Abdurrahim bey Asad bey oglu Hagverdiyev () (17 May 1870 – 11 December 1933) was an Azerbaijani writer, playwright, public and political figure, educator, literary scholar, and Honored Art Worker of the Azerbaijan SSR (1929), Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev is considered a classic of Azerbaijani literature. He was a deputy in the First Russian Duma, a member of the Georgian Parliament, the first conductor at the premiere of Leyli and Majnun, founder and first head of the Theatre Council, and a contributor to the Molla Nasreddin journal.
Active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hagverdiyev continued the literary traditions of Mirza Fatali Akhundov and Najaf bey Vazirov. He contributed to the development of national literature through his satirical and psychological dramas, addressing social and moral issues of his time. His notable plays include The Broken Union (Dağılan tifaq), Greedy Scholars (Ac həriflər), Unlucky Young Man (Bəxtsiz cavan), and The Fairy Magic (Pəri cadu), marked by satire and critical depictions of daily life. He was a member of both the First and Second State Dumas and advocated for Muslim rights in the Russian Empire and the South Caucasus. Hagverdiyev played a prominent role in organizing theatrical performances in Tbilisi and Baku, participated in the press and enlightenment efforts, and contributed to the early activities of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences and various literary societies and publications.
Early life Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev was born on May 17, 1870, in the village of Aghbulag near Shusha. His father, Asad bey, an educated official fluent in Russian and Persian, died when Abdurrahim was three. He was then raised by his uncle Abdulkarim bey. After his mother remarried a local official, Hasanali bey Sadiqbayov, his uncle distanced him from her. Abdulkarim bey died in 1875, an event that deeply affected the young Hagverdiyev.
Facing mistreatment in his uncle's household, Hagverdiyev eventually ran away and was warmly accepted by his stepfather, who took responsibility for his upbringing and education. Hasanali bey introduced him to the Russian alphabet and supported his intellectual development.
Hagverdiyev had a younger sister, Nabat, who drowned during a family outing. This event had a lasting emotional impact on him, and he became more withdrawn, often accompanying his stepfather rather than socializing with other children.
Education In May 1880, after his stepfather Hasanali bey faced financial ruin, the family moved to Shusha. There, Abdurrahim bey began studying at a temporary summer school run by Yusif bey Melikhaqverdyov, who would become a key figure in his early education. In September of the same year, Hagverdiyev passed the entrance exams for the city school and studied there for a year. In October 1881, he enrolled in the newly established Russian-language Real School in Shusha, where Yusif bey also taught.
Yusif bey, who was deeply interested in theater, organized performances each summer with the help of visiting teachers and students. Hagverdiyev's first encounter with theater took place during one of these performances. Reflecting on this, he later recalled attending a staging of Mirza Fatali Akhundov's "The Vizier of the Lankaran Khanate" (Xırs quldurbasan) and being profoundly impressed by seeing his teachers in costume on stage.
Inspired, Hagverdiyev wrote a short play titled Haji Dashdemir (Hacı Daşdəmir), modeled on Akhundov's Haji Gara, and shared it with Yusif bey, who offered guidance and feedback.
In August 1890, Hagverdiyev moved to Tbilisi to complete his final year at the Real School. At the time, Tbilisi was both a cultural hub of the Caucasus and a major theater center in the Russian Empire. Exposure to the works of Russian and European playwrights had a formative influence on him. After graduating in 1891, he went to St. Petersburg to pursue higher education.
He initially applied to the Institute of Mining Engineering but was not accepted. Choosing to stay in the city, he immersed himself in its cultural life. In 1894, his documents were transferred to the Institute of Railway Engineering, where he was admitted. Although he began formal studies, his growing interest in literature eventually led him to abandon the program. He later attended courses at the Faculty of Oriental Studies at St. Petersburg University as a non-degree student.
During his eight years in St. Petersburg, Hagverdiyev conducted serious research in language and literature. The city's literary and theatrical scene, especially performances at the Alexandrinsky Theatre, played a crucial role in shaping his artistic vision. He later wrote: "In 1891, when I went to Petersburg, I saw a true theatre for the first time. The Alexandrinsky Theatre was at its peak. Giants such as Davydov, Komissarzhevskaya, and Dalsky were performing. I was drawn in completely... I rarely missed a performance."
While in St. Petersburg, Hagverdiyev wrote his first plays: You Will Taste the Goose Meat and Feel Its Delight (Yeyərsən qaz ətini, görərsən ləzzətini, 1892) and The Broken Union (Dağılan Tifaq, 1896).
He spent most of his summer holidays in Shusha, where he collaborated with amateur actors to stage plays. In 1892, he participated in the production of Hashim bey Vazirov's comedy Marriage Is Not Like Drinking Water (Evlənmək su içmək deyil), and in 1897 directed a short dramatic scene titled Majnun at Leyli's Grave (Məcnun Leylinin qəbri üstündə). According to composer Zulfugar Hajibeyov, Hagverdiyev was nicknamed Shabihgardan (the one who stages performances) in Shusha — a testament to his deep passion for theatre.
Public and political activities In 1899, Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev returned from St. Petersburg to Shusha, where he lived for two years collecting written literary materials. In 1900, he wrote and staged the play Unlucky Young Man (Bəxtsiz Cavan), and in 1901, after moving to Baku, completed The Fairy Magic (Pəri Cadu), which, like his previous works, was well received by audiences.
