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The Armenakan Party (in Armenian Արմենական Կուսակցութիւն) was established in Van in 1885 by Migirdic Portakalyan (Mekertich Portukalian) [1]as an underground organization against the ruling system. It was classified as a party based on the fact that it developed a platform, a central body, and an official publication.
These are nine disciples of Portakalian who took the initiative in autumn 1885 to create the Armenakan party. These nine young people were Meguerditch Avetisian, Grigor Terlemezian, M. Baroudjian, Grigor Adjemian, Grigor Adian, Grigor Beozikian, Rouben Chatavarian, Kevork Handjian and Garegin Manoukian.
The founder of the Armenakan party, Mekertich Portukalian (from Marseilles) kept in touch with the leaders, and published a journal of political and social enlightenment, "The Armenia"[2]. Portukalian is also cited as the father of the Armenian Patriotic Society of Europe.
After Mekertich Portukalian, the Armenians of Van continued to develop the political principles behind Armenian nationalism, in secrecy. The party's aim soon became to win for the Armenians the right to rule over themselves through revolution. The party's view on how to liberate Armenia from the Ottoman Empire was through armed struggle. Its concept of revolution was distinctly low-keyed, compared with that of succeeding organisations; terror, agitation and militant demonstrations were viewed with disfavour. They wanted to use trained Armenians with arms, as guerrilla fighters, against the Ottoman Empire.
The party's main misconception was that enemies of the Ottoman Empire would intervene and rescue the Armenian people throughout the period 1885–1918.
With the turn of the century, Armenakans had cells outside Van, in other towns in the province, as well as in Trabzon and Istanbul. The military structure was developed in Russian Transcaucasia, in Persia and in the United States.
Insurency ctivities in the Ottoman Empire:
Baskale (Bashkaleh) Resistance: (May, 1889)
Defense of Van: (June, 1896)
Siege of Van: (April 19, 1915 - May 6, 1915)
In1921 the Armenakans in 1921, joining forces with other reformed splinter factions splitting from the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party and the "Sahmanadir Ramgavars" (Constitutional Democrats) and formed together the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party[3] (also known as (Armenian: Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցություն (ՌԱԿ) ) (English: Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL)) or Ramgavar Party). The majority of the membership of the Armenakan Party was absorbed into the new party. The party went on to become one of the three traditional Armenian diaspora political groupings alongside the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party.
[1] (October 21, 1848, Constantinople - 1921, Marseille) was an Armenian teacher, who founded the Armenakan party in Van, in 1885. The son of a banker in Constantinople, Portukalian became and teacher initially taught at Tokat and after a trip to Western Anatolia and the Balkans opened a school in Van in 1878. The school soon fell apart from conflict among members, and closed before the end of the year. He opened another school in 1881. This school was closed by Ottoman authorities in 1885. He was then exiled to Marseille. Having settled in Marseilles in 1885, he began the publication of the first pro-revolutionary newspaper Armenia
[2] Setting out from “Armenia” newspaper, Portakalyan’s nine students founded Armenakan Party in 1885. (See Kâmuran Gürün , Armenian Folder, page 129). This news paper was prohibited in Turkey in 1885 and in 1886 it was prohibited in Russia in 1886. The goal of the Armenakan Party was to lead the Armenians to seize the right for self-determination via revolution. This point was indicated at the party program. Only Armenians was accepted to the party. Preparing people for the armed struggle, distributing weapons, and cooperating with the other revolutionary organizations were among the goals of the party and it was only 1885. In other words, the preparations were made 20 years before the World War I. Of Course, revolutionist Hinchak Party was among the ones, which attracted attentions. This party was founded in Geneva in 1887. It was founded by well-off students, who were educating in Paris. A group from the readers of Portakalyan`s Armenia had found the party.
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[3]The Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Armenian: Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցութիւն) or the Ramgavar Party, (before 1921 known as the Armenakan party) (Armenian: Արմենական Կուսակցութիւն), also known by its Armenian initials (Armenian: ՌԱԿ ) or its English initials ADL (meaning Armenian Democratic Liberal) is an Armenian political party in Armenia and the Armenian diaspora including the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Australia. It was established as the Armenakan Party in the Ottoman Empire by Mekertich Portukalian as part of national movement in Van in 1885. The Armenakan Party was one of the first parties that was established in the Ottoman Empire by Armenian national movement.
