatile." The lands of Transoxiana as far as China are called "Heytal Land." "Horasan ibn Âlem ibn Sam ibn Turas" is shown as the brother of this "Heytal." "Horasan" is also recorded.

Âlem, also recorded by the names Amel, Cîl, Alem, is an allusion to and corrupted form of the name of the khan written in all Turkish histories as Küyul. Küyul means "gold ingot"; Gulçe was also said. It is rumored that he was the founder of the city of Külçe in the Kashgar continent.

Sam is shortened from the name of a person known as "Samur, Samir, Sumer," meaning a known animal; this is understood from his father's name being shown as "Turas." He is the ancestor of the Samiriyye dynasty that ruled in Iraq (Igrak). Turas means "tiras," a bunch of picked flowers or alive; it is taken from the verb "tirmek." The Turkmen dialect says "Tirez" and uses it in the sense of clean and pure. Odd forms such as "Tariş, tiraş, tiriş and hiriş" are allusions to and corruptions of "Tiras."

Although it is not possible to enumerate all the Turanian tribes descended from these nine anars, the listing in alphabetical order of the Turkish kabars, each of which has clans and a great number of individuals to the extent of being a nation, is as follows:

• Âbâr (Âvâr, Âvâra, Hebâre)
• Âtıg (Âdiga, Ezkeş)
• Ârâmut (Armât, Îrâmûs)
• Âsîg (Âs, Âsitîn, Kavasha)
• Âmâs (Amazon, Mâsît)
• Ânâk (Ânâgît, Anuhît)
• Ercâs (Erlayit, Erlât)
• Argûn (Argûnît, Arhûnût)
• Erlâs (Erlâyit, Erlât)
• Enes (Înôs, Aynôs)
• Ûstâk (Ûstiyâk, Ûstiyâke)
• Ûstûn (Ûstûnî, Ûstûnyâ)
• Oyrât (Hoyrât, Hoyrât)
• Îgrâk (Irâk, Herâgît)
• Aylâk (Amlâk)
• Becâr (Başkar, Başgarat)
• Becenek (Becenâk)
• Bershâr (Bershân, Bershâniye)
• Barlâs (Barlâsît, Barlât)
• Berem (Bermî, Permî)
• Bagdân (Bûgdân, Bahtî)
• Bagrâc (Bûgrâk, Bügrek)
• Balgâr (Bulgâr, Bulâr)
• Belûc (Buluc, Buluş)
• Bûrî (Bûriyât, Mûrî)
• Bûrgâs (Bûrgâz, Bûrgût)
• Bulak (Balk, Balh)
• Bûsâr (Bûser, Bûkser)
• Bûyâ (Bûyât, Bûyâvut)
• Bulgân (Bûlân, Belen)
• Tâvur (Tâgûr, Tâbgûr)
• Tâvki (Tâbûk, Tâvâst)
• Tahsî (Tagzî, Tunguzî)
• Taşûd (Taşûdî, Tâsûdî)
• Tekrîn (Mekrîn, Tâkrîn)
• Tûrgâg (Tûrâgît, Tûrgât)
• Tibet (Tebet, Tîbât)
• Tîbâr (Tîbârûn, Tîbârît)
• Tîrâk (Terâkî, Terâkiyâ)
• Câcân (Câcen, Çeçen)
• Cârık (Carah, Carak)
• Cifer (Cefâcire, Sîbir)
• Celâyir (Celâyirî, Çalayır)
• Cemel (Sûmâl, Kûmâl)
• Çerkes (Çerkeş, Çerkez)
• Çermîş (Sermîş, Sarmes)
• Çagatây (Sîgatây, Sogd)
• Çekel (Şekel, Şekîl)
• Çûpût (Cût, Sufût)
• Hâlît (Gâlît, Kâlît)
• Hatal (Kûtul, Kûtâl)
• Huten (Hûten, Kûtân)
