Abdul Karim bey Mirza Mustafa bey oghlu Mehmandarov (Azerbaijani: Əbdül Kərim bəy Mirzə Mustafa bəy oğlu Mehmandarov, 2 December 1854, Shusha–20 December 1929, Shusha) was a Russian Empire and Soviet medical doctor of Azerbaijani ethnicity. He was one of the first ethnic Azerbaijanis to graduate from the Medico-Surgical Academy in St. Petersburg, one of the leaders of the Shusha educational society "Neshr Maarif", founder of the first Russian-Azerbaijani Shusha school for girls.[2]

Karim bey Mehmandarov
Kərim bəy Mehmandarov
Born(1854-12-02)2 December 1854
Died20 December 1929(1929-12-20) (aged 75)
NationalityAzerbaijani
Occupation(s)Therapeutist, surgeon
SpousePrincess Zari Qajar
RelativesSamad bey Mehmandarov
Awards

Early life

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He was born in 1854 in Shusha, as a member of the Azerbaijani noble family Mehmandarovs. His father Mirza Mustafa was an Imperial Russian officer, while his grandfather Mirza Ali was a mehmandar (an official courier appointed to escort an important traveller) of Ibrahim Khalil Khan, the origin of the surname. He graduated from Baku Gymnasium (1872) and St. Petersburg Medical-Surgical Academy (1877), then worked in a military hospital during Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) and combated diphtheria outbreak in Poltava Guberniya.[1] He later served in 162nd Akhaltsikhe regiment as a doctor. Having returned to Azerbaijan in 1883, he continued his practice.[1]

Political activities

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He was elected to head Shusha local committee of "Difai" - a secret Azerbaijani organization.[3] Several Russian officers were assassinated under his commands - Shusha prosecutor Lunyakin, Elizabethpol police chief Bannikov and Tartar police chief Felikinski were all killed under his orders. He died in 1929 in Shusha.

Family

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He married had an affair with a Petersburger woman named Alexandra Dolganova who by then studied at the Women's Medical Courses with whom he had a son who would grow to be the famous doctor - Mikhail Tushinsky. He officially was married to Zarri Qajar (1864-1943), a daughter of Bahman Mirza in 1884 with whom he had 3 sons and 4 daughters:

  1. Adil beg Mehmandarov (1885-1937) - engineer and teacher
  2. Rashid beg Mehmandarov (1885-1937) - officer at Azerbaijani army
  3. Surkhay beg Mehmandarov (1890-?)
  4. Turan Mehmandarova - married to Fatulla beg Rustambegov
  5. Kubra Mehmandarova - married to Bala beg Taghi-zadeh
  6. Nushaba Mehmandarova - married to Shahbaz beg Rustambegov
  7. Zahra Mehmandarova (1985-1957) - married to firstly to Azad beg Vazirov, then Jumshud beg Vazirov
  8. Mahbuba Mehmandarova (1902-1976) - married to Shamil Mahmudbekov

Through his daughter Mahbuba he is great-grandfather of Eldar Azizov - current Mayor of Baku, Aliya Rustambayova (1907-1942) - Azerbaijani anti-Nazi partisan and Mustafa Mehmandarov (b.1992) - Azerbaijani musician.[citation needed]

Legacy

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The Central Hospital and a street in Shusha, Azerbaijan are named after him.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Azerbaijani Soviet Encyclopedia (1982), vol. 6, p. 470
  2. ^ Galina Mikeladze. Неизвестные страницы жизни Абдул Керима Мехмандарова - Очерк (in Russian). 1news.az. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  3. ^ Swietochowski, Tadeusz, 1934-2017. (2002). Russian Azerbaijan, 1905-1920 : the shaping of national identity in a Muslim community. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 44. ISBN 0521522455. OCLC 49594100.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)