Hamida Mammadguluzadeh (Jevanshir), philanthropist and educator, prominent public figure in the history of our culture of the XIX century, was born on January 19, 1873 in the village of Kеhrizli of Shusha district (Aghjabedi district). She was a descendant of Ibrahim-khan - ruler of Karabakh, blood relative of poetess and philanthropist Agabeyim-aga, Govharnisabeyim-aga and Khurshidbanu Natavan. Hamida, considered one of the first enlightened women of Azerbaijan, was the daughter of historian Ahmed-bek Jevanshir and wife of writer Jalil Mammadguluzadeh.

Since the second half of XIX century, Ahmed-bek Jevanshir, who saw that the only way to liberate the people from the slavery of tsarist Russia is to educate the population, was a European educated enlightened intellectual, representative of innovative culture and author of the famous work “On the political situation of Karabakh khanate”. Ahmed-bek Jevanshir dug wells to improve water supply in Kehrizli village, restored the historic Gavur and Khangizi water canals, met the water needs of agricultural fields in the villages and did many other charitable works.

Growing up in an intelligent family, Hamida Jevanshir, fluent in Russian, intelligent and broad-minded, attended the family school. Hamida Jevanshir married at the age of 16. At the age of 29, after losing her first husband, Lieutenant Colonel Ibragim-bek Davatdarov, who died at the front, she returned to her father's estate with two children. Hamida Jevanshir realized not only her father's plans, but also successfully carried out other works for the improvement of Karabakh.

While in Tbilisi in 1905, Hamida Jevanshir met the famous writer Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, and despite all obstacles, the two intellectuals started a family two years later. Although this marriage was disliked by many, but Hamida Jevanshir was not only a faithful and devoted wife to Mirza Jalil, but also the closest enlightened associate of the writer. From this marriage she had a daughter named Minavver in 1897. Hamida Khanum and Mirza Jalil in 1918-1920, being active participants in the struggle for the independence of Azerbaijan, carried out their educational work for the benefit of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

Hamida Jevanshir was not left aside when Armenian terrorists massacred all over Azerbaijan in 1918-1920. Thanks to her mounted detachment, the ambush of Askeran fortress was broken through and aid was delivered to Shusha in time.

In 1912, Hamida Jevanshir built a watermill in Karabakh, and also used her own money to build a school building in Kehrizli where boys and girls studied together. She taught and financially supported the students. Hamida Jevanshir, solved the problems not only of Kehrizli village, but also of the whole Karabakh, solved the problems of intellectuals of that time, who needed help. Mirza Alekper Sabir, suffering from a serious illness, was sent to Tiflis by Mirza Jalil on the advice of Hamida Khanum.  In 1905, she organized a women's charity society.

Hamida Jevanshir was the founder of the first industrial enterprise in Azerbaijan where women worked. In 1919, she brought special weaving machines from Tiflis and opened a textile artel in Shusha with the participation of women. The school founded by her operated until 1920, and the workshop - until 1926. After the death of her husband Mirza Jalil, Hamida khanum, who took an active position in the public and literary life of the country, was elected a member of the Union of Writers. Hamida Mammadguluzadeh's merits in publishing the magazine “Molla Nasreddin” were great. Hamida, who started her literary activity in 1934, wrote biographies of her father and husband Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, published memoirs of Sabir, translated works of Azerbaijani writers (her father Ahmed-bek, great democrat Mirza Jalil and writer Mir Jalal Pashayev) into Russian. In “My Memoirs”, Hamida wrote about her father Ahmed-bek Jevanshir, her husband Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, the magazine “Molla Nasreddin”, also about the arrival of the Caucasian Islamic Army in Shusha, the situation in Karabakh during the ADR period, and how the family struggled to move to Tabriz after the arrival of Soviet power. After returning to Baku, she described her plight and other events in her life. Some of the most interesting pages in the book “Memoirs” attract special attention, such as the Armenian-Muslim conflict in Shusha in 1905 and descriptions of the events of 1918. She described in her memoirs that robberies and murders became common, the closure of post offices and roads, the arrival of Turks in Azerbaijan, the fact that Nuru Pasha stopped in some places on the way and gave instructions to the local population - all these memories are valuable for our literature.

Hamida Mammadguluzadeh Jevanshir died in 1955 and was buried next to the grave of Mirza Jalil Mammadguluzadeh in the Alley of Honor.

Recommended literature:

1. Cavanşir, Həmidə xanım. Xatirələrim / H. Cavanşir ; tərt., rus dilində tərc. M. Vəzir, red. Ə. Ş. Tahirzadə. - II nəşri. - Bakı : Apostrof, 2012. - 400 s.
2. Mirzə Cəlil və Məmmədquluzadələr: məktublaşma / tərt. İ. Həbibbəyli ; red. Dilsuz. - Bakı : Çinar-Çap, 2003. - 240 s.
3. Məmmədquluzadə, Həmidə Əhməd bəy qızı. Mirzə Cəlil haqqında xatirələrim /H. Məmmədquluzadə ; naşir M. Xan ; dizayn F. İlham. - Bakı: Mücrü, 2022. - 179 s.