Karim bey Mehmandarov Kərim bəy Mehmandarov | |
Birth Date: | 2 December 1854 |
Birth Place: | Shusha, Russian Empire |
Death Place: | Shusha, Azerbaijan SSR, USSR |
Occupation: | Therapeutist, surgeon |
Nationality: | Azerbaijani |
Relatives: | Samad bey Mehmandarov |
Spouse: | Princess Zari Qajar |
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.[1]
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. He later served in 162nd Akhaltsikhe regiment as a doctor. Having returned to Azerbaijan in 1883, he continued his practice.
He was elected to head Shusha local committee of "Difai" - a secret Azerbaijani organization.[2] 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.
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:
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.
The Central Hospital and a street in Shusha, Azerbaijan are named after him.