"Local Resistance Movement and Their Leading Members'
Mahmud Efendiyev, famously known as “Shtug Mahmud,” was born in 1875 in the village of Shtug, in what is now Dagestan’s Gurah region. His pseudonym, “Shtug,” was derived from the name of his birthplace. Mahmud’s father, Haji Gasim, was a well-known cleric and scholar who had made several pilgrimages to Mecca. His mother, who studied at the Isli Ali Madrasa, was also well-educated and had made several translations from Arabic. She was known as a “scientist’s pillar” in her own right. The strong support of Haji Gasim and Isli, who encouraged their children in both religious and secular sciences, played a significant role in shaping Mahmud’s future.
Mahmud, who became well-known for his knowledge and abilities, served as a judge in the Southern Court of Southern Dagestan. In 1924, when the Sharia courts were replaced by People’s Courts, Mahmud briefly served as the chairman of the district court.
In 1918, Mahmud went to Guba with the renowned Lezgi leader Haji Efendi and participated in battles in Bloody Valley against the Armenian Dashnaks. He commanded a group of 200 fighters, and some of the combatants remembered him as “Lezgi Mahmud.”