• Horasân (Orasân, Hûrâsân)
• Harlah (Karlıg, Karlıh)
• Hıtâ (Hıtâ, Kûtây, Kûtây)
• Halah (Kâlah, Kâlag)
• Derleken (Terlekân)
• Devrân (Devrânî)
• Dûrmân (Tûrbân)
• Sâhit (Sakît, İskît)
• Sâlîb (Hâlîb, Selîb)
• Sân (Sânît, Cânît)
• Serîr (Sârîr)
• Sogdâk (Sogd, Sogdiyân)
• Sevâzin (Sebâs, Sebâzûn)
• Sevâm (Sebâm, Sevâmî)
• Sûlîm (Sûlmût)
• Sûmer (Sâmûr, Sâmîr)
• Sîrî (Cerî, Zîrî)
• Tugâc (Tû'âc, Tûgâc)
• Tagar (Tahâr, Tâtâr)
• Togan (Tohan, Tôgân)
• Taylasân (Taylesân, Talsân)
• Acar (Acâr, Âçâr)
• Amil (Âmîl, Âmil)
• Gacar (Gacâr, Agâcire)
• Garîn (Garvîn, Garâvîn)
• Guz (Aguz, Oğuz)
• Gûr (Agûr, Ogur)
• Filîb (Bâlîb, Bâlî)
• Fûdek (Fûdekî, Fûtiyâke)
• Fînlând (Findlândiyâ)
• Kâlâç (Halac, Kalfâc)
• Kâlmûk (Kalmûk, Kılmûk)
• Kanık (Kanıh, Kânıg)
• Kıbcâk (Kapcâk, Tafcâk)
• Kırgız (Harhız, Âdây)
• Kazâk (Kûzâk, Kazgâk)
• Kamâs (Kûmâs, Kumâsîn)
• Kangırât (Kângarât, Kungûrât)
• Kotug (Kotûgûn, Kôkûn)
• Korlâs (Korlâsît, Korlât)
• Kugûl (Vugul, Vagûl)
• Kumân (Kumânît, Kumânite)
• Kûmûk (Kûmûh, Kumug)
• Kıyât (Kıyân, Ceyân)
• Kirayit (Kirâyût)
• Kiryâk
• Kesâv (Kasâv, Pesâvâ)
• Kîmâk (Kemâkiye)
• Kîmâr (Kîmer, Kimârî)
• Kencâk (Kecek, Keşek)
• Kûçî (Gûşî, Gûşîn)
• Kîlyâk (Kilyâk)
• Lâçîn (Lâşîn, Âlâçîn)
• Lâz (Âlâz, Âlâzîk)
• Lâmût (Âlâmût, Âlmût)
• Lân (Âlân, Lânîd)
• Lezkî (Lâzîkî, Lezek, Lekez)
• Macâr (Macar, Mancar)
• Makrât (Tekrât, Tenkirât)
• Malât (Bâlât)
• Malâk (Bâlâk)
• Malây (Bâlây)
• Meleş (Belîş)
• Malûk (Balûk)
• Menkît (Menkît, Benkît)
• Naymân (Naymât)
• Nôgây (Nagây)
• Nûyât (Nûgât)
• Varsâk (Ârsâk)
• Vûtyâk (Ûtâk, Vatâk)
• Vîgûr (Vugûr)
• Vînûk (Vunûk, Înûk)
• Hercân (Ercân, Ercât)
• Hezâcât (Azâc)
• Hezâre (Âzâr, Hezâr)
• Herûl (Ergûl)
• Yapon (Capon, Japon)
• Yazîg (Yâsıka, Yâsık)
• Yâkût (Yâgût)
• Yesmil (Yâsmûl, Yâsûl)
• Yagmâ (Yagmât, Yagmâc)
• Yemâk (Yebâkû, Bâkû)

Some clans that stood out among these written kabars also have so many branches as to form a nation each. Of these, today "Guz, Tagar, Circassian, Laz, Georgian, Becenek, Koman and the other Uygur tribes" are found in great numbers in the Sanjak of Amasya and live in every part of it.

"Guz" is shortened from the word Oğuz and became the name of the children of the famous khagan Oğuz Han, of the line of Bars Han. "Kılık Han ibn Yagız Han ibn Bilik Han ibn Ohşu Han ibn Açkın Han ibn Bâlî Han ibn Timur Han ibn Göküs Han ibn Bars Han ibn Altay Han," known by the epithet Oğuz Han, was also mentioned by the epithet "Türkmen," meaning great Turk, and so all his children were called "Türkmens."

