Dr. Karo Mumjian

Dr. Karo Mumdjian

Bloomsbury Academic publishing house officially announced the late Dr. Karapet K. Mumjian’s “Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Constitutionalism in the Ottoman Empire, 1895-1908” (The Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Constitutionalism in the Ottoman Empire, 1895-1908) giving light to the volume. The book is part of “Armenians in the Modern and Early Modern World” (Armenians in the Modern and Early Modern World) series, whose editor-in-chief is Dr. Petros Der Matosian (University of Nebraska, Lincoln).

What was the nature of the relations between the Young Turks, who would later establish and lead the Ittihat ve Terak (Union and Progress) party and carry out the Armenian Genocide from 1915, and the Armenian revolutionaries?

Based on a wealth of Armenian, Ottoman, British and other archival documents and periodicals, this book reveals the complex process and relationship that Armenian organizations, especially the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), maintained with the Young Turks between 1895 and 1908, when mutual suspicion gradually turned into close cooperation. Considering the deterioration of the situation of the Armenians in the eastern provinces of the empire, the volume sheds light on the internal discussions and debates of the ARF in order to improve the situation of the Armenian people. At the same time, he explains how the Armenian revolutionaries were included in the strategies and aspirations of “Ittihat” to overthrow the power of Sultan Aptul Hamit. The book thus reveals the complex and gradual development of the relations between the two sides, before the manifestation of “Ittihat”‘s overt anti-Armenian policy and the Armenian Genocide. The volume also shows the ARF’s loyalty to the constitutional program and the difficult choices the party faced on the way to pursuing those goals.

Viewed in the light of the Armenian Genocide, the cooperation of the Armenian revolutionaries and the Young Turks may seem contradictory at first glance. However, Mumjian’s study shows that the situation in 1895-1908 was much more complicated. In the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian population faced increasing violence, insecurity and administrative arbitrariness. In these conditions, the Alliance was looking for political ways to improve the condition of the Armenian people and limit the oppression of the Hamite regime. At the same time, the Young Turk movement also sought to end the one-wheeler rule of Sultan Aptül Hamit and restore the 1876 constitution. Despite the ideological differences, both sides saw public interests for a certain period of time. That is why mutual suspicion is gradually giving way to certain forms of cooperation.

One of the important contributions to the book is that it did not present the Federation as a unified and unanimous structure. Mumjian finds out the internal discussions, disagreements and strategic disputes that existed within the party. Some believed that cooperation with the Young Turks could contribute to the protection of Armenian rights and the reestablishment of constitutional order. Others were more cautious and doubted their true intentions. Thus, the book presents not only the relationship between the organizations, but also the complex decisions faced by the Armenian politicians of the time.

One of the central themes of the book is constitutionalism. Mumjian states that the Federation was deeply devoted to the idea of ​​reestablishing the constitutional order in those years. For the party, the issue was not only the protection of national rights. He also referred to the rule of law, representative governance and political participation. In this sense, the book recalls that Armenian political movements in the late Ottoman period were not only concerned with national issues. They also participated in the wider debates about the political future of the empire.

Historian Tigran Galikian, the author of the work Armenian Organization and Ideology under Ottoman Rule 1908-1914, recommends the book to be “must read” for all those trying to understand the political and security situation of the Ottoman-Armenian states before the constitutional revolution. American University of Beirut lecturer Dr. Varag Getsemanian emphasizes that the book will present a “decisive and much-needed re-evaluation” of this issue, showing how cooperation and ideological disagreement coexist between the two sides.

Dr. Petros Der Matosian will reflect on his close intellectual connection with Mumdjian, mentioning their common roots of the Marashian from the Middle East and their mutual interest in the history of Ottoman Armenians. Der Matosian Mumjian invites you to submit the manuscript of this work to the Armenians in the Modern and Early Modern World series. The work will receive a high professional evaluation, after which the processing of the text will begin. Unfortunately, Dr. Mumjian dies on March 29, 2023, before the project is completed. A year later, his widow, Nayiri Mumjian, expresses her desire to see the work published. With his encouragement and support, Dr. Der Matosian invites Dr. Mehmet Polatel to proofread and expand the original manuscript, and Dr. Tamar Boyadjian for editing and improving the text.

“Although Dr. Mumdjian did not live to see the publication of his book, but his scientific merit and memory will remain alive in the midst of this work. The book is dedicated to his widow, Nayiri, and their children, Yakob and Byurak,” says Der Matosian.

Karapet Mumjian was an independent historian and Ottoman scholar. He received his doctorate degree in 2012 from the University of California (UCLA) under Prof. Under the leadership of Richrt Yovannisian. His essay: “Struggle for the constitutional regime. “Struggling for a Constitutional Regime: Armenian-Young Turk Relations in the Era of Abdul Hamid II, 1895-1909”, examines the complex evolution of Ottoman-Armenian political relations. During his career, he was the director of the Mesrobian National School and the deputy director of the Vahan and Anoush Shamlean National School. He has also taught Armenian history at California State University Northridge (CSUN), University of La Verne, UCLA, and Glendale Community College (GCC). He also taught at the Ferahian National Secondary School and authored many textbooks on Armenian history, which continue to educate the new generations.

Today, this book is not only a historical study, but also a tribute to a historian who dedicated his life to the study of Ottoman-Armenian history.

And perhaps the greatest value of the book is that it reminds us that history is rarely black and white. It is often made up of complex choices, uncertain alliances and decisions, the consequences of which become fully visible only years later.

Copies of The Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Constitutionalism in the Ottoman Empire, 1895-1908 can be obtained from Bloomsbury’s official website and Amazon.