Azerbaijani National Council
Encyclopedia
Azerbaijani National Council was the first delegated legislative body of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
(ADR) from 27 May 1918 to 17 June 1918 and again from 16 November 1918 to 3 December 1918. It was succeeded by the Parliament
, a legistlative body formed through nationwide general elections.
like many ethnic minorities of the shrinking Russian Empire
, Azeris
also began to form movements aimed at political autonomy from Russia. In the provinces and districts where Azeris constituted considerable population local Muslim National Councils (MNC) were formed. On March 27, 1917 delegates of MNCs gathered to establish the Temporary Executive Committee for the MNCs. Mammad Hasan Hajinski
became head of this committee, which also included Mammed Amin Rasulzade
, Alimardan Topchubashev
, Fatali Khan Khoyski
, and other founders of the future Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
. After the October Revolution
the South Caucasus
was separated from mainland Russia
, hence the Transcaucasian Sejm formed in Tbilisi
proclaimed independence of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
. Azerbaijanis formed the largest faction of the same numbering 44 members, and headed by Mammed Amin Rasulzade. These 44 members represented four different political parties and blocks: Musavat and neutral Democrats; the Muslim Socialist Bloc; Ittihad-i Muslimin
(or simply Ittihad; Union of Muslims of Russia); and the Muslim Social Democratic Party
.
took place in Baku, the Temporary Executive Committee was crushed, its factual leader Alimardan Topchubashev
was arrested, and the Azeri intelligentsia
was driven out of Baku, Tbilisi became the headquarters of the Azerbaijani National Movement. After the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic fell on 26 May 1918 and its bodies were dissolved, the Azerbaijani faction of the Sejm was renamed to Azerbaijani National Council (NC). It immediately undertook parliamentary functions and proclaimed the foundation of Azerbaijani Democratic Republic on 28 May 1918. On 16 June the Azerbaijani National Council moved to Ganja
and declared it Azerbaijan's temporary capital awaiting the fall of the Baku Commune. The Council met with resistance of ultra-nationalists who accused it of being too left-wing; and intolerance of Ottoman
Commander Nuru Pasha it had to be abolished the next day, leaving all power to the Council of Ministers led by Fatali Khan Khoyski
.
and the withdrawal of Ottoman forces from Azerbaijan, the power of the ultra-nationalists once backed by Nuru Pasha weakened. This allowed for the Azerbaijani National Council to be re-established and start negotiations with the British
occupation forces. The Council was completely abolished after the opening of the Parlaman on 7 December 1918. The Parliament of ADR included the representatives of majority Azerbaijani parties as well as MPs from Armenian, Russian
, Jewish, German and Polish minorities of Azerbaijan
and representatives of trade unions.
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first successful attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world . The ADR was founded on May 28, 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917 by Azerbaijani National Council in...
(ADR) from 27 May 1918 to 17 June 1918 and again from 16 November 1918 to 3 December 1918. It was succeeded by the Parliament
National Assembly of Azerbaijan
The National Assembly , also transliterated as Milli Majlis is the legislative branch of government in Azerbaijan. The unicameral National Assembly has 125 deputies: previously 100 members were elected for five-year terms in single-seat constituencies and 25 were members elected by proportional...
, a legistlative body formed through nationwide general elections.
Background
After the February RevolutionFebruary Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
like many ethnic minorities of the shrinking Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, Azeris
Azerbaijani people
The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic-speaking people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as in the neighbourhood states, Georgia, Russia and formerly Armenia. Commonly referred to as Azeris or Azerbaijani Turks , they also live in a wider area from the Caucasus to...
also began to form movements aimed at political autonomy from Russia. In the provinces and districts where Azeris constituted considerable population local Muslim National Councils (MNC) were formed. On March 27, 1917 delegates of MNCs gathered to establish the Temporary Executive Committee for the MNCs. Mammad Hasan Hajinski
Mammad Hasan Hajinski
Mammad Hasan Jafargulu oglu Hajinski was an Azerbaijani architect and statesman. He also served as a Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the last Prime Minister of ADR.-Early life:...
became head of this committee, which also included Mammed Amin Rasulzade
Mammed Amin Rasulzade
Mammad Amin Rasulzade was an Azerbaijani statesman, scholar, public figure and one of the founding political leaders of Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan...
, Alimardan Topchubashev
Alimardan Topchubashev
Alimardan Alakbar oglu Topchubashov was a prominent Azerbaijani politician, foreign minister and speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic....
