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 Samed bey Mehmandarov (1856-1931) - prominent military commander, Artillery General, first minister of defence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920).
Mehmandarov was born in 1856 in Lenkoran in a noble Shushavian family. He graduated from 2nd Constantine Military School in St. Petersburg in 1875 and was conferred the rank of podporuchik. He served in Central Asia, Poland and Siberia. In 1898 he was conferred the rank of lieutenant colonel and sent to Manchuria. Mehmandarov participated in Chinese campaign in 1900-1901. When the Russo-Japanese War broke out in 1904, he was the commander of the Eastern Front Artillery during the 11-months-long siege of Port Arthur in China. For the services in battle he was made major general and awarded Order of Saint George of IV degree.
Mehmandarov was the commander of 7th East Siberian Artillery Brigade since 12 July 1906, artillery commander of 3rd Siberian Army Corps since 15 July 1907, and commander of 1st Caucasian Division since 24 May 1910. On 31 December 1913 he was appointed the commander of 21st Infantry Division and in this position entered the World War I within 3rd Caucasian Army Corps in the rank of lieutenant general.
Under Mehmandarov’s command the division earned the reputation of one of the best in the Russian Army, and 81st Apsheron and 83rd Samur regiments especially distinguished themselves. He was awarded Order of Saint George of III degree for the battles of 27 – 29 September 1914, and Saint George sword decorated with diamonds for the battle near Ivangorod on 14 February 1915. On 11 December 1914 Mehmandarov was appointed the commander of 2nd Caucasian Army Corps.
Mehmandarov’s corps was engaged in the fiercest battles with German troops and during the whole war had not surrendered to the enemy a single piece of ordnance. On 22 March 1915 Samedbey Mehmandarov was promoted to the rank of Artillery General, first Azeri to achieve this rank. He was decorated with British, French and Romanian orders.
With the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918) Samed bey Mehmandarov became the first minister of defense of Azerbaijan. He helped build a new national army from virtually a scratch.
After the fall of the national government and the Soviet invasion (1920), Mehmandarov did not leave the country despite serous risk to his life. He was arrested but due to Nariman Narimanov, the Azeri communist leader of the time, he was released two months later. Mehmandarov spent his last years teaching in the Soviet Azerbaijan military school. Together with his friend, general-lieutenant Aliaga Shikhlinsky, who also did not leave the country and preferred to stay, Mehmandarov did a lot for preparation of many military specialists in Azerbaijan.
Samed bey Mehmandarov died on February 12, 1931 in Baku.
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