Mahmudhoja Behbudi, a well-known playwright, publicist, public figure, one of the leaders of the Jadid movement, was born on January 19, 1875 in Samarkand.

Behbudi originally wrote textbooks for new schools.  He published several books such as "Risolai tooli savod", "Risolai geography umraniy", "Muntahabi geography", "Kitabat ul-atfol", "Practice of Islam", "History of Islam".

He wrote the drama "Padarkush".  He published the newspaper "Samarkand" (now "Zarafshon"), then the magazine "Oyna" in 1911.

 In the spring of 1919, he was captured by the people of the Bukhara Emirate in Shahrisabz, imprisoned and executed in Karshi.

 The 145th anniversary of Mahmudhoja Behbudi's birth was held in 2020.  In this regard, a statue of the great enlightener was built in the alley of Writers in Tashkent, and a house-museum was opened in Samarkand.

 According to the decree of Shavkat Mirziyoyev dated  on October 30, 2020, Behbudi was awarded the highest award of our country - the Order "For Great Services".