At the initiative and with the support of ADA University, the complete collection of the Azerbaijan newspaper (1918–1920) in Latin script continues to be successfully published.
According to “Tehsil365”, the thirteenth volume of the complete collection has been presented to readers. This volume covers issues No. 287–310 of the newspaper from October 1919.
The Azerbaijan newspaper, which was the official organ of the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, contains reports that are primary sources on the events of that period. In issue No. 287 dated October 1, 1919, included in the collection, the article “The Situation of the Muslims of Zangibasar” reads:
> “The Armenian commissioner in Zangibasar and the Armenian commandant in the Ulukhanli area impose expenses on each of the Zangibasar villagers beyond their means. Moreover, when collecting this excessive amount, they take double that sum by force. Those who fail to pay are beaten and arrested.
In addition, just as in Yerevan, in the Zangibasar district if it becomes known that a Muslim villager has money, he is summoned by the commissioner or the commandant and asked for a certain sum. If he refuses, he is sent to Yerevan Fortress under various pretexts and kept in prison for months without reason. Many Muslim villagers of Zangibasar have repeatedly suffered such abuses.”
The Azerbaijan newspaper also addressed the issue of girls’ education. In issue No. 289 dated October 3, 1919, included in the thirteenth volume, an article by Feyzulla Mahammadzadeh, a student of the Qazakh Teachers’ Seminary, entitled “A Solution Must Be Found to the Lack of Female Teachers” states:
> “Indeed, to ensure that our future mothers are cultured and educated, we must open girls’ schools — both in cities and villages. But there are no Azerbaijani female teachers in these schools — none at all!
Our sisters, eager for knowledge, long to read in their mother tongue in cities and villages. Even some villagers in Javad uyezd have submitted petitions to school principals asking for girls’ schools to be opened — including in the villages of Khilli, Shykhalibeyli, and Galaqayin. Education inspectors were preparing to open schools in these villages to guide our sisters toward enlightenment, but to this day, nothing has been done. The reason is the lack of female teachers.
In this regard, education authorities and national figures must train female teachers and lead our sisters — future national mothers — onto the path of knowledge and progress, so they will no longer remain in dark corners deprived of education, but will always have hearts illuminated by the light of learning.”
One of the issues included in the collection features an article dedicated to the first anniversary of the newspaper’s publication. In “The First Year of Azerbaijan” (October 9, 1919, issue No. 291), we read:
> “If the one-year collection of Azerbaijan is studied and the articles and feuilletons published are reviewed, it becomes clear that there is extensive information on our nationality, politics, trade, economy, and history. With great sincerity and purity, the editors of Azerbaijan have held only one aim before their eyes: the well-being of the country, the political freedom of the nation, and the strengthening of intellectual independence. These three slogans, undoubtedly, are being spoken and repeated among the people today, and the press continues to reinforce them.”
The newspaper also published articles about various regions of the Republic. In this respect, the article “On Lankaran,” published in issue No. 309 dated October 30, 1919, in the thirteenth volume, is noteworthy:
> “One of the most afflicted and suffering parts of Azerbaijan is undoubtedly Lankaran — that beloved land, liberated from the enemy at the cost of thousands of lives.
Under the unceasing attacks and blows of a stubborn enemy, Lankaran remained separated from our capital for months, struggling between life and death, while all of Azerbaijan’s Turks were deeply moved by patriotic and national feelings.
Under the rule of adventurist Russians and Bolsheviks, Lankaran suffered such oppression and cruelty that every cry and lament rising from there pierced our hearts like lightning, darkened our spirits, and struck fear into our thoughts.
Lankaran was trampled and devastated under the enemy’s feet. Yet these oppressions and sufferings awakened and strengthened patriotic and national feelings among our Lankaran compatriots. If materially Lankaran was crushed, spiritually it attained salvation and liberation.
A few months ago, our beloved land was reunited in fact with the Motherland — Azerbaijan — through the victorious assault of our heroic soldiers. The fate of Lankaran, which we had always discussed and regarded as a matter of existence, was thus resolved. From that day to this, we have begun to breathe easily, feeling a sense of national and homeland happiness.”
Thus, leafing through the book brings the events of that time vividly to life. In the Foreword, ADA University Rector Hafiz Pashayev writes:
> “The materials in the Azerbaijan newspaper directly reflect the history of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The pages of the newspaper contain the decisions of the Azerbaijani Government, speeches of Parliament members, details of events in the capital and regions, various analyses, and memoirs. Materials concerning the Karabakh and Zangezur regions, which hold special significance today, will be of great interest to readers. Likewise, the foreign relations of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the spirit of the era are thoroughly reflected in the newspaper’s pages. Overall, the transliteration of this newspaper will open a new page in the historiography of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and will serve as an important stimulus for future research.”
The first four issues of Azerbaijan were published in Ganja, and the subsequent issues in Baku. Between September 15, 1918, and April 28, 1920, a total of 443 issues were printed. At various times, the editors were prominent intellectuals of the period such as Jeyhun bey Hajibeyli, Shafi bey Rustambeyli, Uzeyir bey Hajibeyli, and Khalil Ibrahim. Although the newspaper was generally four pages long, in some issues the number of pages varied. The number of columns per page and the page dimensions changed several times during its 19-and-a-half months of publication.
The texts of the newspaper were transliterated by PhD in Philology Mehdi Ganjali and philologist-translator Azad Aghaoğlu. The scientific editor of the publication is academician Teymur Karimli.
It is planned to publish all 443 issues of the Azerbaijan newspaper from 1918–1920 in transliteration across 20 volumes.
The book is also available in electronic format.