History
The Armenian revolutionary movement, initially led by the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (est. 1887) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (est. 1890), took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This was caused by years of oppression from the Ottoman Empire, especially under the rule of sultan Abdul Hamid II. This was the period when Armenians began demanding their most basic rights and defending Armenian towns from Ottoman oppression. Certain armed Armenian patriotic groups formed to fight the Turkish oppression and defend Armenian towns from Kurdish brigands. These volunteer fighters were called fedayees. In some instances, they were successful in defending Armenian locals, earning them popular support and elevating them to the status of heroes. This environment was thus ideal for the development of Armenian patriotic songs to support these freedom fighters.
Read more about this topic: Armenian Revolutionary Songs
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