Abdullah Akhund Mustafa oglu Talybzade - Abdullah Shaig was born on February 24, 1881 in Shaitanbazar district of Tbilisi. At the time of his birth, his parents - Akhund Mustafa and Mehri khanum moved to Tbilisi and had already lived there for several years. Abdullah was the second child in the family after his older brother Yusif. His twin sister died soon after his birth. Abdullah, who later became famous as Abdullah Shaig and had a great influence on the development of Azerbaijani social and cultural thought and literature, spent his childhood and youth in a cultural environment, surrounded by intellectuals with advanced ideas and deep knowledge. His father Akhund Mustafa Suleyman oglu was an outstanding spiritual intellectual of his time. Until 1881, Abdullah's father, Akhund Mustafa, worked as a deputy sharia judge of the city of Tiflis, and then as the vicar of the Sheikhulislam of Transcaucasia. Yusif and Abdullah received their first education in a six-class religious school for Muslim children in Tbilisi. This school was not only a religious school, its curriculum followed the design of Russian-Tatar (Azerbaijani) schools of the time. In addition to Abdullah's father, Akhund Mustafa, Bakhshali-Bek and Pasha-Bek, graduates of the Gori Teachers' Seminary, also taught at this school. After receiving his first education at this school in 1889-93, Abdullah's mother took him and his brother Yusif on a pilgrimage to Khorasan. Yusif and Abdullah continued their studies in Khorasan. They were taught there by a teacher named Yusif Zia, one of the progressive young men of the time, who had moved from Urmia. Yusif Ziya had a special influence on the way of thinking of both brothers, played a great role in strengthening their attraction to literature, creativity and freedom of thought. The elder brother A. Shaig took the nickname “Zia” because of his great respect for his teacher.

In the fall of 1889 Mehri khanum returned to Tiflis with her son Yusif. Abdullah, until the completion of his education, in the fall of 1900, stayed at the house of an acquaintance in Khorasan, where he took lessons in logic and poetics and the history of Arabic poetry from Mirza Abdullah of Baku and Mirza Bagir of Junjali. In the fall, his mother Mehri khanum went and brought Abdullah to Tbilisi. After staying here for a few months, first Yusif and then Abdullah moved to Baku.

With the help of the young writer Nariman Narimanov and Abbas-bek Minasazov, a graduate of the Gori Teachers' Seminary and a leading pedagogue, Abdullah prepared to obtain the right to teach. Soon after passing an examination before a special commission at the Alexandria Gymnasium in Baku, he received a teacher's certificate dated April 25, 1901.

Abdullah Shaig, who started teaching as a substitute teacher in the 5th city school of Baku city, from 1903 began teaching native language and Shariah in the six-grade school in Sabunchi. During these years he met prominent literary and educational figures A. Khagverdiyev, H. Zardabi, N. Vezirov, M. Mahmudbeyzadeh, S. Akhundzadeh, S. Huseyn, as well as A. Huseynzadeh, M. A. Sabir, M. Hadi, A. Sahhat, H. Javid and others.

A.Shaig devoted his entire life to the education of the young generation, nurturing them into true worthy citizens through his artistic work, scientific and pedagogical activities and teaching. Abdullah, who soon became famous in the literary world and cultural-educational environment, was appointed in 1905 by the Caucasian Department of Education as a teacher of art and native language in Baku progymnasium. He actively participated in the first (1906) and second (1907) congresses of Azerbaijani teachers held in Baku. According to the decisions of these congresses, the preparation and publication of his textbooks such as “Children's Fountain” (“Ushag cheshmayi”) in 1907, together with M. Mahmudbeyzadeh, S. Abdurrahmanzadeh and S. Akhundzadeh, in 1908 - with the same co-authors - the textbooks “Ikinji il” (“The Second Year”), and in 1910 - “Ushag gözlüyu” (“Children's Glasses”) began.  In the same year he published his textbook in Persian “Gulshyani edebiyat” (“Literature Flower Book”), in 1912 - “Gulzar” (in Azerbaijani). Later the classicist, working together with H. Javid and M. Mahmudbeyzadeh, he prepared textbooks “Ushag gözlüyu” (“Children's Glasses”, 1915), “Türk chalyangi” (“Turkic Bouquet”, 1919), “Milli giraet kitaby” (“National Reading Book”, 1922), “Giraet kitaby” (“Reading Book”, 1924), “Türk dilinin grameri” (“Gramer of Turkic Language”), etc.

