Western Azerbaijan Community

Gasham Jalil oghlu Shahbazov was born in 1902 in the village of Garahamzali, Gamarli uezd of the Iravan governorate. His father, Jalil, had a large family, the youngest of his children was Gasham.

Gasham, who received his first education in his native village school, came to Baku in 1928 and entered the Technical College. He then continued his education at the Ganja Agricultural Institute.

Gasham Shahbazov worked as the head of water department in Basarkechar district for three years, and then moved to Iravan and worked there until 1941 as the head of the agricultural department in the editorial office of the “Soviet Armenia” newspaper.

During the Second World War, Gasham Shahbazov worked as first and second secretary in different regions, Vedi, Karabakhlar, Zangibasar districts, of Western Azerbaijan.

Gasham Shahbazov was the last Azerbaijani first secretary of Zangibasar district (1947–1950).

In 1948–1953, when Azerbaijanis were transferred from Armenia to the SSR, G. Shahbazov expressed his objection to the forced transfer of Azerbaijanis from their native land, and was punished by the Armenian leadership. In 1950, he was transferred from the first secretariat of Zangibasar district to Baku to study at the High Party School. Thus, as soon as the last Azerbaijani first secretary of Zangibasar was removed, an Armenian first secretary was appointed in his place, and this became a tradition.

Gasham Shahbazov worked as the deputy head of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia. After graduating from the Baku Higher Party School, he continued to live in Baku until the end of his life and carried on with his social activities in various fields.

Gasham Shahbazov died in 1989 at the age of 87.