Mahammad Amin Rasulzade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mahammad Amin Rasulzade
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Məhəmməd Əmin Rəsulzadə
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Rasulzade c. 1950
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| President of Azerbaijani National Council | |
| In office 27 May 1918 – 7 December 1918 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 January 1884 Novkhany, Baku uezd, Baku Governorate, Caucasus Viceroyalty, Russian Empire (now Azerbaijan) |
| Died | 6 March 1955 (aged 71) Ankara, Turkey |
| Resting place | Cebeci Asri Cemetery |
| Political party | Musavat Party Democrat Party |
| Spouse | Umbulbanu Rasulzade |
| Profession | The Leader of Azerbaijan |
| Signature |  |
Mahammad Amin Rasulzade (born January 31, 1884 – died March 6, 1955) was an important Azerbaijani politician and journalist. He led the Azerbaijani National Council. Many people see him as the founder of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918. He is also known as the "father" of Azerbaijan's independence. His famous saying, "The flag once raised shall never fall!", became a powerful motto. It inspired the independence movement in Azerbaijan in the early 1900s.
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Contents
Early Life and Education
Mahammad Amin Rasulzade was born on January 31, 1884, in a village called Novkhany, near Baku. He went to a Russian-Muslim school and then to a technical college in Baku.
While he was a student, he started a secret group called "Muslim Youth Organisation Musavat." This was one of the first secret groups in Azerbaijan's modern history. From 1903, Rasulzade began writing articles for newspapers and magazines that disagreed with the government.
He wanted Azerbaijan to have its own government and be free from the Russian Empire. He worked with groups that wanted social change. In 1904, he started the first Muslim social-democrat group called "Hummet." He was also the main editor for their newspapers, Takamul and Yoldash. He wrote many articles for other newspapers too. In 1908, his play The Lights in the Darkness was performed in Baku.
Rasulzade and his friends were educated people who wanted to change society. During the First Russian Revolution (1905–1907), Rasulzade was very active. He even helped a young Joseph Stalin hide from the police in 1905.
Years in Exile
In 1909, Rasulzade had to leave Baku because the government was after him. He went to Iran to join their revolution. In Iran, he worked as an editor for a newspaper called Iran-e Azad. He also helped start the Democrat Party of Persia. He published their newspaper, Iran-e Now, which means "New Iran." This newspaper was very important and well-known. In 1911, he wrote a book called "Saadet-e bashar" ("Happiness of Mankind") to support the revolution. Rasulzade could speak Persian very well.
When Russian troops entered Iran in 1911, Rasulzade had to leave again. He went to Istanbul, which was the capital of the Ottoman Empire. There, he started a journal called Türk Yurdu (The Land of Turks). He wrote an important article there about the Turks in Iran.
The Musavat Party and Azerbaijan's Independence
In 1913, Rasulzade was able to return to Baku. He joined the secret Musavat (Equality) party. This party wanted more rights for Turkic people and eventually became a party focused on Azerbaijani nationalism. Rasulzade quickly became its leader. In 1915, he started the party's newspaper, "Açıq Söz" (Open word).
When the February Revolution happened in Russia, political parties like Musavat became legal. Musavat became a leading party for Muslims in the Caucasus region. After the October Revolution in 1917, the Transcaucasia region separated from Russia. Rasulzade became the head of the Muslim group in the parliament there.
On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijani National Council, led by Rasulzade, declared Azerbaijan an independent republic. This was a huge step for the country! Rasulzade also helped create Baku State University in 1919. He even taught Ottoman literature at the university. His famous quote, "The flag once raised will never fall!", became a symbol of this new independence.
Bir kərə yüksələn bayraq, bir daha enməz!
The flag once raised will never fall!
Later Exile and Legacy
In April 1920, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic fell. Rasulzade went into hiding to lead resistance against the Soviet takeover. However, he was arrested in August 1920. Because he had helped Joseph Stalin years before, Rasulzade was released and moved to Russia. For two years, he worked in Moscow. In 1922, he escaped to Finland.
For the rest of his life, Rasulzade lived in exile. He lived in Turkey for some time, where he edited a magazine called Yeni Kafkasya (New Caucasus). He continued to publish articles and newspapers. Later, he moved to Poland in 1938 and then to Romania in 1940.
During World War II, Rasulzade was contacted by leaders from Nazi Germany. They wanted him to help them in the Caucasus region. Rasulzade tried to form an alliance with Nazi Germany to bring back Azerbaijan's independence. He asked them to promise to restore the independent states in the Caucasus. However, because they were not clear about their promises, he left Berlin.
After World War II, he returned to Ankara, Turkey, in 1947. He continued to work for the idea of Turkic unity. In 1953, he spoke to the Azerbaijani people through Voice of America, hoping that Azerbaijan would one day be independent again. He passed away in 1955 and was buried in Ankara.
Honors and Recognition
Mahammad Amin Rasulzade is remembered in many ways in Azerbaijan. Baku State University was named in his honor. His picture was also on the 1000 manat banknote from 1993 to 2006.
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There is also a public high school in Ankara, Turkey, named the Mehmet Emin Resulzade Anatolian High School.
Important Writings
Rasulzade wrote many important books and articles, including:
- The critic of the party of Etedaliyun (Teheran, 1910)
- The happiness of the mankind (Ardebil, 1911)
- Democracy (Baku, 1917)
- Azerbaijan Republic: characteristics, formation and contemporary state (Istanbul, 1923)
- Ideal of liberty and youth (Istanbul, 1925)
- Nationality and Bolshevism (Istanbul, 1928)
- Azerbaijan's struggle for independence (Paris, 1930)
- Contemporary Azerbaijani literature (Berlin, 1936)
- The problem of Azerbaijan (Berlin, 1938)
- Azerbaijan's cultural traditions (Ankara, 1949)
- Contemporary Azerbaijani history (Ankara, 1951)
