142 years pass since Mammad Amin Rasulzada's birth

Today marks the birthday of Mammad Amin Rasulzada, who was a state and public figure of Azerbaijan, a politician and publicist, one of the founders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920), and one of the leaders of the Azerbaijani political emigration.

Report reminds that 142 years have passed since the birth of Mammad Amin Rasulzada.

He was born on January 31, 1884, in the Novkhani village of Baku. His father placed him in the second Russian-Muslim school directed by the famous educator Sultan Majid Ganizada, and after graduating from there, he continued his education in Russian at the Baku Technical School.

In 1902, the 17-year-old M.A. Rasulzada created the Muslim Youth Organization. This was the first political organization in Azerbaijan in the 20th century that fought secretly against the Russian colonial administration.

In the fall of 1917, M.A. Rasulzada was elected as a member of the Russian parliament from Azerbaijan and Turkestan. On May 26, 1918, the Transcaucasian Seim was dissolved. On May 27, the Azerbaijan National Council was formed, consisting of members of various parties included in the Muslim faction of the Seim. M.A. Rasulzada was elected as the chairman of the National Council by a majority of votes.

On May 28, 1918, the independence of Azerbaijan was declared. This meant that the Azerbaijanis announced their existence to all humanity as people and fully declared the establishment of their national state. Under the leadership of Fatali Khan Khoyski, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was formed. Thus, the Azerbaijani people established the first republic in the East.

However, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic lasted only 23 months. After the Soviet Russian occupation of Azerbaijan on April 28, 1920, M.A. Rasulzada was forced to leave his homeland. Rasulzada, who fought for the freedom of Azerbaijan abroad for many years, died of diabetes in Ankara on March 6, 1955.

On December 29, 1993, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev signed a decree "On holding the 110th anniversary of the birth of M.A. Rasulzada, a prominent public and political figure of Azerbaijan".

President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on December 30, 2023, regarding the celebration of the 140th anniversary of Mammad Amin Rasulzada.