Alexander Kasimovich Kazembek ( or ; Azerbaijani: Aleksandr Kazımbəy or Mirzə Kazım-bəy; Persian: میرزا کاظم بیگ Mirzâ Kâzem Beg) (22 July 1802 – 27 November 1870), born Muhammad Ali Kazim-bey (Azerbaijani: Məhəmməd Əli Kazımbəy), was an orientalist, historian and philologist. He was the great-grandfather and namesake of the Mladorossi founder Alexander Kazembek.
The Cambridge History of Russia refers to him as "a Dagestani Persian of Shi‘i origin", whereas the Archival Collections of Columbia University Libraries refers to his great-grandson as born "into an old noble family of Persian (Azeri) origin". Robert P. Geraci refers to Kasimovich Kazembek as "an Azeri who converted to Christianity", whereas Brill's Christian-Muslim Relations series refers to him as born "to a prominent Iranian family from the Caucasus", whose father was an "Azerbaijani Muslim cleric". Historian and political scientist Zaur Gasimov refers to him as "Russian Orientalist of Azerbaijani origin".
Background
Alexander Kazembek's grandfather had settled in Derbent during the campaigns of Nader Shah (1736-1747), the Shah of Afsharid Iran. There, he had become the paymaster general of the Derbent Khanate. Kazembek's father, a Muslim cleric known by the name of Mirza Mohammad Qasim (also known as Hajji Kazim), was born in Derbent when the city had been taken by the Quba Khanate. On his way back from pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), he settled in Rasht in Gilan Province after marrying the daughter of the town's governor.
Life
Kazembek was born in Rasht in 1802. He was born in a time of political upheaval as Russia was expanding into Iran's territories in the Caucasus. His childhood thus coincided with the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813). During this war, Derbent was annexed by the Russians. Kazembek's family stayed in Rasht until 1811, when they moved back to Derbent. There, Kazembek's father was appointed chief judge by the Tsarist authorities. However, in 1820, Mirza Mohammad Qasim was charged with espionage on behalf of Persia, deprived of his religious title and exiled to Astrakhan along with his wife.
Kazembek completed his studies in Islam and, already fluent in Azerbaijani and Persian, also excelled in Russian, Turkish and Arabic. At the age of 17, he wrote his first book named Topics in Grammar of the Arabic Language (originally in Arabic). His father wanted him to become a Muslim scholar and was going to send him away to Persia and Arabia to master Islamic studies.
Religious views
While residing in Derbent, young Kazembek often met with Scottish Presbyterian missionaries. They would have long discussions during which he, then a devout Muslim, would try to "undeceive" his opponents. However, these discussions led to Kazembek's frequent inquiries about the principles of Christianity. He started studying Hebrew and English in order to have access to more information on this subject. In 1821, Kazembek visited his father in Astrakhan to arrange his own enrollment into foreign Islamic schools. There, he once again came across missionaries from the Edinburgh (later Scottish) Missionary Society.
Two members of that group, Dr Robert Ross MD and Mr MacPherson, who knew him as Mahommed Ali, instructed Kazembek daily in the truths of the Gospel. Living at the Mission House, he swayed from the ill treatment which his father subjected him to on account of his new belief. For, to be baptised, the emperor’s permission had to be granted, because the Greek Church wanted him to be baptised in their way, but the missionaries appealed to the emperor. So, the service was held in the Mission Chapel, which was crowded with Persians, Tartars, Russians, Armenians, English, French and Germans and conducted in three languages, namely Persian, Turkish and English. While not all understood the service, the congregation showed lively interest in the sacred services of the day.
Kazembek, who maintained his steadfastness in the faith, received instructions from the Russian government that he was expected to enter Russian service, because he had become a Christian. In this, he complied and asked to go to St Petersburg to the College of Foreign Affairs, but this was not to be, as the Government placed all those such as Kazembek far away from any further influence of Christian teaching.
Despite this fact, Kazembek was later one of the few European scholars who strongly disagreed with the view that Islam was an obstacle to social development—a stance which was common among Westerners in the nineteenth century.