Yildiz Attempt
Encyclopedia
Yıldız assassination attempt ' onMouseout='HidePop("1046")' href="/topics/Armenian_language">Armenian
: , translit.
: ) was an assassination attempted on Sultan Abdul Hamid II
by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
at Yıldız Mosque
on July 21, 1905 in the Ottoman
capital Constantinople
(today Istanbul
, Turkey
).
and Sultan Abdul Hamid II's had anti-Armenian
policies . Armenian resistance within the Ottoman Empire was planned by Armenian national liberation movement. The First Sassoun resistance
of 1894, the First Zeitun Resistance in 1895, the Defense of Van
in June, 1896. The 1896 Ottoman Bank Takeover
was the seizure of the Ottoman Bank
on August 26 by members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
in an effort to raise further awareness with twenty-eight armed men and women led primarily by Papken Siuni
and Armen Karo
who took over an enterprise largely employing European personnel from Great Britain
and France
.
planned the assassination attempt on the sultan to enact vengeance. Dashnak members, led by ARF founder Christapor Mikaelian
, secretly started producing explosives and planning the operation in Sofia
, Bulgaria
. During planning, the explosives were made at the improvised bomb-making factory in the village of Sablyar, near the Bulgarian town of Kyustendil
. Kristapor Mikaelian, alongside his friend Vramshabouh Kendirian, died in an accidental explosion. Despite losing the instigators of the operation, it continued as planned.
Abdul Hamid would pray every Friday at the Yildiz mosque and would usually leave around the same time each time, creating a pattern in his movement. Taking advantage of this, the ARF planned to hide timed explosives in a carriage parked outside the mosque which were to explode at the time that Abdul Hamid would leave the mosque. It was decided that Zareh, a fedayee and participant in the Ottoman Bank takeover, would drive the carriage.
. The bomb was thrown at the Sultan but he escaped injury. The bomb went off killing many with it including Zareh. The Sultan arrived a few minutes later than planned.
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
: , translit.
Romanization of Armenian
- Hübschmann-Meillet :In linguistic literature on Classical Armenian, the commonly used transliteration is that of Hübschmann-Meillet .It uses a dot above mark to express the aspirates, t῾, ch῾, č῾, p῾, k῾...
: ) was an assassination attempted on Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Abdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
at Yıldız Mosque
Yildiz Hamidiye Mosque
The Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque, also called the Yıldız Mosque , is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in Yıldız neighbourhood of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey, on the way to Yıldız Palace. The mosque was commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II, and constructed between 1884 and 1886....
on July 21, 1905 in the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
capital Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
(today Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
).
Background
The events of the Hamidian massacresHamidian massacres
The Hamidian massacres , also referred to as the Armenian Massacres of 1894–1896, refers to the massacring of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, with estimates of the dead ranging from anywhere between 80,000 to 300,000, and at least 50,000 orphans as a result...
and Sultan Abdul Hamid II's had anti-Armenian
Anti-Armenianism
Armenophobia is the fear, dislike of, hatred or aversion to the Armenians, Republic of Armenia and the Armenian culture, which can range in expression from individual hatred to institutionalized persecution...
policies . Armenian resistance within the Ottoman Empire was planned by Armenian national liberation movement. The First Sassoun resistance
Sasun Resistance (1894)
The Sassoun resistance of 1894 or also known as First Sassoun resistance was the conflict between Ottoman Empire's forces and the Armenian militia belong to Armenian national movement's Hunchak party at the Sassoun region.- Background :...
of 1894, the First Zeitun Resistance in 1895, the Defense of Van
Defense of Van
The 1896 Defense of Van or Van Rebellion was an act of self-defense by the Armenian population in Van against the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire in June 1896.- Background :...
in June, 1896. The 1896 Ottoman Bank Takeover
1896 Ottoman Bank Takeover
The 1896 Ottoman Bank Takeover was the seizing of the Ottoman Bank in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire, on 26 August 1896, by members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation...
was the seizure of the Ottoman Bank
Ottoman Bank
The Ottoman Bank was founded in 1856 in the Galata business section of İstanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, as a joint venture between British interests, the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas of France, and the Ottoman government.The opening capital of the Bank consisted of 135,000 shares,...
on August 26 by members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
in an effort to raise further awareness with twenty-eight armed men and women led primarily by Papken Siuni
Papken Siuni
Bedros Parian better known by his nom de guerre Papken Siuni, was an important figure in the Armenian national movement, an Armenian Revolutionary Federation member and the leader, alongside Karekin Pastermadjian , of the 1896 Ottoman Bank takeover.- Early life :Bedros Parian was born in 1873 in...
and Armen Karo
Karekin Pastirmaciyan
Karekin Pastermadjian , more famously known by his nom de guerre Armen Garo / Armen Karo, was one of the distinguished leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and an ambassador. He was the son of famous Armenian Haroutiun Pasdermadjian and the grandson of Khatchatour Efendi...
who took over an enterprise largely employing European personnel from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Planning
The Armenian Revolutionary FederationArmenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
planned the assassination attempt on the sultan to enact vengeance. Dashnak members, led by ARF founder Christapor Mikaelian
Christapor Mikaelian
Christapor Mikaelian also known by his noms de guerre Hellen , Topal , and Edward , was one of the three founders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation along Stepan Zorian and Simon Zavarian, also part of Armenian national liberation movement.- Early life :Christapor Mikaelian was born in the...
, secretly started producing explosives and planning the operation in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. During planning, the explosives were made at the improvised bomb-making factory in the village of Sablyar, near the Bulgarian town of Kyustendil
Kyustendil
Kyustendil is a town in the far west of Bulgaria, the capital of Kyustendil Province, with a population of 44 416 . Kyustendil is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, 90 km southwest of Sofia...
. Kristapor Mikaelian, alongside his friend Vramshabouh Kendirian, died in an accidental explosion. Despite losing the instigators of the operation, it continued as planned.
Abdul Hamid would pray every Friday at the Yildiz mosque and would usually leave around the same time each time, creating a pattern in his movement. Taking advantage of this, the ARF planned to hide timed explosives in a carriage parked outside the mosque which were to explode at the time that Abdul Hamid would leave the mosque. It was decided that Zareh, a fedayee and participant in the Ottoman Bank takeover, would drive the carriage.
Attempt
On July 21, 1905, Zareh drove the carriage in front of the mosque. He set the timer for a planned 42 seconds. Abdul Hamid failed to show up because he got caught in a conversation with the Sheikh ul-IslamSheikh ul-Islam
Shaykh al-Islām is a title of superior authority in the issues of Islam....
. The bomb was thrown at the Sultan but he escaped injury. The bomb went off killing many with it including Zareh. The Sultan arrived a few minutes later than planned.