The Turkmens are forty-four clans; twenty-four clans have become famous as "Ulu Türkmen" (Great Turkmen) and twenty clans as "Öz Türkmen" (True Turkmen). Each of these clans is like the anars of all the Turkmens. Since the twenty-four tribes are counted with twenty clans (oba) each, the Turkmen clans are calculated as twenty-one thousand one hundred and twenty obas and one thousand and fifty-six tribes. Then every hearth had also multiplied extremely and become a clan each.

The twenty-four clans of the "Ulu Türkmens" descended from Oğuz Han's six sons, and with four grandchildren born of each son each clan is called by the name of a grandchild; that is, each grandchild became an anar by his children. Oğuz Han's sons and grandchildren are these:

OĞUZ HAN

• Son Güyün Han; grandchildren: Kayı Han, Bayât, Alkaivli, Karaivli
• Son Ayık Han; grandchildren: Yazar, Yabar, Dodurga, Döger
• Son Yıldız Han; grandchildren: Afşar, Kızık, Begdilili, Karkın
• Son Göyük Han; grandchildren: Bayındur, Bezine, Çavdur, Çepni
• Son Dagak Han; grandchildren: Salur, İmir, Alayuntlı, Özger
• Son Tengiz Han; grandchildren: İgdür, Begdür, Ava, Kınık

1- "Ayık": It is said of an alert, sensible, that is enlightened person. This person is also called "Ayıg, Hâ'ig and Ay." Among the Turkmens "Ay Han" is said. There is also another "Ayık Han," his brother's son.

2- "Dagak": It is said of something that gets caught and stays attached. It is recorded under the name "Zahak, Tagak, Tagac, Tagmac"; the one called "Tagmasb, Tahmasb" is this. Among the Turkmens it is called "Dağ Han, Tağ Han."

3- "Deniz": It means substitute and successor, that is different; it is also called "Tengiz." Since the sea is the substitute of the land it was given the name "Deniz." What they call "Tengiz Han" is this.

4- "Göyük": It is said of what has burned and shone, that is the sky. It is taken from the verb "göymek," meaning to burn by glowing, to burn and make shine, and is used with the ye dropped and brought: like "guyar, gunar (light) and guyaş, günaş (sun), göyük (sky) and göyün (day)." Among the Turkmens "Gök Han" is said.

5- "Güyün": It means "gün," meaning that which burns and shines and has shone, that is the sun and day. "Gün Han" is said of him.

6- "Yıldız": It is said of what dazzles. Yıldûz, Yıldîs and Ildûz were also said. Among the Turkmens he is famous as "Yılduz Han."

Since the names of the twenty-four grandchildren descended from these six sons of Oğuz Han are sometimes written according to the Chagatai dialect, each is explained in alphabetical order:

1- Alayuntlı: It means with a piebald horse. Yunt means wild mare and is also said of a horse. Alayuntlı is a special epithet; this person's name is "Kutuk," meaning blessed and happy. Since the epithet overcame his name, his children were generally called "Alayuntlı." The İsfendiyaroğulları, rulers of Kastamonu, are among them.

2- Alkaivli: It means with a mottled house. This person's name is "Uyug," meaning suitable and obedient; Alkaivli became a special epithet for him. Since his name was later forgotten and the epithet gained fame, Alkaivli was said in the sense of suitable. To read the word "İvli" in the pattern of "kabûlî" (eyüli) and interpret it with the meaning "suitable" is contrary to our Turkish. Alkaivli later became known as "Halkalı"; "Hakala" is a mistake for this.

3- Ava: It is none other than the word "aba," meaning grandfather and great-uncle; figuratively it was said in the sense of lofty in rank. It is also called "Ayva." The "abaka, abak" used in the Kutay dialect are the very same as the words "aba, ava and ayva." Therefore the dictionary does not permit reading the word "Ava" in the pattern of "sıla" (iva) and giving the meaning lofty in rank. Some of them became known as "Have and Hive."

