Biography of Dr. Javad Qazi
Javad Qazi, son of Haji Sheikh Jalal and Piroze Khanum, was born in 1260 Solar Hijri (1881 AD) in the city of Mahabad. From early childhood until the age of 22, he studied Islamic religious sciences under the scholars of his time at the Sha Darwish Mosque madrasa. Alongside his religious studies, he learned English from American missionaries stationed in Mahabad. In 1282 Solar Hijri (1903 AD), he completed his religious education and obtained his license to serve as a cleric (ijazah). That same year, Oskar Mann, the renowned German Orientalist, arrived in Mahabad after spending several years in Lorestan researching and collecting data on Luri culture. He intended to continue his research on Kurdish culture and traditions. Recognizing Javad Qazi’s proficiency in English and his background in a literary family with a rich history of poetry, Oskar Mann selected him as his research collaborator. Thanks to Javad's expertise and talent, Oskar Mann managed within a few months to collect a treasure trove of Kurdish oral literature through oral accounts. For the first time, Kurdish beyt, heyran, and lawik (traditional oral narrative forms) were transcribed and compiled into a rich volume titled Tuhfa-yi Muzaffariyya (The Muzaffari Gift). After completing his work in Mahabad a year later, Oskar Mann invited Javad to go to Germany with him to pursue higher education. Young Javad, eager to learn, immediately accepted the offer and traveled to Germany with him. In 1904, he settled in Berlin and began studying the German language at the city's university. Upon completing his language studies, he was admitted to the Faculty of Law, where he pursued his studies up to the doctoral level. According to Iranian historians, Dr. Javad Qazi was the first person from the Middle East to earn a doctorate in law from a European university. Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh obtained the same degree in Switzerland a year after him. In addition to his religious and academic training, Dr. Javad possessed a soulful and authentic Kurdish singing voice. The earliest recorded audio of a Kurdish song features Dr. Javad's voice, recorded at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Berlin, where this gramophone record is still preserved. In 1913, after receiving his doctorate in law, Dr. Javad began working at the Iranian Consulate in Berlin, serving as its head for two years. That same year, he married Beata, the daughter of a German admiral, though they had no children. In 1307 Solar Hijri (1928 AD), Dr. Javad divorced Beata and returned to Iran at the invitation of Dr. Ali-Akbar Davar, the Minister of Justice at the time, to assist in drafting Iran’s civil code. Upon returning, he settled in Tehran and remarried. Dr. Javad brought his nephew, Mohammad, to Tehran, raised him as his own son, and sent him to the University of Tehran to study. After earning his bachelor's degree in law, Mohammad joined the Ministry of Justice. Mohammad later became Iran's most renowned translator, translating over 110 books from French into Persian, earning the title "Master of Iranian Translation." Despite spending decades abroad and away from his homeland, Dr. Javad remained deeply committed to his people and motherland. He made every effort to guide and support young men and women seeking knowledge so they could study in advanced countries around the world. Notable among them were Dr. Mustafa Shawqi Qazi, Dr. Habib Ismailzadeh Mukri, Dr. Hassan Ayazi Asl, Mohammad Qazi, and several other Kurdish youths. Dr. Javad Qazi passed away in Tehran in 1315 Solar Hijri (1936 AD) at the age of 55 and was buried in the same city. Sources: Notables of Mahabad (by Dr. Ahmad Ahmadiyan) Statesmen of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Qajar Era (by Dr. Momtahan al-Dowleh Qashqai) History of the Qazi Family (by Khalil Fattah Qazi) Compiled and revised by Naser Qazi.
