He studied for two years at the Military Medical Academy in the imperial capital Constantinople (Istanbul), but graduated instead from the Cadet Infantry School in the Russian city of Odessa in 1872.

[8][9] Following the unification, from 6 to 8 September, Mutkurov was a member of the interim provincial government presided by the Commissar of South Bulgaria, Georgi Stranski.

In the wake of a pro-Russian coup d'état aiming to dethrone Prince Alexander, Mutkurov and Stefan Stambolov organized a counter-coup which was widely supported by the population.

[12] Mutkurov was appointed by Stambolov as the commander-in-chief of the troops loyal to Prince Alexander, and soldiers from his Plovdiv garrison were transferred to the capital Sofia[1] to arrest or drive out the plotters.

Until the election of another Bulgarian monarch, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe–Coburg and Gotha, on 14 August 1887, Mutkurov was one of the three regents of Bulgaria,[1] along with Stambolov and Petko Karavelov (soon replaced by Georgi Zhivkov).

[2] Despite his active involvement in practically all major events in Bulgarian history during his lifetime, Mutkurov has been described as "very reserved and taciturn" even though he was also "honest and firm".

[22][23] Together with the other two long-serving regents of 1886–1887, Stambolov and Zhivkov, Mutkurov was one of only three persons to receive the Order of Bravery 1st grade, the oldest and highest Bulgarian military decoration.