4- Afşar: It is said of a person who gets work done and is agile. Arabized from the word İpsar, it was also called İvsar and Avşar. İpsamak means to do work skillfully. The Persian ruler Nadir Shah is of the Afşar.

5- Özger: It is the very same as the word "Ozgar," meaning sound and righteous; it is taken from the verb "özgemek, ozgamak," meaning to show peace and gentleness. Later the meaning "benevolent" was given.

6- İgdür: It is said of a valiant person who does work with violence and enthusiasm. They are called "İgtürlü, Gitürlü, Gederlü"; the places known in Anatolia as "İgtürli" are their homelands.

7- İmir: It means an owner of flocks of sheep, rich; it is also called "imar and imür." It was later lightened and changed and called "imra." "İyim," in the pattern of "kıyım," is said of the dark mass of a flock of sheep; "îm," in the pattern of "kîm," of the password. They are called İmirli, İmralı.

8- Bayındur: It is said of a rich and happy person. Its examination is given under the word "Fin"; the places called "Bayındurlu" in Anatolia are their homelands. The Turks living in Diyarbekir, Baghdad and Mosul are Bayındurlu; the rulers of the Akkoyunlu and Karakoyunlu are among them.

9- Bezine: It means one who works, cuts and throws away; it is also called "Bezin and Bezen." They were formerly known as "Biçene, Miçene"; it is taken from the verb "biçmek." The Beçeneks are different from them; they are Uygur, these are Turkmen. Although, since they live in Kurdistan, they are counted among the Kurds, there is no doubt that they are of the Turkmens.

10- Begdür: It means one who has a beg, near, and, as is said, it is made up of the words "beg" and "dur" and gives the meaning of beylik official and master of ceremonies. They are also called Beydirli, Bedirli.

11- Begdili: It was said in the sense of dear and respected. It is also called Begtili. The word Begdili is also a compound; it means the bey's tongue, that is his envoy or chief minister. Since both of these are dear and respected, this is counted as the original meaning. They are called Badıllı and Bedilli.

12- Bayat: It is none other than the word "Bayat," meaning owner of property. Food left over from night to the next day, that is morning, is also called bayat. The "Ramazanoğulları," who ruled in Adana, are among them.

13- Çavdur: It is said of a person of honor and integrity, glorious. Later they were called "Çavdarlı"; it means "Çavdurlı."

14- Çepni: It means one who strikes, valiant and heroic; they lived around Gümüşhane and Karahisar-ı Şarkî. Later they spread to every side.

15- Dodurga: It means seizing a province, conquering a land. Figuratively it is said of a conqueror of a land. Todurga was also said. Later they became known as "Turgudlı."

16- Döger: It means a horse that is a pledge. It is also said of a horse with a white mark on its forehead. "Töker" was also said. They later became known as "Tekürli."

17- Salur: It means one with an orderly body, sent and bringer of good news; it is taken from the verb "salgamak." Or it means aggressive and brave and derives from the verb "salmak." They are also called "Salgurlı, Saluzcı." Its Arabized form is "salgar"; the Salgarids, who ruled in the land of Iraq and Iran, are among them.

18- Karkın: It means "spear"; it is taken from the verb "kargamak" or "kargımak," meaning to prod someone, to curse with insult and abuse. Kargın is the epithet of the person known as "Toyran." The meaning of the word Toyuran is hospitable with a table and generous to guests; since his name was forgotten, the epithet was said in this sense.

19- Kayı: It means sound and strong. It is taken from the verb "kaymak," meaning to harden and freeze; "kayık, kayıg, kayk and kay" were also said. Among the Turkmens they are called "Kayı Hanlı." The Ottoman sultans, who hold the Islamic caliphate today, are among them.

20- Karaivli: It means Karaevli (black-housed). Because wherever he lived he lived in a house made of hair tent, he took this epithet. His name must be "Sülimiş," meaning risen. His children are called "Karlı." The Karlıili in Rumelia is their homeland; the "Karlı Oğulları" are among them.

21- Kızık: It is said of an angry person, extremely diligent in his work and strong. A roaring lion is called "kızık." In Anatolia there are very many regions and villages called by the name Kızık. Within the borders of the Sanjak of Amasya the "Kızık District" is large.

