The Khoyski family is a descendant of the Dunbuli tribe, founders of the Khoy Khanate, who left their mark on the history of Azerbaijan. Dunbulis took part in the army of the Safavid Empire, and Shah Ismayil formed a branch of the Safavid Qizilbash army from warriors of the brave Dunbuli tribe.  Jafargulu khan Dunbuli, Rustam khan Khoyski’s grandfather, was also known by the nickname "Batmanqılınc" (heavy sword). Due to the conflict with Fatali Shah Qajar, Jafargulu Khan moved to North Azerbaijan with his relatives and about 20,000 troops, and in 1807 he was appointed Sheki khan by the Russian Tsar. He was conferred the rank of lieutenant general.

After Jafargulu khan, the Sheki Khanate was ruled by his son Ismayil khan in 1810-1819. After the death of Ismayil khan in 1819, the Sheki Khanate was abolished. Following the death of Ismayil khan, his son Iskender khan moved to Ganja. Iskender khan Khoyski was a lieutenant-general of the Life Guards Cossack Regiment of the Russian Empire, and his wife Sharabani was the daughter of Haji Molla Zeynal. Lieutenant-general Iskender khan Khoyski had four sons and a daughter.  Among them, Huseyngulu khan was the deputy governor-general of Ganja, Rustam khan was the Minister of Patronage (Social Security) of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and Fatali khan was the first Prime Minister of independent Azerbaijan. His other son, Jahangir, received a higher education in law. 

After the occupation of Azerbaijan by the Soviet regime, his brother Huseyngulu khan Khoyski (September 22, 1869, Ganja - December 7, 1955, Istanbul) was forced to live in Turkey. Colonel Jahangir bey Kazimbeyli, who led the Ganja uprising, married Valiya Khanum, the daughter of Huseyngulu khan Khoyski. Valiya Khanum was killed in a plane crash while carrying a group of Azerbaijani legionnaires to Rome to avoid being handed over to the Soviet state. Jahangir bey Kazimbeyli was poisoned and murdered by a woman agent of the Soviet security agencies in 1955.  
   
Another half-brother of Rustam khan Khoyski, Jahangir khan Khoyski, was an officer of the Azerbaijani army and fought against the Bolsheviks in the Ganja uprising. He and his entire family were arrested in June 1920 and exiled to Siberia.  
 
One of the founders of the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and a prominent political and public figure of his time Rustam khan Khoyski was born in Sheki in 1888. Rustam khan Khoyski completed his secondary education in Ganja Classical Gymnasium (1906) and graduated from the Faculty of Law of Petersburg University in 1913. Here he was a member of the Compatriot Society organized by students who had left Azerbaijan. After graduating from the law faculty in 1913, he returned to Ganja and pursued his profession.  Previously, he served as a deputy commissioner for oaths at the Ganja District Court, and at the same time, took an active part in the social and cultural life of Ganja. In 1916, he moved to Baku and held the same position at the Baku District Court. 
                          
After the February Revolution in 1917, R. Khoyski started an active political struggle. After the declaration of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on May 28, 1918, he served for a while as the Head of the Council of Ministers office of the Republic. Until January 1, 1919, he worked as head of chancery in the government cabinet created by Fatali khan Khoyski in 1918. In the 3rd government cabinet of Fatali khan Khoyski, Rustam khan was appointed as the Minister of Social Security. After the declaration of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, R. Khoyski carried the burden of state affairs on his shoulders together with his elder brother Fatali khan, who was the head of the government. His appointment to positions of Head of the Council of Ministers office of the Republic, and the Minister of Social Security might be regarded by ill-wishers as Fatali khan's patronage of his own brother, but the official documents of that period confirm that the minister performed his duties competently. Rustam khan Khoyski performed many difficult tasks with dignity such as resettling our refugee compatriots expelled from Armenia and providing them with financial assistance. He served as Deputy Minister of Social Security from March 14, 1919, to December 22, 1919 - in the 4th government cabinet established by Nasib bey Yusifbeyli, and as the Deputy Minister of Social Security and Health from December 24, 1919, to April 1, 1920 - in the 5th Cabinet established by Nasib bey Yusifbeyli.  The extensive report dated October 18, 1919, signed by Deputy Minister Rustam khan, a representative of the Ministry of Social Security and sent to Prime Minister Nasib bey Yusifbeyli, shows how serious the refugee problem was in official documents. 
                                                            
After the occupation of Azerbaijan by the Soviet regime on April 27, 1920, R. Khoyski served for some time as the Deputy Commissioner of Social Security. He worked in this position until May 15, that is until the Social Security Commissariat merged with the Labor Commissariat. Later he was removed from this job and although he appealed to N. Narimanov, he was not given a job.  On June 5, 1920, he was arrested in the village of Nardaran. Rustam khan Khoyski’s mother Shahrabanu Khanum made an appeal to Nariman Narimanov with a statement to save her son from execution. N. Narimanov handed over the petition to the Azerbaijan Extraordinary Commission for consideration. R. Khoisky was kept in prison until August 31, 1920.

Considering the fact that he belonged to the number of ardent opponents of the Soviet power, the Azerbaijan Extraordinary Commission sent him into exile. Rustam khan Khoyski died in Moscow in 1939 and was buried in Novodevichy Cemetery.

Recommended literature:

1. Yaqublu, Nəsiman Qara oğlu. Cümhuriyyət qurucuları / N. Q. Yaqublu; red. İ. Quliyeva.- Bakı: Nurlar NPM, 2018.- 504 s
2. Azərbaycan Xalq Cümhuriyyətinin qurucuları: portret-oçerklər və məqalələr / Azərbaycan Respublikasının Milli Arxiv İdarəsi; red., ön sözün müəl. Ə. A. Rəsulov.- Bakı: Elm və təhsil, 2018.- 248 s
3. Azərbaycan Respublikası Əmək və Əhalinin Sosial Müdafiəsi Nazirliyi / AMEA A. A. Bakıxanov adına Tarix İnstitutu [et al.]; layihənin rəh. S. Babayev; elmi red. Y. M. Mahmudlu; mətnin müəl.: V. Həsənov [et al.]. - Bakı: AR ƏƏSMN, 2019.- 196 s.
4. Hüseynov, Rəşid İnqilab oğlu. Azərbaycanın dövlət idarəçiliyi: tarix və müasirliyin vəhdəti: [monoqrafiya] / R. İ. Hüseynov; elmi red. F. M. Qurbanov.- Bakı: Afpoliqraf, 2018.- 480 s.
5. Азербайджанская Демократическая Республика: архивные документы Великобритании / Институт Истории им. А.А. Бакиханова НАНА, Общественная организация развития регионов; сост. Н. Максвелл, науч. ред., авт. предисл. Я. М. Махмудов.- Баку: Чашыоглы, 2008.- 576 с.
6. Азербайджанская Демократическая Республика: 1918-1920 / Институт Истории АН Азербайджанской ССР; редкол. Ф. Максудов [и др.]; отв. ред. Н. Агамалиева.- Баку: Элм, 1998.- 316 с.