The first Azerbaijani students in Europe during the period of
the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan
Dr. Vazeh ASGAROV
Doctor of the University of Strasbourg
Vice-Rector of the Azerbaijan State Petroleum and Industry University (ASOIU)
Email: vazeh.askarov@asoiu.edu.az
Keywords: Azerbaijani students, political
migration, emigration, national identity, Soviet Azerbaijan, cultural
resistance, Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan
Introduction
In
this research, we aim to focus on the first 100 Azerbaijani students who, for
nearly the entire Soviet period, remained largely unknown to both their
compatriots and the citizens of their host countries. Soviet ideology erased
from the people's memory all history related to the national liberation
movement and the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (DRA). Despite the constant
Soviet policy of hiding this history, today, 100 years later, valuable archival
documents are being rediscovered. In the months following the Soviet Union's
rise to power, thousands of people left Azerbaijan, and those who found
themselves abroad were unable to return to their homeland. During the Soviet
era, these individuals were considered enemies of the people or bourgeois nationalists.
Articles and books published by the most famous among them were banned from
circulation. Most of these emigrants chose European countries as their second
homeland. Among them are diplomats, founders of the first republic, students,
families of wealthy oil industrialists, prisoners of war, and revolutionaries.
When studying the lives of these migrants, we would like to focus on their
biographies and present some of the most famous figures. Naturally, these few
pages will not provide direct answers regarding the lives of these notable
individuals; we emphasize that this could be the subject of another study, and
each of these figures deserves a more in-depth examination.
Historical
Context
In the mid-19th century, following the
conquest of Northern Azerbaijan, the Russian government recognized the need to
introduce a new system of public education to train officials to support the
political and economic situation in the province. During this period, the
Transcaucasian Seminaria (Seminarium)
in Georgia was a major center for pedagogical training. By the late 19th
century, young Azerbaijani men from the wealthiest families studied at higher
education institutions in Tbilisi, Gori, Saint Petersburg, and other regions of
Russia. Simultaneously, some chose European universities to continue their
studies, such as Rashid bey Akhundov, Ahmed Agaoglu, Mohsum Khanlarov, and
Mohammed Aga Shakhtakhtinsky. It is also important to note that throughout the
20th century, there were several instances of Azerbaijani students being sent
abroad: during the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (DRA), in the 1970s
(mainly to Soviet institutions), and after Azerbaijan regained independence in
1991. In this article, we aim to trace the story of the first group of 100
students, who began their studies during the DRA, and the fate of most of these
students has remained unknown since then.
The group of Azerbaijani students arriving in Paris
Source: Ismayilov Mahmud, Maksvell Nigar
(2008). Azərbaycan
tarixi (The History of Azerbaijan), Volume VII, 1900–1920,
Baku, Elm, p. 576.
Student dispatch program
Following the proclamation of the
Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, public education was actively promoted. From
the very first day, the Ministry of Public Education (Xalq Maarifi Nazirliyi)
was established. This ministry was also responsible for cultural affairs. One
of its most important tasks was organizing higher education and training
personnel. It was decided to create three higher education institutions: Baku
State University, the State Conservatory, and the Agriculture Institute. On
September 1, 1919, the first university in Azerbaijan was inaugurated — Baku
State University.
On the same day, by decree of the
parliament of the DRA, the Ministry of Public Education was assigned the mission
of sending 100 Azerbaijani students to the most prestigious higher education
institutions worldwide for the academic year 1919-1920. The parliament decided
to allocate 7 million manats from the national treasury for this purpose.
Future students in Europe were granted a monthly scholarship of 400 francs and
1,000 francs for travel expenses. For students sent to higher education
institutions in Russia, the scholarship amounted to 3,000 roubles and 1,000
manats (V. Asgarov, 2022: 212).
To select students, a jury composed
of M.E. Rasoulzade, E. Pepinov, G. Garabeyli, M. Hadjinski, and A. Efendizade
was established within the same ministry. The jury decided to send 45 students
to France, 23 to Italy, 10 to England, 9 to Turkey, and 13 to Russia. However,
the ministry later announced a different distribution: 49 to Germany, 27 to
France, 4 to Italy, 1 to England, and 6 to Turkey. Due to the Russian Civil
War, the 13 students selected for Russia were unable to be sent (Mahmudov,
2005: 15).
Student journeys and difficulties
On January 14, 1920, the students,
accompanied by their parents, members of parliament, businessmen, religious
figures, and public representatives, were officially sent off to Paris. Their
journey lasted nearly a month. After transiting through Tbilisi, Istanbul, and
Rome, the 78 future students arrived in Paris on February 11 and were
accommodated at the Belmont and Iéna hotels. Before departing for their
respective countries, the students took a commemorative photo. Later, this
historic photograph was entrusted to R. Abutalibov by Mamed bey Magerramov, the
youngest member of the delegation sent to the Peace Conference in Versailles.
Azerbaijani students in Paris
They would receive a stipend for six months.
