Bedros Parian (; 1873 – 26 August 1896), better known by his ''

nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

'' Papken Siuni ( hy, Բաբգէն Սիւնի), was an important figure in the

Armenian national movement The Armenian national movement ( hy, Հայ ազգային-ազատագրական շարժում ''Hay azgayin-azatagrakan sharzhum'') included social, cultural, but primarily political and military movements that reached their height during Worl ...

, an

Armenian Revolutionary Federation The Armenian Revolutionary Federation ( hy, Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութիւն, ՀՅԴ ( classical spelling), abbr. ARF or ARF-D) also known as Dashnaktsutyun (collectively referred to as Dashnaks for short), is an Armenian ...

member and the leader, alongside

Karekin Pastermadjian Garegin or Karekin Pastermadjian ( classical hy, Գարեգին Փաստրմաճեան), better known by his ''nom de guerre'' Armen Garo or Armen Karo (Արմէն Գարօ; 9 February 1872 – 23 March 1923) was an Armenian activist and po ...

(Armen Garo), of the 1896 Ottoman Bank takeover.

Early life

Bedros Parian was born to a poor family of noble origins in 1873 in the village of Pingian (, now Adatepe in

Divriği Divriği (formerly Tephrike, Greek: Τεφρική) is a small town and district of Sivas Province of Turkey. The town lies on gentle slope on the south bank of the Çaltısuyu river, a tributary of the Karasu river. The Great Mosque and Hospita ...

district) near the town of Akn in the

Harput Vilayet The Vilayet of Mamuret-ul-Aziz,Vilayet of Ma'muretül'aziz, ''Redhouse Yeni Türkçe-İngilizce Sözlük'', On İkinci Basım, Redhouse Yayınevi, 1991, , p. 729, Ma'mûretü'l-Azîz, Ma'muretül Aziz or Mamûretü'l-Azîz ( Ottoman: ''Vilâyet- ...

. Early in his life, he moved to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

where he attended the

Getronagan Armenian High School Getronagan is an Armenian minority high school in the Karaköy district of Istanbul, Turkey, The school is attached to the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church. Establishment With the sponsorship of Archbishop Nerses Varjabetyan, Getronagan H ...

. In Constantinople, he became interested in revolutionary ideologies. During his time at Getronagan High School, he was arrested and served a short prison sentence. After graduating, he joined a naval institute where he found other sympathetic youth and formed an Armenian nationalist group called "Syunik". They eventually merged with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

Armenian national movement

Upon merging with the ARF, he became known for his ability to gather intelligence without being suspected and going unnoticed. On his intelligence missions, he would wear a

fez Fez most often refers to: * Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire * Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco Fez or FEZ may also refer to: Media * ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...

and peasant clothes to remain unnoticed from the Ottoman secret police and paid nationals.

Ottoman Bank takeover and Death

During the

Hamidian massacres The Hamidian massacres also called the Armenian massacres, were massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in the mid-1890s. Estimated casualties ranged from 100,000 to 300,000, Akçam, Taner (2006) '' A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide an ...

, Bedros Parian lost his parents which would make him pursue the national movement even more staunchly. The Ottoman Bank takeover was his brainchild, which he came up with after the murder of his parents. The ARF made Papken Siuni the leader of the operation. He would secure pistols, grenades and other weapons which he would personally give to his comrades who were to be involved in the operation. The night before the takeover, he gave his men a passionate speech stating in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

about the Armenian cause and how their blood would not go in vain. On 26 August 1896, Papken Siuni, alongside

and other

fedayees ''Fedayi'' (Western hy, Ֆէտայի ''Fedayi''; Eastern hy, Ֆիդայի ''Fidayi''), also known as the Armenian irregular units or Armenian militia, were Armenian civilians who voluntarily left their families to form self-defense units and ...

attacked the Ottoman Bank. Papken Siuni was part of the first wave of attackers. But before he could even go into the bank, a bullet pierced through one of the grenades attached to his chest, causing an explosion which killed him instantly. Despite his brief participation in the takeover, he is often credited as playing a big part in the takeover and the Armenian national movement.

References

{{Reflist
ARF Lebanon page
* From the Armenian: Mihran Kurdoghlian, Badmoutioun Hayots, C. hador rmenian History, volume III Athens, Greece, 1996, pg. 44. Armenian nationalists Armenians from the Ottoman Empire Siuni, Papken People from Kemaliye 1873 births 1896 deaths