22- Kınık: Shortened from the word "Kıngık," it means stubborn, brave and valiant. It was said in the sense of dear, which is the meaning this requires. They are called "Kınıklı." The Kanıklı tribe is different from them since it is of the Uygurs. The Seljuks, who founded a state that conquered the world, the Danishmendids and the Karamanoğulları are among them.

23- Yabar: It is said of a person who does and gets his work done by overcoming the obstacles in his way. "Yabgur" was also said. His children are called "Yaburlı, Yabarlı, Yafarlı." The Câfârlıs must be these.

24- Yazar: It is one who writes and spreads the table. For this reason it was said in the sense of the people's elder. Judging by the one who applies the people's affairs to the law and adorns the land being called "Yasar," the word "yazar" must be shortened from "yasar." It is also called "Yazur, Yazgur and Yazgır." His children are famous as "Yazarlı." Cemaleddin Bey Yazarî and his son Muhyiddin Mehmed Yazarî, who are buried in Amasya, are among them.

The record of the Arab historians differs somewhat from this information given by the Turkish and Mongol histories; they recorded twenty-two tribes in place of twenty-four and, counting among them the Karkın, Kızık and Yabur clans as Uygurs, mention the "Carık" tribe in place of Yabur; this is understood from "Ikdu'l-Cümân." Therefore it is certain that the Kayıs are not of the Uygurs but of the Oghuz.

Oğuz Han gave the name "Bozok" to his sons and children named Güyün, Ayık and Yıldız, born of the daughter of his uncle Öz Han, and the name "Üçok" to the sons and children born of the daughter of his other uncle Güz Han; he assigned the khanate to the Bozoks, calling them the "Right Wing," and the great offices to the Üçoks, calling them the "Left Wing."

Oğuz Han also had children born of his concubines besides these, and the children of these are called "Öz Türkmens." Twenty clans stood out among the Öz Türkmens, each of which is in the position of an anar. Their names in alphabetical order are as follows:

Ok (Oguk), Oklan (Kelan), Turum, Camıc (Cumug), Durman, Saltan (Saltan, with sad), Sevic (Sayuc), Sürcek (Sürçak), Karasa (Karaca), Kazgur, Koçuk, Köy (Koyun), Kırgız, Kete, Goday, Giray (Guray), Gögül, Güne (Kunay), Hersan (Arsan), Yüzünc (Yasanc).

All of these are the Turkmens famous by the name "Guz." The influence and esteem of the Guzs in the Turkish world has been as much as the place of the Quraysh in the Arab world. Great states, governments and emirates came out of these twenty-four lines, and each of them spread fear through the world.

"Tagar" is Arabized from the word "doğar"; it is also called "tahar." Togar is a son of Altay Han and a brother of Bars Han. The places where his children lived were called Tahâristan, and later they became known as "Tatar."

The Turanian tribes very famous in the early ages under the name "Scythian" are the Sakit children of the Hazerîs and the Chagatai children of the Altaylıs. Since both attacked neighboring peoples they took the name "Tatar," and then by the joining of the Avars, Onguzs and Togars to them all were called "Tatar." For this reason the epithet "Tatar" is not peculiar to a single line; the name "Tatar" was given even to the Mongols, Nogays and even the Khitais.

The Circassians are the children born of the marriage of Atıg Han ibn Kemir Han, of the dynasty of the Hittite rulers who ruled in Anatolia, with Çirgas, sister of Ayık Han ibn Gün Han ibn Oğuz Han.

The children born to Atıg Han of this Çirgas were called, according to the Kutay dialect, "Çirgast," that is Çirgaslı; with the relational suffix dropped "Çırgas, Kirgas" and, lightened, "Çerkes." But since the father of these Çırgas children was Atıg Han, in the relational form they were called Atıget (Atigat), with the relational ta dropped "Atiga, Adiga" and, Arabized, "Ezkeş."

For this reason, since the Circassians are on the father's side of the "Hıta Kutay, Hittite" line belonging to the Ural branch and on the mother's side of the "Guz, Oğuz" line belonging to the Altay branch, it is historically regarded as certain that they are of the Turanians, that is the Turks.

