Mirza Jabbar Mirza Abbas oghlu Mammadzade was born on January 20, 1882, in the city of Iravan into a family of educators. He was first educated at home, and then continued his education at the Iravan Teachers’ Seminary. In 1902, he graduated from the seminary, took an external exam, and received a teaching certificate.

Mirza Jabbar began his teaching career in September 1902 at the Nehram school and later taught at Gamarli and Imanshaly schools. Between 1905 and 1906, he served as a supervisor at the Gamarli school. Until 1913, he taught Azerbaijani language at the Iravan Teachers’ Seminary.

In 1906, Mirza Jabbar also worked at a private preparatory school established by Ibadulla bey Mughanlinsky in Iravan, teaching Russian and mathematics. During World War I, when the Iravan Teachers’ Seminary was relocated to Sardarabad, he continued his teaching activities there. During this period, several of his books on Azerbaijani and Russian languages were published.

In 1918, after the Dashnak administration took power and closed the Iravan Gymnasium and Teachers’ Seminary, Mirza Jabbar and his family moved to Nakhchivan. There, he taught Russian, Turkish, and Azerbaijani languages at a higher primary school and participated in the defense of Nakhchivan against Dashnak forces.

Following the establishment of Soviet rule in Armenia in 1920, Mirza Jabbar returned to Iravan. At the end of that year, he moved to Baku with his family. He continued his pedagogical work at Azerbaijan State University and Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute. During this period, he conducted research in the field of linguistics and prepared a manual entitled Methodology of Teaching the Azerbaijani Language. He has also authored about 20 textbooks for primary and secondary schools in Azerbaijani and Russian.

In 1935, Mirza Jabbar earned the titles of Candidate of Philological Sciences and Professor, and in 1937, he became a Doctor of Sciences. He was a teacher of Asad Sheikhzadeh, Magsud Mammadov, academicians Mustafa Topchubashov, Heydar Huseynov, Aziz Aliyev, and other prominent figures.

In October 1937, Mirza Jabbar Mammadzade was arrested along with his family members. He was shot on unfounded charges, and his wife and daughter were exiled. In 1957, his innocence was proven, and he was acquitted.

One of the streets in the Yasamal district of Baku is named after Mirza Jabbar Mammadzade.

Source:
Ziyəddin Məhərrəmov. İrəvanda məktəbdarlıq və maarifçilik (1800–1920-ci illərdə ədəbi-mədəni mühit). Bakı: Nurlan, 2010