, Fatali Khan Khoyski
Fatali Khan Khoyski
Fatali Khan Khoyski Isgender oglu was an attorney, a member of the Second State Duma of the Russian Empire, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Defense and, later the first Prime Minister of the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.-Early life:Khoyski was born on December 7, 1875 in...
, and other founders of the future Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first successful attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world . The ADR was founded on May 28, 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917 by Azerbaijani National Council in...
. After the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
the South Caucasus
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Trans-Caucasus...
was separated from mainland Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, hence the Transcaucasian Sejm formed in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
proclaimed independence of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic , was a short-lived state composed of the modern-day countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in the South Caucasus.-...
. Azerbaijanis formed the largest faction of the same numbering 44 members, and headed by Mammed Amin Rasulzade. These 44 members represented four different political parties and blocks: Musavat and neutral Democrats; the Muslim Socialist Bloc; Ittihad-i Muslimin
Ittihad
The Ittihad Party was a radical Islamist party in the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1917–1920. It was formed in September 1917 in opposition to the secular Musavat Party and proposed political unity of all the Muslims of the Russian Empire...
(or simply Ittihad; Union of Muslims of Russia); and the Muslim Social Democratic Party
Muslim Social Democratic Party
The Muslim Social Democratic Party, usually referred to as Hummet , was a political party in South Caucasus. In 1920, it merged with "Adalat" communist cell in Baku, forming the first Communist Party of Azerbaijan.- "Old" Hummet :...
.
Formation
When the 31 March–2 April massacresMarch Days
The March Days, or March Events, refer to an inter-ethnic strife and massacres of up to 12,000 Azerbaijanis and other Muslims that took place between March 30 and April 2, 1918 in the city of Baku and adjacent areas of the Baku Governorate of Russian Empire.Facilitated by a political power struggle...
took place in Baku, the Temporary Executive Committee was crushed, its factual leader Alimardan Topchubashev
Alimardan Topchubashev
Alimardan Alakbar oglu Topchubashov was a prominent Azerbaijani politician, foreign minister and speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic....
was arrested, and the Azeri intelligentsia
Intelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex, mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
was driven out of Baku, Tbilisi became the headquarters of the Azerbaijani National Movement. After the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic fell on 26 May 1918 and its bodies were dissolved, the Azerbaijani faction of the Sejm was renamed to Azerbaijani National Council (NC). It immediately undertook parliamentary functions and proclaimed the foundation of Azerbaijani Democratic Republic on 28 May 1918. On 16 June the Azerbaijani National Council moved to Ganja
Ganja, Azerbaijan
Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again and...
and declared it Azerbaijan's temporary capital awaiting the fall of the Baku Commune. The Council met with resistance of ultra-nationalists who accused it of being too left-wing; and intolerance of Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Commander Nuru Pasha it had to be abolished the next day, leaving all power to the Council of Ministers led by Fatali Khan Khoyski
Fatali Khan Khoyski
Fatali Khan Khoyski Isgender oglu was an attorney, a member of the Second State Duma of the Russian Empire, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Defense and, later the first Prime Minister of the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.-Early life:Khoyski was born on December 7, 1875 in...
.
Second Convocation
After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the withdrawal of Ottoman forces from Azerbaijan, the power of the ultra-nationalists once backed by Nuru Pasha weakened. This allowed for the Azerbaijani National Council to be re-established and start negotiations with the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
occupation forces. The Council was completely abolished after the opening of the Parlaman on 7 December 1918. The Parliament of ADR included the representatives of majority Azerbaijani parties as well as MPs from Armenian, Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, Jewish, German and Polish minorities of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
and representatives of trade unions.
Members of the Azerbaijani National Council
- Mammed Amin RasulzadeMammed Amin RasulzadeMammad Amin Rasulzade was an Azerbaijani statesman, scholar, public figure and one of the founding political leaders of Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan...
- Alimardan TopchubashevAlimardan TopchubashevAlimardan Alakbar oglu Topchubashov was a prominent Azerbaijani politician, foreign minister and speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic....
- Fatali Khan KhoyskiFatali Khan KhoyskiFatali Khan Khoyski Isgender oglu was an attorney, a member of the Second State Duma of the Russian Empire, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Defense and, later the first Prime Minister of the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.-Early life:Khoyski was born on December 7, 1875 in...
- Nasib YusifbeyliNasib YusifbeyliNasib Yusif oglu Yusifbeyli or Usubbeyov - Azerbaijani publicist, statesman and major political figure in Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.-Early years:Nasib Yusifbeyli was born in 1881 in Elisavetpol...
