In 1914, Akhunbabaev returned to Margilan and joined anti-Russian and anti-monarchist movements in the area. He later took part in the Central Asian revolt of 1916. As a result, he was arrested by the Okhrana, which was the Tsarist secret police force, and was imprisoned for two months. He was a supporter of the February Revolution, but later supported the October Revolution and became pro-Bolshevik. After the formation of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Margilan branch of the Koshchi Peasant Union.