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The 'Müsavat (Equality) Party' is the oldest existing political party in Azerbaijan. Its history can be divided into three periods: Early (old) Musavat, Musavat-in-exile and New Musavat.

Musavat Flag in 1917

Contents

Early (Old) Musavat (1911 - 1923)

Early Musavat under Rasulzade leadership

Musavat in exile

Members of the Foreign Bureau

Members of the Azerbaijani National Center

Chairmen of Musavat in exile

Newspapers and journals published by Musavat party in exile

References

Early (Old) Musavat (1911 - 1923)

Musavat was founded in 1911 in Baku as a secret organization by Mammed Ali Rasulzade (cousin of Mammed Amin Rasulzade), Abbasgulu Kazimzade and Taghi Nagioglu. Its proper name was Muslim Democratic Musavat Party. The first members were Veli Mikayiloghlu, Seyid Huseyn Sadig, Abdurrahim bey, Yusif Ziya bey and Seyid Musavi bey. Early Musavat members also included future Communist leader of Azerbaijan SSR Nariman Narimanov ^[1].This initiative was coming from Mammed Amin Rasulzade, who was then living in Istanbul as an exile^[2]. The Musavat's programme, which appealed to the Azerbaijani masses and assured the party of the sympathy of the Muslims abroad, announced the following aims:
:1. The unity of all Muslim peoples without regard to nationality or sect.
:2. Restoration of the independence of all Muslim nations.
:3. Extension of material and moral aid to all Muslim nations which fight for their independence.
:4. Help to all Muslim peoples and states in offence and in defence.
:5. The destruction of the barriers which prevent the spread of the above-mentioned ideas.
:6. The establishment of contact with parties striving for the progress of the Muslims.
:7. The establishment, as need might arise, of contact and exchange of opinion with foreign parties which have the well being of humanity as their aim.
:8. The intensification of the struggle for the existence of all Muslims and the development of their commerce, trade and economic life in general ^[3].
In its early years before the first world war, Musavat was a relatively small, secret underground organization, much like its counterparts throughout the Middle East, working for the prosperity and political unity of the Muslim and Turkic-speaking world ^[4]. During this time, the Musavat party supported some pan-Islamist and pan-Turkist ideas.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}. Pan-Turkic element in Musavat's ideology was a reflection of the novel ideas of the Young Turk revolution in Ottoman Empire. The founders of this ideology were Azerbaijani intellectuals of Russian Empire, Ali bey Huseynzadeh and Ahmed bey Agayeff (known in Turkey as Ahmet Agaoglu), whose literary works used the linguistic unity of Turkic-speaking peoples as a factor for national awakening of various nationalities inhabiting the Russian Empire.
As M. G. Smith notes, Russia's social democrats received the foundation of the Musavat Party in these imperial, orientalist terms, governed by the long-standing ideological categories of Muslims "backwardness", "treachery" and religious "fanaticism" ^[11]. To the Bolsheviks, the creation of Musavat was a betrayal of historic proportions. In the words of one Soviet analyst, Rasulzade and the Muslim social democrats of Baku had "made a 180 degree turnaround straight from Bolshevism to pan-Islamism" Michael G. Smith, ''open citation'', p. 217.. This was a potent and tenacious charge, targeting the Muslims as deviant and disloyal minority within the empire, manipulated by the traitorous Musavat. ^[3].
The Menshevik and Social Revolutionary parties of Baku, both largely dependent upon the support of selected Georgian, Armenian and Jewish cadrees, as well as upon the ethnic Russian workers, had long vilified the Muslims as "inert" and "unconscious" Michael G. Smith, ''open citation'', p. 217.. For them as well as for Bolsheviks, Constitutional Democrats and Denikinists, the Musavat, by default, was the false friend of social democracy, just a party of feudal "beks and khans". These accusations, centerpieces of a paranoid style in social-democratic politics, have endured in the historical literature far beyond their origins Michael G. Smith, ''open citation'', p. 217.. Indeed, Musavat's shifting politics and populist slogans tolerated few sympathizers outside the Muslim community. Its leaders were largely well-educated professionals from the upper class echelons of Azerbaijani Turkish society; its mass membership, most recruited between 1917 and 1919, comprised the poorly-educated Muslims underclass of Baku Michael G. Smith, ''open citation'', p. 218.

