Alexander Kasimovich Kazembek (1802–1870)
Born 1802 CE, died 1870 CE.
Alexander Kasimovich Kazembek (22 June 1802 or 3 August 1803 – 27 November 1870) was an orientalist, historian and philologist in the Russian Empire. Born in Rasht, Qajar Iran, Kazembek hailed from a prominent family originally based in Derbent, a city historically tied to Iran. Kazembek grew up during the tumultuous period of the Russo-Iranian war of 1804–1813, which culminated in the Russian conquest of Derbent in 1806. His father, Hajji Qasim Kazem-Beg, was appointed the principal qazi (Muslim judge) of Derbent by the Russians, and in 1811, Kazembek and his mother rejoined him there. However, after his father was accused of treason, the latter was banished to Astrakhan, where Kazembek joined him in 1821. In Astrakhan, Kazembek encountered Scottish missionaries and converted from Islam to Christianity, which led to severe opposition from his father. Despite this, he remained committed to his new faith and was baptized by the Scottish mission in July 1823. Following his conversion, Kazembek entered the compulsory Russian imperial service and later joined Kazan University in January 1826.
Text from the Wikipedia article Alexander_Kasimovich_Kazembek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.