| Boghach Khan Son of Dirse Khan | |
| Original Title: | Hekayəti Dirsə xan oğlu Buğac xan in the Vatican copy; Iza Beriladieran Nasilsiz in the Turkmensahra copy; Dirsə xan oğlu Buğac xan boyu in the Dresden copy |
| Language: | Oghuz Turkic |
| Subject: | The story carry morals and values significant to the social lifestyle of the nomadic Turks. |
| Genre: | Epic poetry |
| Publication Date: | 14th or 15th century |
Boghach Khan Son of Dirse Khan is a part (boy) of the Book of Dede Korkut. In this boy, the relationships among the Oghuz Turks, their family values, and similar aspects are being discussed in the context of the broader Oghuz Turk community.
Dede Korkut is an epic tale, also known as Oghuznama among the Oghuz people.[1] It originates in Central Asia, traverses Anatolia, and predominantly unfolds its narrative in the Caucasus.[2] According to Barthold, there is a strong indication that this epic could only have been crafted in the Caucasus region.
The Dede Korkut serves as a crucial repository of the Oghuz people's ethnic identity, historical accounts, traditions, and their value systems throughout the ages. It commemorates the Oghuz struggles for freedom during a time when they were primarily a nomadic herding community. However, it is evident that these stories took their present form during a period when the Turks of Oghuz descent no longer identified solely as Oghuz.
By the mid-10th century, the term Oghuz gradually gave way among the Turks themselves to Turkoman, a shift that was completed by the early 13th century. The Turcomans, largely Oghuz but not exclusively, had embraced Islam and adopted a more settled lifestyle compared to their ancestors. In the 14th century, a federation of Turcoman tribes, known as the Aq Qoyunlu, established a confederation with a focal point in eastern Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and western Iran.
The boy of Boghach Khan Son of Dirse Khan is one of the common heights included in both the Dresden copy, the Vatican copy, and the Turkmensahra copy. This height is called "Dirsa Khan oglu Boghach Khan boyu" Dirsə xan oğlu Buğac xan boyu in Azerbaijani Turkish) in the Dresden copy and is in the first row. In the Vatican copy, it is called "The story of Dirsa Khan son of Bugaj Khan" (Hekayəti Dirsə xan oğlu Buğac xan in Azerbaijani Turkish) is the second story. In the Turkmensahra copy, the name of the neck is called "Iza Beriladieran Nasilsiz" and it is the first neck.
The narrative depicts that traditionally, Bayandur Khan organizes assemblies, inviting Oghuz Turk nobles. In one such hospitality event, Bayandur Khan orders the setup of tents in three colors. Those with sons reside in white tents, those with daughters in red tents, and those without offspring in black tents. As Bayandur Khan does not have a son, the individuals without children are seated in the black tent. Angered by this, the Khan goes home. After consulting with his wife, Dirse Khan decides to host a gathering to bestow kindness upon people in order to pray for the blessing of having a child. After some time, a son is born. When Dirse Khan's son turns 15, he faces an attack by Bayandur Khan's bull (Buğa in Azerbaijani Turkish) and ends up killing it. Therefore, Dede Qorqud names him Boghach. The rise to power and fame of Boghach causes fear among his father's supporters. They claim that Dirse Khan's son and his wife are trying to overthrow him. Dirse Khan takes his son to the plain and shoots him with an arrow. Not finding his son returning home, the mother starts searching for him with 40 girls, eventually finding and nursing him back to health. Before that he tells his mother that Khizir came to him and said that he will recover. Enemies who learn of Boghach's recovery capture and imprison his father Dirse Khan because they fear that Boghach will seek revenge for their false accusations against his family. Boghach finds and rescues his father from captivity, leading Bayandur Khan to bestow rulership (bəylik in Azerbaijani Turkish) upon him once again.
The son will be a shining future for society. He is a warrior and has the duty to protect his own people. The warrior figure in the Oghuz Turk society is essential for the community's survival, the continuation of lineage, and for a prosperous, vibrant, and secure life. Not having a son is also a tarnishing of one's reputation. In Oghuz society, gaining a reputation requires a man to prove his strength under difficult conditions.