- Mammad Yusif JafarovMammad Yusif Jafarov-Early life:Jafarov was born was born on March 14, in Baku, Azerbaijan. He was the younger brother of a prominent professor and journalist, Ali Isgender Jafarzadeh. After completion of his secondary education, Jafarov studied in at Moscow State University graduating with a cum laude degree in law...
- Hasan bey AghayevHasan bey AghayevHasan Mashadi Huseyn oghlu Aghayev , known also as Hasan bey Aghayev and Hasan Aghazada was an Azerbaijani public figure, journalist, doctor, teacher and politician. He served as the Deputy Speaker of National Assembly of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic -Early life:Aghayev was born in 1875 in...
- Khosrov bey SultanovKhosrov bey SultanovKhosrov bey Sultanov Pasha bey oglu , also spelled as Khosrow Sultanov, was an Azerbaijani statesman, General Governor of Karabakh and Minister of Defense of Azerbaijani Democratic Republic.-Early life:...
- Musa bey RafiyevMusa bey RafiyevMusa bey Rafiyev Haji Mammadhuseyn oglu , also known as Musa bey Rafibeyli , was an Azerbaijani statesman who served as Special Minister in care of Social Security and Refugee Affairs in the second cabinet, Minister of Social Security and Healthcare in the fourth cabinet of Azerbaijan Democratic...
- Mammad Hasan HajinskiMammad Hasan HajinskiMammad Hasan Jafargulu oglu Hajinski was an Azerbaijani architect and statesman. He also served as a Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the last Prime Minister of ADR.-Early life:...
- Mir-Hidayat Seyidov
- Khalil KhasmammadovKhalil KhasmammadovKhalil bey Khasmammadov was an Azerbaijani public figure, politician and diplomat. He served as a Member of the First and Second State Duma of the Russian Empire, Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Justice of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and as the first Ambassador of Azerbaijan to...
- Gazi Ahmad Mahammadbeyov
- Aslan bey Gardashov
- Shafi bey Rustambeyov
- Javad Malik-YeganovJavad Malik-YeganovJavad Irzabey oglu Malik-Yeganov was an Azerbaijani politician and Governor-General of Lankaran during Azerbaijan's independence in 1918–1920.-Early life:...
- Mustafa MahmudovMustafa MahmudovMustafa Mahmudov was an Azerbaijani political leader who was instrumental in the nation's independence moevement in the early 1900s. He served as a member of parliament for the second Russian State Duma in 1907 and was Deputy Secretary of the Azerbaijani National Council at its initiation in 1918....
- Mehdi bey Hajibababeyov
- Haji Molla Salim Akhundzadeh
- Mehdi bey HajinskiMehdi bey HajinskiMehdi bey Hajinski Suleyman bey oglu was an Azerbaijani actor, publicist and statesman who served as the State Controller of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and first general secretary of Parliament of Azerbaijan, and was member of Azerbaijani National Council....
- Khudadat bey Malik-AslanovKhudadat bey Malik-AslanovKhudadat bey Aghabey oglu Malik-Aslanov was an Azerbaijani politician and university professor.-Early life:...
- Museyib Akhijanov
- Lutfali bey Behbudov
- Firudin bey Kocharli
- Ibrahim Vakilov
- Hamid bey Shahtakhtinski
- Rahim bey Vakilov
- Alasgar bey Mahmudov
- Yusif Afandizadeh
- Mirza Jalal Yusifzadeh
- Mammad Rza Vakilov
- Islam bey Gabulov
- Samad aga Agamalioglu
- Akbar Sheykhulislamov
- Ibrahim Abilov
- Jafar Akhundov
- Mir-Yagub Mir-Mehdizadeh
- Heybatgulu Mammadbeyov
- Sultan Majid Ganiyev
- Ibrahim bey Heydarov
- Ali khan Gantemir
- Aslan bey SafikurdskiAslan bey SafikurdskiAslan bey Safikurdski Aghalar bey oglu , also known as Aslan bey Safikurdlu was an Azerbaijani statesman who served as the Minister of Labor and Justice of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and Minister of Postal Service and Telegraph of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and was member of Azerbaijani...
- Ahmet bey Pepinov
- Baghir Rzayev
- Jamo bey HajinskiJamo bey HajinskiJamo bey Hajinski Suleyman oglu was an Azerbaijani publicist, public figure and politician. He served in the first, fourth and fifth cabinets of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as its State Controller and Minister of Postal Service and Telegraph....
- Maharram Maharramov