That the Circassians are a branch of the Turks has been plainly stated by Arab scholars in some twenty history books such as "Mürûcü'z-Zeheb, Mesâlikü'l-Ebsâr, Nihâyetü'l-Ereb, Ikdu'l-Cümân, Ta'rîfü'l-Ümem," and very many European historians, such as the French researcher "Morgan," after study, accept that the Circassians are of the Turanians and confirm the Arab scholars.

In his work called "Er-Ravzu'z-Zâhir fî Sîreti'l-Meliki'z-Zâhir," written on the Egyptian ruler Melik Zâhir Berkuk, Bedreddin Mahmud el-Ayni, one of the foremost historians, with full eloquence proclaims "that truly the Circassians are of the Turks," on the claim and tradition of the old Circassians, who knew their national history from their rulers down to their individuals; or rather, for this idea and conviction, he becomes at that time a truthful spokesman on behalf of all the Circassians.

The Circassians, in the times of the Turks', and especially the Ottomans', rise and happiness, put forward with full sincerity that they themselves were Turks and brought benefits and happiness even beyond those of the Turks. At a time when defense of this old claim is religiously expected, those Circassian historians who proclaim that they themselves are not Turanian will not be able to give the lie to their own grandfathers and the Arab scholars.

The signs and customs, the clans and the obedience to chiefs of the old Circassians living in the Ottoman lands, in Egypt and in the Caucasus bear witness that they are Turanian. For the Arab histories named above prove that these customs and signs are found exactly among the old Turks.

Although the language of the Circassians, exposed to the various influences of important nations such as the Turanians, Persians and Slavs through their invasions, has come to a degree resembling the sound of birds, it preserves in its general words and compounds the Kutay dialect. For this reason the presence of words from German, French and Russian dictionaries in the Circassian language cannot be evidence that the Circassians are of Aryan descent.

Three sons of Atıg, called Bârhatî, that is in the present Circassian dialect Hatukay, born of Çirgas and famous by the names "Abay, Bilkay, Çinkay," are known. Since each of these was the origin of very many clans, each took the standing of an anar.

1- Abay: It means relied upon and trusted; it is an adjective taken from the verb "abamak." In its relational form, according to the Kutay dialect, "abayet, abat" and then, lightened, "bayet, mayet, meyut, met" were said. The famous historian Morgan has noted that the Abayets are the Serset, that is, that they are Çirgas, and the Circassian historians also accept this and prefer that the Abayets consist of the Mets.

2- Bilkay: It means learned and knowing, that is a knower and savant; it is an adjective according to the Kutay dialect. In its relational form Bilkayet and Bilkat and Bilkut, lightened, Belut was said. The Circassian historians call this Belütokay according to the Circassian dialect.

3- Çinkas: It means victorious and triumphant, that is a trampler; it is equal to the epithet "Çingiz." It is taken from the verb çinkamak, that is to trample, and in its relational form, like "Arlas, Arlat," "Çinkast, Çinkat" and, lightened, "Çikes, Çiket" were said. That these Çikets are of the Sersets, that is of the Çirgas children, is accepted and confirmed by the Circassian historians together with the European historians.

For this reason Turanian peoples such as "Abhas, Pesava, Kabartay, Kosha" are not of the Çirgas children but are each a tîre of the Kutay and Khazar anars to which Atıg Han belonged. Later, since they had closeness to the Circassians in dialect and national customs, the name Circassian spread to them too.

The Georgians, according to the tradition of the famous historian Morgan and other historians who accept the studies of the Arab scholars, are Turanian and a Turkish clan separated from the Altay branch. They are of the Turks of Gurşistan, that is the Gurîs, who lived in the place of the Avars (İbars) who went to Europe about a hundred and fifty years before the Hijra.

