Guba, April-May 1918. Documented Pogroms of the Muslims
18
tan. Meanwhile, A.Bakykhanov was instrumental in developing local
literature and poetry in Guba where he established Gulistan literary
society (mejlis) attended by local poets and intellectuals.
In 1874, a group of Guba-based Russian amateur actors launched
a series of theater performances. By late 19th century, the first theater
shows in the Azerbaijani language were presented. Story of Monsieur
Jordanne based on M.F.Akhundov’s comedy, staged on August 17,
1896, was a tremendous success followed by a series of regular theat-
rical performances.
In the meantime, the second half of the 1870’s presented Guba
not only with the bustling cultural life, but a wave of peasant riots.
Shortage of arable land, heavy burden of taxes and in kind duties,
limited access to irrigation, abuse of peasants’ rights, colonial policy
in agriculture, stratification in the society due to ongoing market re-
forms in rural areas and deplorable living conditions generated enor-
mous public resentment all over Azerbaijan. Waves of peasant unrest
in Guba and Nukha Uyezds as well as the District of Zagatala in 1877
were a clear example of this.
Notably, the riots occurred at the moment when domestic and
foreign complexities in Russia coincided with a new crackdown on
the Caucasus. The anti-Czarist and anti-Christian motivation was fea-
turing the Guba revolt, suppressed in blood, with harsh reprisals to-
wards all the participants, let it be the Caucasian highlanders, Guba or
Nukha residents.
***
Upon suppression of the peasant revolt of 1877, there was an
almost half a century-long period of comparative tranquility in Guba
Uyezd. Except for the so-called movement of qachaqs (highly popular
Robin Hood style popular avengers employing guerilla tactics against
the Royal administration and landlords) the area enjoyed a relatively
lengthy period of domestic stability.
Despite the efforts of the Baku Committee of the Russian Social
Democratic Workers Party (RSDRP), political ideas featuring the 20th
century never succeeded in getting a strong foothold among the resi-
dents of Guba. Even the bloodiest local event of the early 20th century,
such as the first clash between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in 1905-
1907, subsequently evolving into an ethnic massacre almost all over
the territory of Azerbaijan and partially spreading to Tiflis Province,