From 1901 to May 1904, he taught at the Third Russian-Tatar Primary School in Baku. There, he interacted with prominent intellectuals such as Hasan bey Zardabi, Najaf bey Vazirov, Nariman Narimanov, Jahangir Zeynalov, and Huseyn Arablinski. Together they developed theatrical repertoires and directed performances. In 1901, he helped establish the "Baku Muslim Troupe" and served as its chief director—the first Azerbaijani intellectual to hold such a position in national theater history.
He directed a wide range of plays including Haji Gara (Hacı Qara), The Vizier of the Lankaran Khanate (Vəziri-Xani-Lənkəran), The Inspector General (Müfəttiş), Othello, The Outlaws (Qaçaqlar), Yağışdan Çıxdıq, Yağmura Düşdük, and his own works. He also trained new talents, helping to professionalize Azerbaijani theater.
Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli later recalled Hagverdiyev's role in shaping the cultural life of Shusha and staging works such as Monsieur Jordan, The Shattered Union, and Greed (Tamah). He also noted Hagverdiyev's central role in staging Othello in 1904.
Hagverdiyev directed the 1902 and 1903 "Eastern Concerts" at the H.Z. Taghiyev Theatre, which showcased a variety of musical traditions and were enthusiastically received. In May 1904, after being elected to the Shusha municipal council, he returned to his hometown. In 1905, he was elected as a deputy to the First State Duma from Ganja and went to St. Petersburg, where he began work on his historical tragedy Agha Mohammad Shah Qajar (Ağa Məhəmməd şah Qacar), consulting archival and historical sources.
Upon returning to the Caucasus, Hagverdiyev worked as an inspector for the Nadezhda shipping and insurance company and later joined H.Z. Taghiyev's shipping office. His professional duties took him to various regions of the Caucasus and Iran. Some scholars suggest his travels to Iran were also motivated by research for Agha Mohammad Shah Qajar. In his memoir, Hagverdiyev writes that between 1906 and 1913, he traveled throughout the Caucasus, Turkestan, and Iran, and spent time in Mazandaran gathering materials for the play.
In 1908, he directed the staging of Uzeyir Hajibeyov's Leyli and Majnun opera and conducted the orchestra, becoming the first recognized Azerbaijani opera conductor. After the performance, he reportedly told Hajibeyov: "Thank you, my son, you have brought pride to our people. Opera has emerged in our culture."
In 1910, Hagverdiyev went to Astrakhan due to his job at the Caspian Shipping Company and collaborated with exiled Nariman Narimanov in cultural activities. He helped form a Young Man theater troupe under the Shura-yi Islam charitable society, where they staged several plays. Later, during a short trip to Ashgabat, he organized a performance for charity and also took on acting roles.
In 1911, he attended the centenary celebration of Mirza Fatali Akhundov and wrote the play Hallucinations (Xəyalat), which was staged in Baku and Tbilisi to positive reception.
After resigning from his position in 1911, Hagverdiyev moved to Aghdam, where he lived until 1916 under difficult conditions. In a letter to his cousin Huseyn Mamayev, he described his isolation and financial struggles, expressed interest in a short history of Azerbaijani theater, and noted his work at the Açıq Söz newspaper and the publication of his story Sheikh Shaban (Şeyx Şəban). He also mentioned receiving an offer to serve as deputy director at a planned Muslim theological seminary in Tbilisi.
Kamran Mammadov writes that during his time in Aghdam, Hagverdiyev frequently visited nearby villages, supported local communities, and remained intellectually active, contributing to Molla Nasreddin and continuing his fiction writing. Some of his stories from the My Deer (Marallarım) cycle were composed during this period.
Activity in Tbilisi According to his own autobiography, Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev lived and worked in Georgia from 1916 to 1919. He was initially invited to Tbilisi in 1916 to serve as editor of the Russian-language monthly journal Bulletin of the Caucasus Branch of the Union of Cities. In 1917, he wrote the short stories Röya (Dream) and Hemşehri Passportu (Fellow Citizen's Passport). Following the February Revolution, Hagverdiyev was elected to both the Tbilisi Community Committee and its Central Council, due to his prior status as a representative from the Caucasus to the Constituent Assembly.
In March 1918, he was appointed commissioner for the Borchali district, where he actively mediated between Armenians and Azerbaijanis during a period of ethnic conflict, visiting villages on both sides to encourage peace. During his tenure, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Ashagy Saral station, prompting his return to Tbilisi. There, he served briefly as an inspector in a newly opened Azerbaijani school and was later elected to the Georgian Parliament by the Muslim National Council. Although he served only four months, he played a vital role in promoting Azerbaijani cultural and linguistic rights, especially in Borchali.
Hagverdiyev remained engaged in cultural work. In 1919, he founded the Turkish Dramatic Society under the People's House named after K. Y. Zubalov. This initiative helped preserve Azerbaijani theater in Tbilisi during politically unstable times.
Activity in the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Following the establishment of the ADR in 1918, Hagverdiyev was summoned to Baku to work in the newly formed Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Due to his intellectual breadth, linguistic fluency (particularly in Russian and French), and understanding of global political dynamics, he was considered highly qualified for diplomatic missions. In early 1919, he was appointed the Republic's representative to the North Caucasus Mountain Republic. However, his tenure was short-lived: General Denikin expelled him from Dagestan, prompting his return to Baku.