National Council
Azerbaijani National Council
After the victory of February Revolution in Russia in 1917, on the initiative of Transcaucasian deputies in State Duma and by a decision of the Provisional Government Special Transcaucasian Committee
composed of Duma deputies, was established to govern the Transcaucasia.
On October, 1917 the Bolsheviks came to power in Petrograd and founded the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Bolsheviks’ revolution in Petrograd was not welcomed in Transcaucasia. On November 15, 1917 the Transcaucasian Commissariat consisting of the representatives of three nations – Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia was established in Tbilisi.
On November 26-28, 1917 the elections were held from the Caucasus to the All-Russian Constituent Assembly. On January, 1918, after Bolsheviks dissolved the All-Russian Constituent Assembly, the Transcaucasian Region Soviet decided to found the local administrative body. On February 14, 1918, the deputies elected to the All-Russian Constituent Assembly from the Transcaucasia founded the Transcaucasian Seym as a Supreme Power in Tbilisi.
Azerbaijan was represented in the Transcaucasian Seym by 4 Moslem parties composed of 44 deputies: “Musavat” and joint unaffiliated Democratic Group, “Moslem Socialist Bloc”, “Muslimism in Russia (Ittihad)”, “Hummat” (Menshevik) Party.
On May 26, the last meeting of the Transcaucasian Seym was held. On May 27, Moslem faction of the already former Seym convened the extraordinary meeting to discuss the given situation and decided to establish the Interim National Council. On May 28, at the first meeting of the Azerbaijani National Council held at the palace of the former Viceroyalty of the Caucasus the issue of proclamation of Independent Azerbaijani Republic was discussed. The National Council passed a resolution on foundation of Independent Azerbaijani People Republic in the south-east Caucasus and adopted the Declaration of Independence. The following members of the National Council participated in the historic meeting: Fatali Khan Khoyski, Khalil bey Khasmammadov, Nasib bey Yusifbeyov, Mir Hidayet Seyidov, Nariman bey Narimanov, Heybetgulu Mammadbayov, Aslan Bey Gardashov, Sultan Majid Ganizadeh, Akbar agha Sheykhulislamov, Mehdi bey Hajibababeyov, Mammad Yusif Jafarov, Xudadat bey Melik-Aslanov, Rehim bey Vekilov, Hamid bey Shahtakhtinski, Firudin bey Kocherli, Jamo bey Hajinski, Shafibey Rustambeyov, Khosrov Pasha bey Sultanov, Jafar Akhundov, Mahammad Maharramov, Javad Melik-Yeganov and Haji Molla Akhundzadeh. 24 people voted for independence, 2 (S. M. Ganizadeh and J. Akhundov) abstained from voting.
The National Council passed a resolution on foundation of the first Provisional Gevernment at that meeting. The National Council and the first government moved from Tbilisi to Ganja on June 16, 1918 and from November 16 to December 7 continued its activity in Baku until the first session of the parliament was convened.
The composition of the National Council of Azerbaijan:
“Musavat” and unaffiliated Democratic Group
- Mammad Yusif Jafarov
- Alimardan bey Topchubashov
- Mammad Amin Rasulzade
- Nesib bey Yusifbeyli
- Hasan bey Aghayev
- Khosrov Pasha bey Sultanov
- Mammad Hasan Hajinski
- Mir Hidayat Seyidov
- Fatali Khan Khoyski
- Khalil bey Khasmammadov
- Gazi Ahmed Mahammadbeyov
- Aslan bey Gardashov
- Shafi bey Rustambeyli
- Javad bey Melik-Yeganov
- Mustafa Mahmudov
- Mehdi bey Hajibababeyov
- Haji Molla Selim Akhundzade
- Mehdi bey Hajinski
- Khudadat bey Melik-Aslanov
- Museyib Akhijanov
- Lutfali bey Behbudov
- Firidun bey Kocherli
- İbrahim agha Vekilov
- Hamid bey Shahtakhtinski
- Rahim Vekilov
- Alesker Mahmudbeyov
- Yusif efendi Efendizade
- Mirza Jalal Yusifzade
- Mammadrza agha Vekilov
- İslam bey Gabulov
Muslim Socialist Bloc
- Ibrahim bey Haydarov
- Alikhan Gantemir
- Aslan bey Safikurdski
- Ahmed Jovdet Pepinov
- Baghir Rzayev
- Jamo Hajinski
- Mahammad Maharramov
Muslimism in Rissia “Ittihad”
- Sultanmajid Ganizade
- Mir Yagub Mehdiyev
- Heybetgulu Mammadbeyov
Muslim Social-Democrat Menshevik Party “Hummat”
- Jafar Akhundov
- Ibrahim Abilov
- Akbar Agha Sheykhulislamov
- Samedagha Aghamalioghlu