Early Musavat under Rasulzade leadership

After the Amnesty act of 1913 dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, Mammed Amin Rasulzade returned to Azerbaijan and undertook party leadership. Despite party still being secret, Rasulzade managed to found newspaper "Achig Soz"(1915-1918), in which Musavat's aims and goals, this time polished and defined in Rasulzade's interpretations, were implicitly advocated. Only after February Revolution, when Musavat ceased to be a secret organization and became a legal political party, newspaper officially became party's organ.
The Baku Committee of Muslim Social Organizations, as well as the Musavat, were quite radical during the early days of the February Revolution^[13]. They wanted a democratic republic, which would guarantee the rights of Muslims^[14]. The Soviet historian, A. L. Popov, writes that the Musavat cannot be ''a priori'' classified as a reactionary party of Khans and Beks, because in the early revolutionary period the Musavat stood on the positions of democracy and even socialism. "Until a certain time the Baku Committee of Muslim Social Organizations and the Musavat party successfully fulfilled the mission not only of representing the general national interests but also of guiding the Azerbaijani workers' democracy"^[15].
In 17 June 1917, Musavat merged with the Party of Turkic Federalists, another national-democratic, but right-wing organization founded by Nasibbey Usubbekov and Hasan bey Agayev and took a new name ''"the Party of Turkic Federalists Musavat"''. Thus, Musavat became major political force of Caucasian Muslims.
In October 1917 Musavat convoked in its first congress where it adopted new covenant, with 76 articles. Particularly, new covenant^[16] said:
:'Article 1': The form of the state of Russia should be a federative democratic republic based on principles of the national autonomy.
:'Article 3': All ethnicities having territories of compact inhabiting n any part of Russia should receive national autonomy. Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkistan and Bashkortostan should receive territorial autonomy, Turks living along the Volga and the Crimean Turks should receive cultural autonomy in the case of impossibility of territorial autonomy. The Party considers as its sacred duty to support any non-Turkic ethnicities’ quests for autonomy and help them.
:'Article 4': Ethnicities having no exact territory of compact inhabiting should receive national cultural autonomy.
Musavat became the 10th largest party elected to the Russian Constituent Assembly(1918)^[17].
After the disintegration of Russian Empire and declaration of independence of Azerbaijan, Musavat became the leading party of newly established Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, holding majority of mandates in its parliaments, at first in Azerbaijani National Council and then in '''Parlaman''' ("parliament"), Rasulzade being its first head of state(28 May, 1918 - 7 December, 1918). Under the Musavat's leadership, Azerbaijan in 1918 became the first secular democracy in the Muslim world. A year later, in 1919, Azerbaijani women were granted the right to vote ^[18], several years before the U.S. and some European countries.

After the fall of the first Republic in April 1920 as a result of the Bolshevik invasion, Musavat switched to secret activities again, by forming a secret committee, in which even famous Azeri playwright Jafar Jabbarli participated. Committee's most famous action was the preparation of the Rasulzade's flight from the Russian SFSR to Finland. Overall, Musavat prepared and conducted several armed insurgents, e.g. rebellions of Ganja, Karabakh,Zagatala and Lankoran. But Soviets also repressed Musavat by arresting at least 2 000 members of Musavat until 1923. Most prominent Musavat members thus were killed, exiled or escaped abroad and party ceased its activities in Azerbaijan in 1923.

Musavat in exile

Activities of Musavat in exile begin in the end of 1922 and in the beginning of 1923. in order to coordinate and lead these activities Mammed Amin Rasulzade established a Foreign Bureau of Musavat in 1923, but also created the Azerbaijani National Center in order to coordinate their activity with other Azeri political immigrants not affiliated with Musavat.

Members of the Foreign Bureau

★ Mammed Amin Rasulzade, chairman

★ Mirza Bala Mammedzadeh, secretary

★ Khalil bey Khasmammadov, treasurer

★ Shafi bey Rustambeyov

★ Mustafa Vakilov

★ Mammad Sadig Akhundzadeh

★ Abbasgulu Kazimzadeh

Members of the Azerbaijani National Center

★ Mammed Amin Rasulzade

★ Khalil bey Khasmammadov

★ Mustafa Vakilov

★ Akbar agha Sheykhulislamov

★ Abdulali bey Amirjanov

Chairmen of Musavat in exile

★ Mammed Amin Rasulzade (1917-1955)

★ Mirza Bala Mammedzadeh (1955-1959)

★ Kerim Oder (1959-1981)

★ Mammad Azer Aran (1981-1992)

Newspapers and journals published by Musavat party in exile

★ 'Yeni Kafkasya' journal (1923-1928, Turkey)

