134th Anniversary of Mammad Emin Rasulzadeh

Baku / 31.01.18 / Turan: Today marks the 134th anniversary of the birth of Mammad Emin Rasulzadeh, one of the founders of the Azerbaijan People's Republic (APR).

He was born in the Baku settlement of Novkhani on January 31, 1884. Rasulzadeh was an outstanding state and public figure, politician and publicist, one of the founders of the APR (1918-1920), and later became the leader of the Azerbaijani political emigration. He headed the movement for the national independence of Azerbaijan.

Rasulzadeh's expression "Once the Banner Is Raised, It Will Not Fall Anymore!" became the main motto of the movement for the independence of Azerbaijan in the 20th century.

In 1902, being a 17-year-old boy, Rasulzadeh created the Muslim Youth Organization. It was the first political organization that conducted a secret struggle against Russian colonial rule.

Subsequently, the secret wing of this organization, entitled The Muslim Democratic Society - Musavat was established in Iran, becoming then the guiding force of the constitutional revolution launched there.

On October 26-31, 1917, with the participation of 500 delegates in Baku, the first congress of the Musavat party was held, where Rasulzadeh was elected chairman of the Central Committee. After this congress, a national movement began all over Azerbaijan under the motto Autonomy to Azerbaijan.

In the autumn of 1917 Rasulzadeh was elected as a deputy to the Constituent Assembly from Azerbaijan and Turkestan.

Deputies elected from Transcaucasia formed the Transcaucasian Sejm.

May 26, 1918 due to disagreements between national factions, the Transcaucasian Sejm disintegrated. On the 27th of the same month, the Azerbaijani National Council was formed from members of various parties that were part of the Muslim faction of the Sejm. By a majority of votes, Rasulzadeh was elected chairman of the National Council.

On May 28, 1918 the Azerbaijan People's Republic was declared. Newspapers and radio stations of all countries informed the whole world about the independence of Azerbaijan.

At the head of Fatali Khan Hoisky, the government of the republic was formed. Thus, the Azerbaijani people created the republic for the first time not only among the Turkic peoples, but also throughout the Islamic East.

On April 28, 1920, after the occupation of Russia by Azerbaijan, Mammad Emin Rasulzadeh left for Moscow and from there to Finland. Subsequently, he moved to Turkey and until the end of his days he lived in Ankara. Rasulzadeh died on March 6, 1955 and was buried in Turkey. -04B05--