Armenian fedayi

History

The Armenian fedayi arose to shield Armenian villages in Western Armenia from persecution and to hinder Ottoman operations in Armenian areas. These volunteers took part in the Hamidian massacres, the Sasun Resistance of 1894, the Zeitun Rebellion of 1895–1896, the Defense of Van, and the Khanasor Expedition. They were central figures in the Armenian national movement. Their bands cut telegraph lines, seized army supplies, carried out assassinations, and launched counter-attacks on Muslim villages.

During Ottoman-led village purges, they helped Armenians defend themselves. They earned widespread Armenian support, quickly gaining fame and trust. After the Second Constitutional Era, when the Committee of Union and Progress briefly granted equal rights to Armenian citizens, fedayi activity in the Ottoman Empire faded. Most groups disbanded, and members returned home.

Key fedayi and ARF figures like Aram Manukian, Hamo Ohanjanyan, and Stepan Stepanian chose to join the Iranian Constitutional Revolution in neighboring Qajar Persia. They defined the movement as political, ideological, and economic, aiming for law, order, human rights, and the interests of all working people, believing it would benefit Armenian-Iranians. The final vote was 25 in favor and one absent. Later, a new Ottoman law required all able-bodied adult males up to age 45 to join the army or pay fees for exclusion.

This removed most men from their homes, leaving only women, children, and the elderly. Many Armenian recruits were turned into road laborers, and many were executed. The World War I genocide by the Ottoman Empire spurred the fedayi’s return, reorganizing within Ottoman borders. Tens of thousands of Armenians volunteered for various armies, and Armenian volunteer units formed within the Russian army to fight the Ottoman Empire.