Notes and Research

Old Words in the Text

• akvâm: peoples, nations
• anar, tîre, oymak: terms Hüsameddin uses for steps of lineage; from broadest to narrowest, anar, tîre, oymak are ranked
• hâkân: ruler of rulers, great khan
• velî-ahd: heir to the throne, crown prince
• mu'arreb: Arabized, adapted to the Arabic language
• muhaffef: shortened, lightened
• me'hûz: taken, derived
• masdar: verbal noun, the root name of a verb
• şu'be, batn: branch, tribe
• ahfâd: grandchildren, later generations
• nisbet: the lineage or place relation by which a name is attached with a suffix such as "-lı, -î"
• kinâye: expressing a word indirectly by another word
• muharref: corrupted, changed
• hurûf-ı hecâ: alphabetical order
• akvâm-ı mütecâvire: neighboring peoples
• kabâ'il: tribes
• sîga-i vasfiyye: adjective pattern
• mevsûk, mestûr, mukayyed: written, recorded

The Subject of This Section

The section starts from the month and year names in Turkish and extends to the nine main branches of the Turan line, from there to the Oghuz clans and to the discussion of the origin of the Circassians. As method, Hüsameddin seeks a Turkish root for every name; he ties words that look Arabic and Persian to Turkish verbs too. The point the reader should notice is that most of these connections are the author's own inference. In the TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi it has been assessed, in the entry on the same author, that the work's etymological interpretations have aspects that can be regarded as forced and that the sources are not always shown. The Turanian family tree in this section also rests on names and chains taken from the genealogical tradition in Arab sources; establishing kinship through similarity of names is a method that today's historiography does not adopt.

The Oghuz Tribes and Hüsameddin's List

The information that the Oghuz were made up of twenty-four tribes is indeed old. Mahmud al-Kashgari in the eleventh century says that there are twenty-four tribes but gives the names of only twenty-two. The full list of tribes is found in Rashid al-Din's Câmiu't-tevârîh written at the beginning of the fourteenth century; most later lists rest directly or indirectly on this. In Rashid al-Din, as in the Dede Korkut epics, the Oghuz are divided into twenty-four tribes and two branches named Bozok and Üçok. The Bozoks and Üçoks are made up of an equal number of tribes.

The twenty-four names Hüsameddin gives largely follow this tradition. Names such as Kayı, Bayat, Alkaivli (Alka Evli), Karaivli (Kara Evli), Dodurga, Avşar, Kızık, Begdili, Karkın, Bayındır, Çepni, Salur and Kınık appear in the sources in the same form. In some names, however, there is a difference: the tribe Hüsameddin calls Yabar appears in Rashid al-Din's list as Yaparlı; Beçenek is written in place of Bezine, Çavuldur in place of Çavdur, Eymür in place of İmir, Üregir in place of Özger, Bügdüz in place of Begdür, Yıva in place of Ava. Hüsameddin's form "Yazar" also appears in the sources as "Yazır." Part of these differences may arise from differences in reading and spelling; it is not possible to understand from this work which is the original form.

The author ties the Kızık tribe to the large "Kızık District" in the Sanjak of Amasya. According to the encyclopedia entry on the tribe, Mahmud al-Kashgari, mentioning the Kızıks, who differ from the other tribes in some respects, like the Karkın, under the name Halaç, did not include them in his list. Even so, this tribe too came to Anatolia and left many traces in Anatolian place names; in 16th-century Ottoman records twenty-eight villages belonging to Kızık were identified. Consequently the existence of settlements called Kızık in the Amasya area suggests that there may be a link between tribe and place name as Hüsameddin says; but which settlement is related to which tribe must be shown one by one with documents.

From Tribe Names to Dynasties

Hüsameddin mentions a dynasty beside the name of each tribe: for Kayı the Ottomans, for Kınık the Seljuks, Danishmendids and Karamanoğulları, for Bayındır the Akkoyunlu and Karakoyunlu, for Afşar Nadir Shah, for Salur the Salgurids, for Bayat the Ramazanoğulları. In the listing in the TDV's entry on the Oghuz too, the Seljuks are tied to the Kınık, the Ottomans to the Kayı, the Akkoyunlu to the Bayındır and Nadir Shah to the Afşar tribe. The Artukids are matched with the Döğer, and the Ramazanoğulları with the Yüreğir tribe. For the Dulkadirids, Bayat is given with a sign of doubt. That is, not every matching of Hüsameddin's agrees with this listing. For the Karamanoğulları the TDV gives, with a question mark, the Avşar tribe; the tying of the Danishmendids to the Kınık could not be verified in the sources read in this study. According to the same encyclopedia entry the Salgurid, Bayındırlı and Ottoman dynasties used the brands of their own tribes as family emblems.