The Armenakan Party (in Armenian Արմենական Կուսակցութիւն) was established in Van in 1885 by Migirdic Portakalyan (Mekertich Portukalian) [1]as an underground organization against the ruling system. It was classified as a party based on the fact that it developed a platform, a central body, and an official publication.
These are nine disciples of Portakalian who took the initiative in autumn 1885 to create the Armenakan party. These nine young people were Meguerditch Avetisian, Grigor Terlemezian, M. Baroudjian, Grigor Adjemian, Grigor Adian, Grigor Beozikian, Rouben Chatavarian, Kevork Handjian and Garegin Manoukian.
The founder of the Armenakan party, Mekertich Portukalian (from Marseilles) kept in touch with the leaders, and published a journal of political and social enlightenment, "The Armenia"[2]. Portukalian is also cited as the father of the Armenian Patriotic Society of Europe.
After Mekertich Portukalian, the Armenians of Van continued to develop the political principles behind Armenian nationalism, in secrecy. The party's aim soon became to win for the Armenians the right to rule over themselves through revolution. The party's view on how to liberate Armenia from the Ottoman Empire was through armed struggle. Its concept of revolution was distinctly low-keyed, compared with that of succeeding organisations; terror, agitation and militant demonstrations were viewed with disfavour. They wanted to use trained Armenians with arms, as guerrilla fighters, against the Ottoman Empire.
The party's main misconception was that enemies of the Ottoman Empire would intervene and rescue the Armenian people throughout the period 1885–1918.
With the turn of the century, Armenakans had cells outside Van, in other towns in the province, as well as in Trabzon and Istanbul. The military structure was developed in Russian Transcaucasia, in Persia and in the United States.
Insurency ctivities in the Ottoman Empire:
Baskale (Bashkaleh) Resistance: (May, 1889)
Defense of Van: (June, 1896)
Siege of Van: (April 19, 1915 - May 6, 1915)
In1921 the Armenakans in 1921, joining forces with other reformed splinter factions splitting from the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party and the "Sahmanadir Ramgavars" (Constitutional Democrats) and formed together the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party[3] (also known as (Armenian: Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցություն (ՌԱԿ) ) (English: Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL)) or Ramgavar Party). The majority of the membership of the Armenakan Party was absorbed into the new party. The party went on to become one of the three traditional Armenian diaspora political groupings alongside the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party.
[1] (October 21, 1848, Constantinople - 1921, Marseille) was an Armenian teacher, who founded the Armenakan party in Van, in 1885. The son of a banker in Constantinople, Portukalian became and teacher initially taught at Tokat and after a trip to Western Anatolia and the Balkans opened a school in Van in 1878. The school soon fell apart from conflict among members, and closed before the end of the year. He opened another school in 1881. This school was closed by Ottoman authorities in 1885. He was then exiled to Marseille. Having settled in Marseilles in 1885, he began the publication of the first pro-revolutionary newspaper Armenia
[2] Setting out from “Armenia” newspaper, Portakalyan’s nine students founded Armenakan Party in 1885. (See Kâmuran Gürün , Armenian Folder, page 129). This news paper was prohibited in Turkey in 1885 and in 1886 it was prohibited in Russia in 1886. The goal of the Armenakan Party was to lead the Armenians to seize the right for self-determination via revolution. This point was indicated at the party program. Only Armenians was accepted to the party. Preparing people for the armed struggle, distributing weapons, and cooperating with the other revolutionary organizations were among the goals of the party and it was only 1885. In other words, the preparations were made 20 years before the World War I. Of Course, revolutionist Hinchak Party was among the ones, which attracted attentions. This party was founded in Geneva in 1887. It was founded by well-off students, who were educating in Paris. A group from the readers of Portakalyan`s Armenia had found the party.
[3]The Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Armenian: Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցութիւն) or the Ramgavar Party, (before 1921 known as the Armenakan party) (Armenian: Արմենական Կուսակցութիւն), also known by its Armenian initials (Armenian: ՌԱԿ ) or its English initials ADL (meaning Armenian Democratic Liberal) is an Armenian political party in Armenia and the Armenian diaspora including the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Australia. It was established as the Armenakan Party in the Ottoman Empire by Mekertich Portukalian as part of national movement in Van in 1885. The Armenakan Party was one of the first parties that was established in the Ottoman Empire by Armenian national movement.