According to claims spread in social and traditional media, Haji Zeynalabidin Taghiyev, known as a millionaire and philanthropist, sent vaccines to the people of Pakistan to protect against the virus at the beginning of the 20th century.
In posts shared by social media users, it is reported that this information has even been included in textbooks in Pakistan.
Fakt Yoxla examined whether this claim was true.
In the social media posts, it was mentioned that as a result of Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev's help, the people of Pakistan felt sympathy towards Azerbaijan and that Pakistan has been supporting Azerbaijan for many years in various fields, especially in the conflict with Armenia.
The alliance between Azerbaijan and Pakistan is known to almost everyone. But, is the vaccine support, which is said to have been done at the beginning of the last century, really at the root of today's relations between the two countries? To clarify this question, let's first look back at history.
Pakistan was once part of the former British colony of India. Both countries declared their independence in 1947.
As for the vaccine claim, there were two major outbreaks in the territory of today’s Pakistan in the early 20th century. The first of these was the plague, the second was the Bombay Fever.
The vaccine created by Dr. Waldemar Haffkine played a key role in preventing the plague. But in open sources, there is no information about Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev sending vaccines to the area where the epidemic was spreading.
The first vaccines against Bombay Fever were developed in the 1940s. Since Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev passed away before that time, there is no need to dwell on this version anymore.
Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, the fact that Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev sent a vaccine against the epidemics that spread in the territory of today’s Pakistan is not found.
In addition, let's note that the Wikipedia page opened in the name of the Azerbaijani millionaire has not been translated into the languages used in Pakistan, nor into Hindi. This weakens the claims about Taghiyev's wide recognition in Pakistan.
Searches via Google and CrowdTangle show that no information has been published on this until April 30, 2016.
The claim that Taghiyev sent vaccines to Pakistan was first shared on April 30, 2016, by the Haji Shahin Facebook page. Haji Shahin, a well-known theologian, told Fakt Yoxla that he has nothing to do with this page that bears his name.
The screenshot was taken from the "Haji Shahin" Facebook page.
The screenshot was taken from Facebook using CrowdTangle.
Farhad Jabbarov, executive director of the National Museum of Azerbaijan History, doctor of philosophy in history, and researcher of Taghiyev's legacy, told Fakt Yoxla that no evidence was found about the fact that Taghiyev sent vaccines to Pakistan.
Fakt Yoxla concludes that the claims that Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev provided vaccine aid to Pakistan are Fake.