However, with the occupation of Azerbaijan by the Bolsheviks, the situation in
the country changed radically. As the students no longer received scholarships,
they frequently addressed Nariman Narimanov, the Chairman of the Communist
Party of Azerbaijan. At N. Narimanov’s personal initiative, a meeting was held
on August 9, 1920. The committee decided to restore the scholarships and to
assist students abroad in continuing their studies. On June 18, 1921, N.
Narimanov entrusted Bahram Akhundov, who had been responsible for Azerbaijani
students abroad since 1919, with examining their situation in Europe. From
October 1921 to January 1922, B. Akhundov undertook a fact-finding trip to the
capitals of various European countries to assess the financial status of the
students. Upon his return, he detailed in his report the activities of 28
students in France, 49 in Germany, and 3 in Italy. On March 22, 1922, N.
Narimanov ordered that all possible measures be taken to enable the students to
continue their studies. However, by the end of 1922, following N. Narimanov's
departure to Moscow to join the regional committee of the Communist Party of
Transcaucasia, the situation of the students changed (V. Asgarov, 2022: 213).
Miri bey Vəzirov, İskəndər Rzazadə, Mustafa bey Vəkilov (Paris, 1920)
At that time, as noted by R. Abutalibov, the student body was divided
into two parts: the faithful and the unbelievers.
Moreover, it was a period when Azerbaijan needed qualified personnel. In B.
Akhundov’s letter to D. Gadzhibeyli, we read: "...the absence of Nariman has changed everything for the
students; what will happen next, we do not know; I do not forget them and never
will. When I return to Baku, I will take care of them. We only need them to
study" (Abutalibov, 2006: 71-72).
Testimonies
Until now, we have very little
information about these 73 students sent abroad in 1920. Conversely, we know
that most of the students were forced to work under difficult conditions to
survive. Some of them ended up in prison due to debts, such as Chikhzamanov and
Ismail Aliyev; others took their own lives. A small number of them completed
their studies with difficulty and returned to Azerbaijan. Soon, their names
will be heard among the victims of the Stalinist Red Terror (V. Asgarov, 2022:
214).
The letters from Azerbaijani students
addressed to Jeyhun-bey Hajibeyli express the concerns of B. Akhundov.
Here are a few:
Letter from Ajdar bey Akhoundov:
Dear Jeyhun Bey,
I cannot express my sincere
gratitude for your fraternal attention towards me in such a difficult moment...
I have been living with a host
family for two months now. But until June 1st, I was working in Paris; the work
there was easy, and I more or less endured it. However, in summer, they came
here (the tourist town of Dinard in France) to their private residence, and my
workload multiplied by 10. I had to wake up at 6 a.m. and go to town to fetch
milk.
When I return home at 8:30 a.m., the
next part of the work begins: cleaning the 14-room apartment. Barely have I
finished before my legs tremble with fatigue and weakness. Additionally, I have
to help in the kitchen, which is more than a nightmare... Such chaos! In these
circumstances, I have to stay until 10:30 p.m.
Forgive me, for God’s sake, because
I am crying now and cannot continue writing...
For God’s sake, help me. I am afraid
I will go crazy with fear...
Yours faithfully,
Ajdar Bey.
Letter from Abdul-Huseyn Dadashov
from Germany:
Dear Jeyhun Bey,
...the government excludes certain
students from the list; I am among them. The reason was some friends here whose
opinions did not align with mine...
Cordial regards, Abdul-Hussein.
One of the letters from Teymur Aslanov, a student in
Germany, clearly explains how the fate of students in Baku was decided.
Certainly, you are aware of the
current student affairs. For your information, I want to inform you that I have
been excluded from the list of scholarship recipients. During a special
commission meeting in Baku, someone reported that I was very close to the
circle of militants and that I was transmitting information to Constantinople
immediately and punctually for each person.
Cordially yours, Teymur (Abutalibov, 2006: 72-73)
Conclusion
This study highlights the historical
and symbolic significance of the first Azerbaijani students sent to Europe
during the period of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan. Their journeys,
marked by the ambition to pursue higher education in an unstable political
context, reflect both nationalist aspirations for independence and the
challenges posed by war, Soviet occupation, and difficult living conditions
abroad. The diversity of their paths, often characterized by sacrifices and
personal struggles, demonstrates their commitment to national development and
education.
However, their stories remain partly
unknown, underscoring the need for further research to better understand their
role in Azerbaijan's history. By reexamining these journeys, this study
contributes to the preservation of collective memory and highlights issues
related to political and educational emigration within the Azerbaijani national
movement.
Bibliography
- Abutalibov
Ramiz (2006), The Years and Encounters in Paris, Moscow, SJS
Media.
- Asgarov
Vazeh (2014), The Immigration of Azerbaijanis: General
Immigration, History, and Perspectives — The Case of France, Germany,
PAF, p. 425.
- Asgarov
Vazeh (2022), The Immigration of Azerbaijanis in France, Kapaz
Publishing, Strasbourg, France, ISBN: 978-2-492157-03-5, p. 341.
- Mahmudov
Yagub (2005), Encyclopedia of the Azerbaijan People's Republic,
Volumes I and II, Baku, Lider.
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