Armenians in the Ottoman Empire

Armenians were a significant minority in the Ottoman Empire. They belonged to either the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, or the Armenian Protestant Church, each church serving as the basis of a millet. They played a crucial role in Ottoman industry and commerce, and Armenian communities existed in almost every major city of the empire. The majority of the Armenian population made up a reaya, or peasant class, in Western Armenia. Since the latter half the 19th century, the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire sought more autonomy and protection in what was part of the Armenian Question. Armenians were persecuted by Ottoman authorities and their Kemalist successors, especially from the latter half of the 19th century, culminating in the Armenian Genocide.