Fatali Khan Khoyski Fatali Khan Khoyski Isgender oglu ( ) ( December 7 , 1875 – June 19 , 1920 ) was an attorney , a member of the Second State Duma of the Russian Empire , Minister of Internal Affairs , Minister of Defense and , later the first Prime Minister of the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic . Early life . Khoyski was born on December 7 , 1875 in Shaki to the noble family of Isgender Khoyski , a colonel in the Russian Army . His great grandfather Jafargulu , the Khan of Khoy was defeated by the Iranian Fatali shah and with his 20 , 000 army retreated to Echmiadzin . In the 1804 - 1813 Russo - Persian war , Jafargulu khan sided with Russian Empire and was therefore rewarded by tsar Alexander I by being appointed the Khan of Shaki Khanate and his rank was raised to Lieutenant Colonel . After receiving his school education at Ganja gymnasium , Fatali Khan studied at the Law Faculty of the Moscow University , from which he graduated in 1901 . After the graduation , Khoyski worked as a court lawyer in Ganja , Sukhumi , Batumi , Kutaisi . Once he was appointed Assistant Prosecutor of Yekaterinodar county court , he began to be involved in socio - political activities . Political career . Russian Empire . Khoyski was elected a deputy to the Second Duma of Russian Empire from Elisabethpol Governorate . While delivering a speech before the Duma on February 2 , 1907 , he criticized the Russian colonization policies in Azerbaijan and the Caucasus . Although he was formally registered with Constitutional Democratic Party ( known as the " Kadets " ) , he also joined the Muslim fraction in Duma . On March 27 , soon after the 1917 February revolution in Russia , Khoyski became a member of the Temporary Executive Committee of Muslim National Councils ( MNCs ) . During the first Musavat summit on October 26 – 31 , 1917 , Khoyski spoke in favor of autonomy for Azerbaijan . In December 1917 , he was elected a member of the newly created Transcaucasian Sejm and subsequently appointed the Minister of Justice of an independent Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic . Azerbaijan Democratic Republic . On May 28 , 1918 , the republic dissolved and an independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was proclaimed . It was the first state ever in the Muslim world to function and be based on principles of republic government . Fatali Khan was put in charge of forming the first cabinet of the republic . Khoyski served as the Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Internal Affairs . On June 17 , 1918 the second government was formed by Khoyski led by Nasib Yusifbeyli . He played a significant role in making alliance with the Turkish government , defeating and removing the Centrocaspian Dictatorship from power in Baku as well as establishing diplomatic ties with other countries as the Foreign Minister . He is also credited for establishing the Azerbaijan State University . During the period of the third government formed by Khoyski , he served as Chairman of the National Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan . During his term in office , he succeeded in removing the city names Elisabethpol and restoring the historic name of Ganja and renaming the Karyagino county to Jabrayil province , establishing a multi - party system , printing of Azerbaijani postage stamps and Azerbaijani currency Manat , founding schools and colleges teaching in Azerbaijani . In March 1919 , the third government dissolved . In January , 1920 , when the Allied Powers " de facto " recognized Azerbaijan Democratic Republic , Council of Allied Powers , Georgy Chicherin , the Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs repeatedly mailed Khoyski asking him to open a new front to confront Anton Denikin and his White movement to which Fatali Khan gave negative responses saying ADR would not meddle into internal affairs of Russia . In his fourth last correspondence , Chicherin notified Khoyski about the upcoming invasion of the 11th Red Army of Azerbaijan . Khoyski moved his family to Tbilisi before the Bolshevik Red Army invaded Baku on April 28 , 1920 . Death . Fatali - khan Khoyski was assassinated in Tiflis on June 19 , 1920 by Aram Yerganian as part of Operation Nemesis organised by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation . His burial ceremony was arranged by the Persian consulate in Tiflis .