According to the decisions of these congresses, the preparation and publication of his textbooks such as “Children's Fountain” (“Ushag cheshmayi”) in 1907, together with M. Mahmudbeyzadeh, S. Abdurrahmanzadeh and S. Akhundzadeh, in 1908 - with the same co-authors - the textbooks “Ikinji il” (“The Second Year”), and in 1910 - “Ushag gözlüyu” (“Children's Glasses”) began.  In the same year he published his textbook in Persian “Gulshyani edebiyat” (“Literature Flower Book”), in 1912 - “Gulzar” (in Azerbaijani). Later the classicist, working together with H. Javid and M. Mahmudbeyzadeh, he prepared textbooks “Ushag gözlüyu” (“Children's Glasses”, 1915), “Türk chalyangi” (“Turkic Bouquet”, 1919), “Milli giraet kitaby” (“National Reading Book”, 1922), “Giraet kitaby” (“Reading Book”, 1924), “Türk dilinin grameri” (“Gramer of Turkic Language”), etc.

In 1921, A. Shaig took an active part in the establishment of the Higher Pedagogical Institute (now ASPU) in Baku, where he taught Oriental literature. In 1923 the 20th anniversary of his literary and pedagogical activity was solemnly celebrated. In 1931-32 A. Shaig worked as a teacher in Shusha Pedagogical Technical School, in 1933-34 in Azerbaijan Industrial Institute. In 1936, he returned to teach Oriental literature at the Pedagogical Institute, but he spent his main energy on artistic and social activities. In this period of time his works “Hasay”, “Araz”, “Gochpolad”, “Hunter Mastan”, “Nushaba”, “Motherland”, “Khalif for an hour” were published.  He writes novels, stories, short stories, publishes poems. His works are published several times.

In 1939 he worked as a head of the literary department of the Azerbaijan State Theater of Young Spectators, and in 1949 he worked as a senior consultant of the Azerbaijan Society for Cultural Relations. A. Shaig was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1946 and 1956. He was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, as well as medals. In 1940 he was awarded the honorary title of “Honored Art Worker” of the Azerbaijan SSR.

Abdulla Shaig translated into Azerbaijani of William Shakespeare's Play “Macbeth”, the novel “Gulliver's Travels” by J. Swift, works by A. S. Pushkin, M. Lermontov, I. Krylov, M. Gorky, Nekrasov.

Abdulla Shaig died in Baku in 1959 and was buried in The Alley of Honor.

Currently, the Azerbaijan State Puppet Theatre is named after Abdulla Shaig. Abdulla Shaig's house-museum has been functioning in Baku since 1990.

Recommended literature:

1. Məmmədov, Əflatun Yunus oğlu. Abdulla Şaiq /red. K. Məmmədov. - Bakı: Gənclik, 1983. - 209 s.
2. Əsədli, Minəxanım Rafiq qızı. Abdulla Şaiq və teatr: 1910-1958 /Minəxanım Əsədli; Elmi red. və ön sözün müəllifi: Kamal Talıbzadə. - Bakı: Nurlan, 2003. - 154 s.
3. Şaiq, Abdulla. (Talıbzadə Abdulla Axund Mustafa oğlu). Seçilmiş əsərləri: 3 cilddə /M. T. Abdulla Şaiq ; [red. N. Nağıyev]. I cild. - Bakı: Azərnəşr, 1957. - 453 s.
4. Mirəhmədov, Əziz Mirfeyzulla oğlu. Abdulla Şaiq /Ə. M. Mirəhmədov ; red. K. Məmmədov ; Azərb. SSR Elmlər Akad., Nizami ad. Ədəb. və Dil İn-tu. - Bakı: AzSSR EA, 1956. - 140 s.
5. Erol, Ali. Abdulla Şaik Talıbzade: (1881-1959) Hayatı, sanatı, seçme eserleri /A. Erol. - İzmir: Tibyan yayıncılık, 2005. - 215 s.