KURDISH-ARMENIANKURDISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONRELATIONSS IINN THETHE LATLATEE OTTOMANOTTOMAN EMPIRE:EMPIRE POWEPOWERR STRUCTURESSTRUCTURES ANANDD INTERACTIVINTERACTIVEE BEHAVIORBEHAVIOR bbyy BradBrad DennisDennis A thesisthesis submittedsubmitted ttoo thethe facultyfaculty ofof ThThee UniversitUniversityy ooff UtahUtah iinn partialpartial fulfillmentfulfillment ooff ththee requirementrequirementss foforr ththee degredegreee ofof MasteMasterr ooff ArtsArts IIIin MiddlMiddlee EasEastt Studies/HistoryStudies/History DepartmentDepartment ofof LanguageLanguagess andand LiteratureLiterature ThThee UniversitUniversityy ofof UtahUtah DecembeDecemberr 20082008 CopyrighCopyrightt © BraBradd DenniDenniss 20082008 AlAlll RightRightss ReservedReserved THE UNIVERSJTY OF UTAH GRADUATE SCHOOL SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVAL of a thesis subm itted by Brad R. Dennis This thesis has been read by each member of the following supervisory committee and by majority vote has been found to be satisfactory. Chair: Peter Sluglett Peter von Sivers M. Hakan Yavuz THE U N J V E R S J T Y 0 F UTAH G R A D U ATE S C 1-] 0 0 L FINAL READING APPROVAL To the Graduate Counci I of the Unive rsity of Utah: J ______ rad e s _____ have read the thesis of B_ _ _R_. D_ J_U_li_ _ in its final form and have found that (1) its format, citations, and bibliographic style are consistent and acceptable; (2) its illustrative materials including figures, tables, and charts are in place; and (3) the final manuscript is satisfactory to the supervisory committee and is ready for submission to The Graduate School. �.�� P:: Date Peter Sluglett (; Chair: Supervisory Committee Approved for the Major Department Ch�ir/Dean Approved for the Graduate Council David S. Chapman Dean of The Graduate School ABSTRACABSTRACTT WhaWhatt explainsexplains collaboratiocollaborationn andand conflicconflictt betweebetweenn KurdisKurdishh anandd ArmenianArmenian societiessocieties durinduringg ththee LatLatee OttomaOttomann periodperiod?? InIn ordeorderr ttoo answeanswerr thithiss questioquestionn thisthis thesithesiss focusesfocuses onon ththee relationshiprelationship betweebetweenn structurestructuress iinn KurdisKurdishh anandd ArmeniaArmeniann societiessocieties anandd politicalpolitical behaviorbehavior.. ThThee significancsignificancee ooff thithiss studstudyy lieslies iinn thathatt itit provideprovidess a neneww angleangle from whicwhichh toto loolookk atat ththee ArmeniaArmeniann questionquestion,, iinn relatiorelationn ttoo ththee KurdKurdss aass opposeopposedd toto onlonlyy iinn relatiorelationn toto ththee OttomaOttomann statstatee anandd GreaGreatt PowerPower,, anandd alsalsoo iinn thathatt iitt analyzeanalyzess ththee impacimpactt ooff political,political, ethnicethnic,, andand nationanationall consciousnesconsciousnesss onon groups'groups' interactivinteractivee behaviorbehavior.. InIn ordeorderr toto explainexplain conflicconflictt anandd collaborationcollaboration,, thithiss studystudy comparecomparess andand contrastcontrastss ththee socioeconomisocioeconomicc andand politicapoliticall experiencesexperiences thathatt ththee KurdKurdss anandd ArmenianArmenianss hahadd witwithh OttomanOttoman state,state, examinesexamines thethe affecaffectt ooff ththee OttomaOttomann policpolicyy oonn ththee localocall dynamicdynamicss ooff powerpower,, andand analyzeanalyzess ththee rolerole internainternall andand externaexternall politicapoliticall factorsfactors oonn interactivinteractivee behaviorbehavior.. IItt isis arguearguedd thatthat adjustmentsadjustments inin ththee traditionatraditionall powepowerr relationshiprelationship,, resultanresultantt fromfrom thethe implementationimplementation ofof variouvariouss policpolicyy changes,changes, gavgavee risrisee ttoo neneww politicapoliticall spacespacess througthroughh whicwhichh neneww socialsocial structuresstructures werweree formedformed.. ThThee competitioncompetition betweebetweenn neneww anandd oldold structuresstructures forfor powepowerr ledled somesome groupgroupss ttoo radicalizeradicalize theitheirr policiepoliciess iinn ordeorderr toto securesecure theitheirr continuecontinuedd existenceexistence.. TheThe factorsfactors thathatt determineddetermined a group'group'ss decisiodecisionn ttoo allallyy witwithh oror fight againsagainstt otheotherr groupgroupss waswas influenceinfluencedd bbyy influentiainfluentiall individualsindividuals'' interpretationinterpretationss ooff ththee politicapoliticall situationsituation andand theirtheir internainternall anandd externaexternall structures.structures. CONTENTCONTENTSS ABSTRACABSTRACTT ........................................................................................i ivv INTRODUCTIOINTRODUCTIONN ..................................................................................1 1 MethodologMethodologyy ............................................................................................................ 