★ 'Azeri Turk' journal (1928-1929, Turkey)

★ 'Odlu Yurdu' journal (1929-1931, Turkey

★ 'Bildirish' newspaper (1930-1931, Turkey)

★ 'Azerbayjan Yurd Bilgisi' journal (1932-1934, Turkey)

★ 'Istiklal' newspaper (1932-?, Germany)

★ 'Kurtulush' journal (1934-1938, Germany)

★ 'Musavat Bulleteni' (1936-?, Poland, Turkey)

★ 'Azerbaijan' (1952-nowadays, Turkey)

==New Musavat^[19] ==
The resurrection of Musavat in Azerbaijan came in 1989, during the second independence of Azerbaijan. A group of intellectuals created Azerbaijan National Democratic New Musavat Party. Later that group formed Restoration Center of Musavat party and was recognized by Musavat-in-exile. in 1992 delegates of New Musavat and Musavat-in-exile gathered in III Congress of Musavat and re-established party as Musavat Party. One of the leaders of Popular Front, Isa Gambar was elected its chairmen. He remains its leader up to date.The party structure consists of "Başqan" (Leader), "Divan" (Executive Board), and "Məclis" (Congress).
Since 1993, Musavat was in the opposition to the ruling New Azerbaijan Party. At the last elections (5 November 2000 and 7 January 2001), the party won 4.9 % of the popular vote and 2 out of 125 seats. As party's candidate, its leader Isa Qambar won 12.2 % of the popular vote in the 15 october 2003 presidential elections. At the parliamentary elections of 6 November 2005, it joined the Freedom alliance, and won inside the alliance 5 seats. Musavat is also known for its protests against the Azerbaijani government such as that took place on 16 October 2003, after Isa Qambar had lost the election.

References

1. Willem van Schendel and Erik Jan Zürcher, ''Identity Politics in Central Asia and the Muslim World'', page 44, I.B.Tauris, 2001.
2. M.A. Resuloğlu. Müsavat Partisinin kuruluşu. -"Müsavat bülteni", İstanbul, ¹4, 1962, page.10. Quoted in Orujlu M. Activities of Musavat in Azerbaijan and in exile (1911-1992) Baku, “Azerneshr” 2001.(in Azeri)
3. Mirza Davud Guseinov. ''Тюркская демократическая партия федералистов "Мусават" в прошлом и настоящем.'', vol. I, ''Программа и тактика'', Baku 1927.
4. Michael G. Smith. "Anatomy of a Rumour: Murder Scandal, the Musavat Party and Narratives of the Russian Revolution in Baku, 1917-1920", ''Journal of Contemporary History'', Vol.36, No. 2, p. 216, April 2001.
5. Pan-Turkism: From Irrendentism to Cooperation by Jacob M. Landau P.55
6. On the Religious Frontier: Tsarist Russia and Islam in the Caucasus by Firouzeh Mostashari P. 144
7. Musavat Party (Azerbaijan)
8. ''Ethnic Nationalism and the Fall of Empires'' by Aviel Roshwald, page 100
9. Disaster and Development: The politics of Humanitarian Aid by Neil Middleton and Phil O'keefe P. 132
10. The Armenian-Azerbaijan Conflict: Causes and Implications by Michael P. Croissant P. 14
11. Daniel Brower, "Russian Roads to Mecca: Religious Toleration and Muslim Pilgrimage in the Russian Empire", ''Slavic Review'', 55/3, Fall 1996, 571.
12. Mirza Davud Guseinov. ''Тюркская демократическая партия федералистов "Мусават" в прошлом и настоящем.'', vol. I, ''Программа и тактика'', Baku 1927.
13. Firuz Kazemzadeh. ''Struggle for Trancaucasia (1917-1921), New York Philosophical Library, 1951, p. 51.
14. Firuz Kazemzadeh. ''Struggle for Trancaucasia (1917-1921), ''open citation'', p. 51.
15. A.L.Popov. "Из истории революции в Восточном Закавказье (1917-1918)", Пролетарская Революция, No. 7 (30), 1924, p. 118.
16. Balayev A. Azerbaydjanskoye natsional’no-demokraticheskoye dvijeniye. 1917-1920. B, 1990, pp 74-82; “Aydinlig” newspaper, 13 October, 1990
17. http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/museum/his1d.htm
18. "US Suffrage Movement Timeline, 1792 to present", Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership (retrieved 19 August 2006)
19. http://isagambar.az/musavat-tarixi-gen.htm