Najaf bey Fatali oglu Vazirov () (17 February 1854 – 9 July 1926) was an Azerbaijani playwright and journalist. Najaf bey Vazirov played an exceptional role in the development of Azerbaijani dramaturgy, enriching its ideological and aesthetic content as well as its artistic qualities, and contributing significantly to the creation and growth of national theater. Through his public activities and literary works, he actively supported the national liberation movement. Najaf bey Vazirov laid the foundation of the tragedy genre in Azerbaijani literature and was closely involved in the expansion of the enlightenment movement directed against the feudal-patriarchal system in Azerbaijan.
As a student in Moscow, he corresponded with his teacher Hasan bey Zardabi and contributed journalistic articles to the newly published Akinchi. He began his dramaturgical career with the comedies "Ev tərbiyəsinin bir şəkli" (A Form of Home Education, 1875) and "Gəmi lövbərsiz olmaz" (A ship cannot sail without an anchor, 1876). The first play addressing the Baku oil industry and the rise of the national bourgeoisie, "Pehlivanani zamane" (1898–1900), was also written by Najaf bey Vazirov.
Following the revolution in Russia in 1917 and the establishment of the Soviet regime, Najaf bey Vazirov was appointed as an inspector in the Forest Department of the Soviet People's Commissariat for Land. He held this position until the end of his life, while simultaneously engaging in theater and translation activities. In his final days, despite warnings from doctors to stop working, he traveled with his students to the village of Chukhuryurd in Shamakhi. On July 9, 1926, he died there of heart failure.
Life There are varying accounts regarding the birthdate of Najaf Bey Fatali oglu Vazirov. Research indicates dates such as April 2, 1854, and April 11, 1854, with some sources also mentioning February 15 and February 17. Archival documents preserved at the Fuzuli Institute of Manuscripts of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences reveal further discrepancies. These archives list 1859 as his birth year in his passport and membership records, while his identity card issued by the People's Commissariat of the Azerbaijan SSR records it as 1856. During a 40th-anniversary event held in Vazirov’s honor by the “Safa” Society in 1913, the year 1854 was noted. Despite these discrepancies, Vazirov himself stated in his autobiographical work “Tərcümeyi-halım” (1913) that his birth year was 1854.
Najaf Bey was born into the family of Fatali Bey in Shusha, Azerbaijan. He lived in Shusha until the age of 14, where his love for nature took root. His grandfather Najafgulu Bey and his father Fatali Bey were landowners from the village of Zumurkhach in Karabakh. Though initially affluent, the Vazirov family faced increasing financial difficulties, particularly during Fatali Bey's time. He named his firstborn Najaf to honor his father.
Due to his illness, Fatali Bey became incapacitated, and the family's financial burden fell on Najaf Bey's mother, Mina Khanum. She was the daughter of Hasan Bey Mehmandarov, a member of the prominent Mehmandarov family. Despite having wealthy relatives, the Vazirovs received no support from them. In “Tərcümeyi-halım”, Vazirov described these hardships
Najaf Bey began school in 1866 in Shusha. Reflecting on this period in “Tərcümeyi-halım”.Najaf Bey’s late start to schooling was due to his family’s financial struggles. Despite an initially successful year in school, he left the Shusha Municipal School due to the harsh treatment from his teacher. A maternal relative later provided him with basic education, hoping he could support his family in the future by learning Russian. Dissatisfied with this, Vazirov decided in 1868 to leave his mother and move to Baku for better educational opportunities
During Vazirov's arrival in Baku, the city was experiencing rapid industrial and commercial growth due to its burgeoning oil industry. He decided to enroll in the “Realniy Gimnaziya” (Technical Gymnasium). Although he failed to answer history and geography questions during the admission interview, his wit and intelligence earned him a place in the second grade. The curriculum included natural sciences, Russian language and literature, history, geography, mathematics, German, French, and natural philosophy. The school had a profound impact on Vazirov’s intellectual development, providing him access to works by Russian classical authors in their original language. Despite initial struggles in the demanding academic environment, Vazirov managed to pass his classes and excel in later years. In his final year, he achieved outstanding results and graduated with honors in 1874. His education at the Russian school in Baku significantly influenced his future literary endeavors.
Baku's transformation into an industrial city also significantly enriched its cultural life. Russian theaters with rich repertoires operating in the city provided young people with the opportunity to freely express their thoughts, strengthening the desire of educated Muslim youth to create a national theater and write and stage works in their own language. In 1873, while in the sixth grade, Najaf bey became acquainted with the theater and noted in his memoirs that this event had a profound impact on him. The next day, he met with his natural sciences teacher, Hasan bey Melikov (Zardabi), and inquired about the state of theater among Muslims. Inspired by the answers he received, he immediately took action. On March 10, 1873, Vazirov staged Mirza Fatali Akhundov's The Adventures of the Vizier of the Khan of Lankaran and, on April 17, Haji Gara under the guidance of his teacher Zardabi.
