Oghuz Yabgu State

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The Oghuz Yabgu State, also called the Oghuz il, was a Turkic state that lasted from 750 to 1055. It lay between the Caspian and Aral Seas in Central Asia, and its capital was Yangikent at one point. The people were the Oghuz Turks, along with related groups like the Kumans, Kangars, and Turgeshes. They spoke Turkic and followed Tengriism at first; by the 10th century many were Muslims and are often called Muslim Turkmens in Islamic sources.

How it formed and where it was
The Oghuz emerged as a loose alliance of tribes in southeastern Central Asia. After pressure from other groups, they moved into areas around the Syr Darya river and the Karatau foothills. By the 9th century they controlled parts of the Syr Darya valley and the Aral steppes, and their capital moved to Yangikent (also written Yenikent).

Government and society
The Oghuz were ruled by a yabgu, a title similar to khan. The army was led by a Subashi. They organized into tribes and larger groupings called il (the country), with smaller divisions called uruk (tribal units) and aimaks (districts). Two main wings of the Oghuz were called Buzuks (Grey Arrows) and Uchuks (Three Arrows). The economy was based on private livestock herding, with traders and artisans in the cities. Taxes were collected by a formal system, and powerful war leaders and a military council often influenced politics. Wives of rulers, called Khatun, played important court roles.

What happened in history
In the 10th century the Oghuz played a big role in regional power struggles. They allied with Kievan Rus in 965 to fight the Khazar Khanate, and in 985 their alliance helped defeat Volga Bulgaria. Internal uprisings against heavy taxes weakened the state. A branch of the Oghuz split off and became the Seljuks, who would rise to great power later. In 1041 the Oghuz Yabgu Shahmalik conquered Khwarezm from the Ghaznavids, but two years later the Seljuks drove him out. After Shahmalik was defeated, the Oghuz state weakened. The Kipchaks and Kimeks attacked, and by the 12th century the Oghuz confederation had dissolved. Some Oghuz moved east to help form the Seljuk Empire, while others went to the Kipchak area or to Khorasan and Turkmenistan.

Legacy
The Oghuz contributed to the formation of many later Turkic peoples. The name Oghuz faded by the 13th century, but their descendants influenced the peoples and states of Eurasia, including the Seljuk Empire that rose in Asia Minor.