Aziz Aliyev

Aziz Mammad Karim oghlu Aliyev (; 20 December 1896 – 27 July 1962) was an Azerbaijani, Dagestani, and Soviet politician, scientist, and member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was the father-in-law of Azerbaijan's President Heydar Aliyev, who married his daughter Zarifa Aliyeva, and maternal grandfather of Azerbaijan's current President Ilham Aliyev and brother of Shamama Alasgarova, who was a doctor. Early life Aziz Aliyev was born into an Azerbaijani working-class family in Hamamli (present-day Ashtarak), Armenia. While still an infant, he moved with his family to Erivan, where he soon started attending a Russian-Muslim primary school and later the Erivan gymnasium (secondary school in the Russian Imperial education system). Due to his high academic standing, he was exempt from paying for education, fortunately for his family who were in financial need. After graduating with honours, Aliyev was sponsored by philanthropist Zeynalabdin Taghiyev to enter the Russian Medical Military Academy in Saint Petersburg in 1917. Because of the October Revolution and civil unrest in the South Caucasus marked by political instability and ethnic cleansings, Aliyev had to return to Armenia in 1918 and fled with his family first to Shahtakhti (a town in Nakhchivan) and then to northern Iran. In the early 1920s he worked in aid posts in Erivan, Nakhchivan and on the southern bank of the Aras River. In 1923 he came to Baku to work in the administrative department of the Azerbaijan Council of Ministers and finish his undergraduate degree in medical studies. In 1937 he earned a Ph.D. degree in medicine. Medical career In 1928 Aziz Aliyev worked as head of the medical department of the Azerbaijan People's Commissariat (Ministry) of Health Care. In 1929 he was promoted to Deputy Minister of Health Care and director of the Azerbaijan State Clinical Institute. In 1934 he became head of the Baku Department of Health Care. In 1935 he was appointed head of the Azerbaijan Medical University. During these years he published a number of articles and textbooks, and was editor of the Azerbaijani Medical Journal. From January to May 1937 Aliyev was also rector of the Azerbaijan State University. Political career In 1938 Aziz Aliyev was elected secretary of the Azerbaijan SSR Supreme Soviet. In 1939–1941 he served as Azerbaijan Minister of Health Care.