For the first time in Azerbaijan, a work by a Muslim writer was staged, and Najaf bey performed a female role in the play Haji Gara. The performance was met with great enthusiasm by the audience and was highly praised by the author of the work, Mirza Fatali Akhundzadeh. Thus, the foundation of the national Azerbaijani theater was laid. Najaf bey wrote about this event:
"...Forty years ago, in 1873, when I was in the sixth grade, I attended a Russian theater for the first time. That night left a deep impression on me. I understood what theater was. The next day, I approached my teacher, Hasan bey Melikov, and asked if there were any plays in our language, such as comedies or tragedies. Hasan bey Melikov found the comedy Haji Gara by the late Mirza Fatali Akhundzadeh. We began preparations to stage this comedy with the Muslim students staying at the dormitory. Every day after lunch, we rehearsed in the dormitory's dining hall. Hasan bey Melikov supervised our preparations, but I directed the rehearsals. The role of Haji Gara was played by the former mayor of Ganja, Asgar bey Adigozalov-Gorani, while I took on a female role. On the day of the performance, there was a large audience, most of whom were Armenians. The governor of Baku, Staroselsky, also attended with his wife. Our performance was very well received by the audience. After the play, the governor's translator, Hasan bey Nabibkov, hosted us for dinner. That night, our teacher Hasan bey Melikov sent a congratulatory telegram to the author of the play, Mirza Fatali Akhundzadeh. Akhundzadeh responded with a two-page letter of appreciation. At the end of the letter, he wrote: 'By staging Haji Gara today, you have added ten years to my life.'"
In June 1874, Najaf bey Vazirov graduated from the gymnasium in Baku and left for Moscow to pursue higher education. By August 1874, he had arrived in St. Petersburg. After passing the entrance exams, he enrolled at a university. However, he fell seriously ill and was forced to return to Moscow. In September 1874, he arrived in Moscow and enrolled in the Forestry Faculty of the Petrovsky-Razumovsky Academy of Forestry and Land Management.
Upon his return to Moscow, only 80 manats remained of the 600 manats he had saved. Vazirov wrote about these years:
"On September 27, 1874, I arrived in Moscow and was admitted to the Petrovsky Academy. At that time, I had only eighty manats left. I paid fifty of this for tuition. My situation was such that only God knew my condition. In Moscow's cold climate, I didn't even have a blanket to cover myself at night. I would pull over the only thing I owned in the world — an old rug. This rug was in such poor condition, like my own plight, that it was only suitable to cover oxen. Because I slept under that rug, I was nicknamed 'Dervish.'"
Soon, Vazirov received a scholarship from the academy, improving his financial situation somewhat. The period when N. B. Vazirov studied in Moscow coincided with the rise of liberation ideas and populist revolutionary movements in Russia. These movements were particularly widespread in cities like Kyiv, Odessa, and Rostov. In Vazirov’s view, the academy fostered a revolutionary and reformist spirit, which undoubtedly influenced his worldview and political ideas, contributing to his intellectual and ideological development. Like other higher education institutions in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the Petrovsky-Razumovsky Academy exhibited certain revolutionary tendencies. Zaman Asgarli wrote that in 1876, a revolutionary stir began at the academy, led by prominent Russian writer V. G. Korolenko and students Grigoriev and Werner, with Najaf bey Vazirov among those signing a petition to the academy's director, F. N. Korolyov. The friendship between V. G. Korolenko and Najaf bey continued in the following years as well. In 1913, during the celebration of Najaf bey’s 40th literary anniversary, Korolenko was among those who sent a congratulatory letter. The letter ended with the words: "Greetings from an old friend and wishes for long-term activity."
During his education in Baku and Moscow, Najaf Bey Vazirov contemplated significant questions regarding the Muslim world's future. He and like-minded peers, under the leadership of Hasan Bey Melikov Zardabi, established the "Imdadiyya" Society.
The society aimed to "act together to end ugliness and evil." Its mission was articulated as follows: "We are advocates of reason; our weapon is science. We must fight against ignorance and backwardness." The "Imdadiyya" Society quickly garnered numerous supporters and attracted the attention of the Moscow authorities. The Moscow administration accused Najaf Bey and his fellow students, A. Gorani, M. Alizadeh, and A. Shahtakhtli, of disseminating prohibited literary and philosophical ideas. Consequently, they were placed under surveillance by the Moscow Gendarmerie Department under the orders of Tsar Alexander II.
Academician Feyzulla Gasimzadeh and Professor M. Mustafayev, who researched Najaf bey’s life and creativity, denied his connection with the revolutionary movement and wrote that he did not participate in political gatherings or organizations. However, Zaman Asgarli writes that certain documents stored in the Moscow October Revolution Archive, especially those related to the "Imdadiyya" society, reveal Najaf bey’s close ties with Russian revolutionary populists and his personal participation in student protests and secret student organizations within the academy. Researcher Kamran Mammadov confirms this fact, stating: "Based on new documents about Zardabi and Vazirov discovered by Doctor of Philosophy Z. Goyushov in the Moscow Central State October Revolution Archive, we can say that Vazirov organized a society called 'Imdadiyya' in Moscow in 1878."