The Qori teachers' seminary and eminent figures in the history of Azerbaijani culture

Abstract

The national development of any people is determined by their education, intellectuals, literature, connection to historical heritage, and the means of transmitting their cultural identity and worldview to future generations. In Azerbaijan, the nation’s leading intellectuals played a pivotal role in preserving and safeguarding national culture. An historical landmark was the foundation in 1876 of the Qori Teachers’ Seminary as an educational institution where representatives of various ethnic groups from the South Caucasus would study together. Azerbaijani students, however, constituted a minority within the seminary due to the prerequisite of Russian language proficiency. In 1879, an Azerbaijani branch of the seminary was established to facilitate the education of Azerbaijani children. This branch was officially referred to as the "Tatar Department," as Azerbaijanis were commonly identified as Tatars by Russians at the time. The newly founded department was led by Aleksey Osipovich Chernyaevsky, an ethnic Russian born and educated in the Azerbaijani city of Shamakhi. The seminary became an important educational institution, with several distinguished Azerbaijani scholars and cultural figures among its alumni, including Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, Nariman Narimanov, Muslim Magomayev, Rashid bey Efendiyev, and others. Despite numerous restrictions at the seminary, Azerbaijani students expanded their academic knowledge and emerged as progressive intellectuals advocating democratic ideals in Azerbaijan. This study aims to analyze the historical role of the Qori Teachers’ Seminary in shaping the intellectual and cultural development of prominent Azerbaijani figures, and to highlight how this institution contributed to the national awakening through education.