Hajji Hajji (; sometimes spelled Hajjeh, Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. Etymology ''Hajji'' is derived from the Arabic ' (), which i ...

Aslan Ashurov (b. c.1853 – c.1909) was an

Azeri Azeri or Azeri Turk may refer to: * Azeri people, an ethnic group also known as Azerbaijanis * Citizens of Azerbaijan * Azeri language, the modern-day Turkic language * Old Azeri, an extinct Iranian language * Azeri Turk (journal), Academic jour ...

shipping and trading entrepreneur and politician, based in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

. In 1903, he received a hereditary honour from

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

Nicholas II Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...

. Aslan Ashurov was the father of Azeri politician, Agha Ashurov. His descendants today include the wife and children of Azeri politician and former

National Security National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of ...

minister, Eldar Mahmudov. Photograph of Aslan Ashurov

By 1898, the Ashurov family had become major business figures in Baku: the Ashurov Brothers Trading Company is recorded as owning 5 steamships, 3 barques (three masted sailing ships); 5 additional sailing ships, and 8 barges. In addition, the family also owned the Ashurov & Company Power Station business. Aslan Ashurov also took advantage of the developing Azeri oil industry to advance his shipping and trading interests across the Russian empire and beyond. Aslan Ashurov built one of the largest private houses in Baku. Ashurov family palace

In 1903, Russian Tsar,

, granted Ashurov the title of Honoured Citizen of the Russian Empire, which was a new, hereditary social rank in the Russian empire created by Tsar Nicholas I in 1830. It was awarded to successful members of the non-noble, urban wealthy. Nicholas II honours Ashurovs

Aslan Ashurov was first elected to th
Baku city Duma
in 1881; and re-elected in 1882; 1886; 1894; 1897; and 1902, when he was elected a member of the Pricing Committee. In the 1904 Baku city Duma election, three members of the Ashurov family were simultaneously elected to the Duma: Hajji Aslan; his brother, Ali Iskander Ashurov and cousin, Hacibaba Jabbar oglu Ashurov, Aslan Ashurov was elected for the last time in 1907, again sitting on the Pricing Committee, before his death in 1909. The

First Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...

of 1905 saw ethic conflicts in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

, and numerous terrorist actions in Baku and Duma proceedings show that Aslan Ashurov was one of the key figures in the Baku city Duma to discuss the crisis. He survived an assassination attempt, in the streets of Baku, near his home.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashurov, Aslan 1850s births 1909 deaths 19th-century politicians Politicians from Baku 20th-century Azerbaijani politicians Businesspeople from the Russian Empire