Nisar Muhammad Yousafzai | |
|---|---|
| نسار محمد یوسفزی Нисор Мухаммад Юсуфзай | |
 | |
| People's Commissariat for Education | |
| In office 1926–1937 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1897 Swabi, North-West Frontier Province (now Pakistan) |
| Died | 8 October 1937 (aged 39–40) Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Communist Party of the Soviet Union Communist Party of Tajikistan |
| Awards | Order of Gallantry (Afghanistan) Hero of Tajikistan |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Emirate of Afghanistan (1919)  Soviet Union (1919–1937) |
| Branch/service | Royal Afghan Army |
| Battles/wars | |
Nisar Muhammad Yousafzai (Pashto: نثار محمد یوسفزی Russian: Нисор Мухаммад Юсуфзай; born 1897, died October 8, 1937) was an Afghan communist revolutionary and politician of Swabi who played a significant role in the creation of Tajikistan. A decorated soldier of the Third Anglo-Afghan War, Nisar would take part in a Soviet expedition in Gilan and later becoming a major advocate within Soviet politics for the creation of a Tajik SSR, Nisar would serve as Tajikistan's first Minister of Education from 1926 until his murder in 1937.
In 1919 the Third Anglo-Afghan War broke out between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the British Empire. Nisar Muhammad being an ethnic Afghan enlisted in the Afghan Army to fight the British, earning recognition for his valor and receiving the Afghan Order of Courage medal. Following the war, as Swabi came under British occupation, Muhammad found himself sentenced to death. However, he managed to escape captivity and sought refuge in Tashkent, where he assumed the name Nisor Avalovich Magomedov.[1]
In Tashkent, Nisar Muhammad became an active member of the Communist Party and advocated for the establishment of a separate Tajik state outside the larger Turkestan SSR. Alongside his like-minded friends, Muhammad published newspapers and campaigned for Tajik autonomy. Their efforts eventually bore fruit when, in 1924, the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed as part of the Uzbek SSR. This achievement marked a significant milestone toward the later formation of the Tajik SSR.[2] Nisar Muhammad's involvement in political affairs extended beyond Central Asia. In 1920, he joined a Soviet team tasked with reporting on the events unfolding in Persia (now Iran). During this mission, Muhammad provided support to the revolutionary leader Mirza Kuchak Khan, leaving an indelible mark on the struggle for independence in the region.[2][1]
In 1926, Nisar Muhammad was appointed as the People's Commissar of Education of Tajikistan, where he played a crucial role in shaping the educational landscape of the region. Additionally, he served as a Pashto language instructor at Moscow University, Nisar was fluent in multiple languages including Persian, Pashto, Russian, Uzbek, and Urdu.[2] On October 8, 1937, Nisar Muhammad was arrested on false charges by the NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs). During his interrogation, a guard struck Muhammad, triggering an altercation in which the interrogator sustained severe head injuries. In response, guards stormed the room and shot Nisar Muhammad, resulting in his untimely death.[2]
Legacy
Nisar Muhammad's legacy lives on in Tajikistan, where a street in Dushanbe, home to the Ministry of Education and Science, bears his name. In 2021, the acclaimed Tajik director Safarbek Solekh released a documentary titled "Nisar," which featured interviews with Muhammad's descendants and Tajik historians. He is described as "The son of Afghans who dedicated his life for Tajiks".[2][3]
See also
References
- 1 2 "نثار محمد پشتون که بود؟". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 2021-05-31. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Нисор Мухаммад - документальный фильм Сафарбека Солиева., retrieved 2023-06-17
- ↑ "Nisor is a film about a whole generation of heroes. Film critic tells how the tape changes the worldview". 2021.