TURKISH SETTLEMENT IN ÇORUM

The settlement of Oğuz Tribe in Çorum and Transition to Turkish Sovereignity

Ahmet Gazi who was the Danishmend governor of Great Seljuk King Melikşah ordered Çavlı Bey to conquer Çorum (Nikonia) following Amasya. Çavlı Bey tried to attack Çorum with his commanders Karatekin and Serkes Ahmet Gazi , but he was not successful due to the support coming to Çorum governor Nastura from Kastamonu. Thereupon, Melik Ahmet Gazi came to Çorum with his 30000 soldiers and there was also one of his commander İltekin Gazi with them.
The city was surrounded after Byzantine troops coming for help were defeated. Melik Ahmet Gazi sent his messenger Yahya to Nastura to surrender the city. Nastur turned down this offer. Nikonia was seized after a week of siege in 1075.

Melik Ahmet Gazi promoted İlyas Çorum Bey who was from Alayunt clan and the head of Çorumlu tribe as the governor. He left Çorum to conquer Osmancık with İltekin Gazi. He assigned Çavlı and Karatekin for the conquest of Çankırı region. After the conquest of Osmancık, it was given to Osman Bey from Alayunt tribe. Osmancık was named after this governor.

Danishmend took  Middle Anatolia from Byzantines and they provided Turkish to settle down in Çorum. This made it possible for the Turkification of Anatolia. Oğuz Turks gave their clans’ and tribes’ names to the regions where they settle down. The names of villages, districts, rivers, hills, mountains and plains come from Oğuz Turks. Bayat, Büget, Kayı, Kınık, Salur, Avşar, Bayındır, Karakeçili, Karaevli, Dodurga are some of these tribe and clan names.  

Turkomans who are the members of Oğuz tribes had a great role in the turkification of Anatolia. There are many Turkomans belonging to Oğuz tribes who settled down in Black Sea Region. These Turkish tribes helped the turkification of the region with conquests and settlement. The researches made by Prof. Dr. Faruk SÜMER show that when the names of places in Amasya, Canik (Samsun), Çorum, Karahisar-i Şarki, Kastamonu, Kengiri (Çankırı), Sivas and Trabzon were searched, 21 of 24 Oğuz Clans settled in these regions. These are Kayı, Bayad, Kara-Evlu, Yazır, Döğer, Todurga, Afşar, Kızık, Beğ-Dili, Karkın, Bayındır, Çavundur, Çepni, Salur, Eymür, Ala-Yundlu, Yüreğir, İğdir, Büğdüz, Yıva and Kınık clans. There are 268 place names belonging to these clans.

Çepni Clans played a great role in the turkification of Black Sea Region.

It is understood from the documents that Turkish People used Çorum for settlement and grazing their animals.

The ones who gave their names to the villages and places are  Bayat, Eymir, Kargın, Yapar and Çavuldur clans.

The places in our city which have the names of Oğuz Clans : 

1-Avşar (Kargı- village)

· Avşar Divanı (A region in Alaca)
 
2-Alayuntlu (Place name)

3-Bayat (Town)

· Bayat (A village administered by  Çorum)

· Bayat Gediği (Mountain Pass)

· Bayat Mezarı (Place near Bayat)

· Bayat Su Kavşağı (Place name)

· Bayat Çayı (A stream)

· Bayat (A village in Kargı)

4-Bayındır (Village administered by Mecitözü)

· Bayındır ovası ( A place )

5-Becek (Recreation Area)

6-Beydili (Village administered by city center)

· Beydili (Village in Bayat)

7-Büğdüz (Village administered by city center)

· Büget (Village administered by city center)

8-Çetmi (Village in İskilip)

· Çepni (Quarter in Çorum)

9-Dodurga (Town)

10-Döker (Döger) (A place)

11-Eskiyapar (Village in Alaca)

12-Evlik (Village in Osmancık)

13-Eymir (Village administered by City Center)

· Eymir çayı (A place)

· Eymir sırtı (A place)

· Eymir gölü (A place)

· Eymir (A quarter in Osmancık)

14-Gürleyik (A quarter in Osmancık)

15-Karaevli (Karaevliya) (Village in Uğurludağ)

16-Kargın (Village administered by Alaca)

· Kargın (A quarter administered by  İskilip- Evlik)

· Kargın (A place)

· Kargın (A quarter in İskilip İkipınar Village)

· Kargın (A quarter in İskilip Kavak Village)

· Kargı (Kargın) (A village administered by Mecitözü)

· Kargın yaylası (A highland in İskilip)

· Kargı (Town)

· Kargı (A village in Osmancık)

17-Kayı (A village administered by Çorum)

· Kayı (A village in Oğuzlar)

· Kayı (A village in Mecitözü)

18-Kınık (A village administered by Çorum)

· Kınıkdelileri (A village administered by Çorum)

19-Salur (A village in Çorum )

20-Yavu (A village in Laçin; its name is Gökgözler for now.)

· Yavu (A village in İskilip)

· Yıva (A place )