In connection with Amasya the author also mentions the Yazarî family. He writes that Cemaleddin Yazarî and his son Muhyiddin Mehmed Yazarî are buried in Amasya and presents them as the trace of the Yazar tribe in Amasya.

Bozok and Üçok

The distinction of Bozok and Üçok that Hüsameddin relates through the sons born of the daughters of Oğuz Han's uncles Öz Han and Güz Han is a reflection of the Oghuz Khan epic tradition reported by Rashid al-Din. According to the TDV these two branches are divided so that there is an equal number of tribes over all the tribes; since the Bozoks settled around Yozgat at the beginning of the fifteenth century, Bozok was mentioned as the name of the branch, and the place name Bozok was used until 1933. Most of the Üçoks settled in Çukurova. On which source Hüsameddin's distinction of "Right Wing" and "Left Wing" rests is not stated in the work.

The Discussion of the Origin of the Circassians

Hüsameddin ties the Circassians, through the marriage of Atıg Han with Çirgas of the Oghuz line, to the Turanian, that is Turkish, line and bases this view on Arab sources and a French author named Morgan. Today's research does not share this view. According to the TDV's entry on the Circassians, the ancestors in ancient times of this people who call themselves Adyge are the native tribes of the North Caucasus; the peoples appearing in ancient sources under the names Sindi, Maiotai and Kerketai are neighbors of the Scythians and Greek colonies, and it is noted that they dissolved among the Zichi. The name Circassian was first used in 1245, and the ethnic formation of the Circassians was completed between the tenth and twelfth centuries. That is, the narrative that the Circassians descended from Oğuz Han's sister rests not on a historical record but on the genealogical tradition Hüsameddin used.

The claim in the text that the name "Circassian" comes from a Turkish origin (from the verb "çırgamak") is likewise the author's own search for roots. Today's knowledge is broader on the counting of peoples such as the Abkhaz and Kabardians in the same section as a Circassian branch: the Circassians are divided into two groups, West (such as the Abzakh, Bzhedug and Shapsug) and East (the Kabardians and Besleney); the Ubykhs, although they spoke a separate language, are counted as a branch of the Circassians. The TDV entry also records that before the Caucasus-Russian wars (1763-1864) began the Circassians lived in a broad region extending from the Black Sea coasts to the Sunja river.

The Calendar with Twelve Animals

The twelve-animal year system related at the beginning of the text is a method of measuring time used for centuries in Asia by Turks, Chinese, Mongols and other peoples. Each year is called by an animal and the twelve-year cycle repeats. There are two views in the sources on its origin: Mahmud al-Kashgari ties the calendar to a Turkish khagan, and some Western researchers also argue that the system was developed by nomadic Turks and passed to China; the Chinese sources say that it arose from the division of the celestial circle into twelve parts to follow the orbit of Jupiter. The names "Bogun" and "Tomar" that Hüsameddin gives, and the calculation of millions of years, are the author's own interpretation rather than general knowledge of this calendar and could not be verified in another source. After becoming Muslim, the Turks used the Hijri calendar in official affairs, while the animal years continued to exist among the Yörük and Turkmen tribes, in literary works and in documents.

On the Word Kanun

Hüsameddin, in the footnote of the text, argues that the word "kanun" is not Arabic, does not come from the Latin word "kan" (reed) and derives from the verb "kanmak." This explanation could not be verified in another source in this study. This note shows the author's tendency to seek the origin of Turkish words as far as possible in Turkish verbs.

Bibliography

Primary sources

• Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 2, p. 223–233. amasya.bel.tr

Academic studies

• Faruk Sümer, "Oğuzlar", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/oguzlar
• Faruk Sümer, "Kızık", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/kizik
• "Çerkezler", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/cerkezler
• Eda Durmuş, "Oğuz Boy Adlarının Anlamları", Pamukkale Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, sayı 69, 2025, p. 101–115.

Other sources

• "12 hayvanlı takvim", Vikipedi, https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_hayvanlı_takvim