2 LayouLayoutt ...................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTECHAPTERR 11.. KURDISH-ARMENIAKURDISH-ARMENIANN RELATIONRELATIONSS 1839-18761839-1876:: TRANSFORMATIONTRANSFORMATION OOFF TRADITIONATRADITIONALL POWEPOWERR STRUCTURESTRUCTURESS ............................................. 9 IdentityIdentity,, StructureStructure,, anandd AgencAgencyy iinn KurdisKurdishh anandd ArmeniaArmeniann SocietieSocietiess .................... 9 ThThee Socio-EconomiSocio-Economicc GeographGeographyy ooff EasterEasternn AnatoliAnatoliaa .................................... 2020 TheThe Tanzimat anandd KurdisKurdishh SocietySociety ......................................................... 3232 BedBedrr KhaKhann ................................................... , .................................. 3434 ThThee Tanzimat anandd ArmeniaArmeniann SocietySociety ......................................................... 3939 2.2. THETHE RUSSO-TURKISRUSSO-TURKISHH WARWAR,, ITITSS AFTERMATHAFTERMATH,, ANANDD ITSITS EFFECTSEFFECTS ONON KURDISKURDISHH ANANDD ARMENIANARMENIAN SOCIETYSOCIETY 1876-18821876-1882 ............................. .4747 TheThe Russo-TurkishRusso-Turkish WarWar 1877-81877-8 .............................................................. .4848 TheThe AftermathAftermath ofof thethe War.War ................................................................... 5757 TheThe RiseRise ofof SultanSultan AbdulhamidAbdulhamid II:II: PerceptionsPerceptions ofof HimHim inin HistoryHistory ..................... 6161 EffectsEffects ofof thethe WarWar onon ArmenianArmenian andand KurdishKurdish LoyaltiesLoyalties ................................. 6464 3.3. THETHE EARLYEARLY SULTANSULTAN ABDULHAMIDABDULHAMID PERIODPERIOD 1882-1896:1882-1896: THETHE INFLUENTIALINFLUENTIAL FACTORSFACTORS OFOF CONFLICTCONFLICT BETWEENBETWEEN THETHE KURDSKURDS ANDAND ARMENIANSARMENIANS ........................................................................... 7575 ArmenianArmenian RevolutionariesRevolutionaries andand thethe KurdsKurds ................................................... 7676 ComplaintsComplaints ofof KurdishKurdish AttacksAttacks ............................................................... 818 TheThe EmergenceEmergence ofof thethe NewNew ArmenianArmenian RevolutionaryRevolutionary .................................... 8686 TheThe FormationFormation ofof thethe HamidiyeHamidiye CavalryCavalry ................................................... 9393 FromFrom TensionTension toto ConflictConflict ............................................. , ...................... 11000 0 CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION .................................................................................... 110no REFERENCESREFERENCES ............................................................................. " ..... 11511 INTRODUCTIOINTRODUCTIONN TheThe mid-1890mid-1890ss wawass ththee scenescene ooff massivmassivee violencviolencee anandd sociasociall strifestrife amonamongg andand betweebetweenn ththee KurdisKurdishh anandd AnnenianArmenian populationpopulationss ofof eastereasternn AnatoliaAnatolia.. ThroughouThroughoutt thisthis perioperiodd KurdisKurdishh tribaltribal chiefchiefss contendecontendedd amongamong eacheach otherother anandd alsoalso witwithh OttomanOttoman administratoradministratorss forfor controcontroll ofof politicapoliticall officesoffices;; KurdisKurdishh anandd ArmeniaArmeniann peasantpeasantss sufferedsuffered underunder thethe heavheavyy handhandss ofof tribatriball andand OttomaOttomann administrativadministrativee authorityauthority;; anandd KurdisKurdishh andand ArmeniaArmeniann politicapoliticall groupsgroups clashedclashed witwithh oneone anotheranother (particularly(particularly duringduring ththee 1890s)1890s) resultinresultingg inin soaringsoaring deathdeath tollstolls.. HoHoww doesdoes oneone accounaccountt forfor ththee increasedincreased conflicconflictt betweenbetween ththee ArmenianArmenianss andand KurdKurdss iinn ththee 1890s?1890s? WaWass iitt a resulresultt ofof aann insidiousinsidious governmentgovernment agendaagenda ttoo dividedivide anandd conquerconquer ththee ArmenianArmenianss andand KurdKurdss iinn ordeorderr ttoo thwartthwart ArmenianArmenian nationalisnationalistt oorr separatistseparatist aimsaims inin eastereasternn AnatoliAnatoliaa anandd dissolvdissolvee ththee controcontroll ooff ththee KurdishKurdish tribestribes,, oror wawass iitt ththee resulresultt ofof anan ArmeniaAnneniann nationalist-inducenationalist-inducedd rebelliorebellionn whicwhichh spurredspurred alreadalreadyy festerinfesteringg sociasociall