Armenians were living at North Eastern Anatolia since centuries. But since those ages, Armenians they were living under managements of bigger empires. Best estimates about the population of Armenians in 19th century, say that they were about 1,600,000 and they were not the majority in any anatolian city.
Since centuries, Armenians migrated to metropols. It is said that the Armenian community in Istanbul was about 150,000 (probably exaggeration). Monk of the Varak Monastery in Van, Krimiak mentioned national independence for the first time. That monk became the Armenian Patriarch in İstanbul in 1869. Russian Tsar Petro established contact with Armenians. Tbilisi centered Armenian newspaper Mushaf evaluated the issue of aid to the Armenians in Ottoman Empire and started to write reports mentioning that Armenians should start rebellions against Turks and should rely on Russians. First this invitation did not find responce among Armenians. But later, when Russian armies under command of Armenian generals got closer to Erzurum in June of 1877, Armenians were expecting to welcome them arms wide open. But when Turkish forces won the battle against Russian forces, they changed their idea.
Armenians in İstanbul denied that they have relationship with Russians at the begining, but when they witnessed that Bulgarian rebellion was supported by Western countries, they applied to Lord Salisbury in Istanbul during International Conference in 1876. The Turkish constitutional law that is recognized in December 1876 seemed to be satisfying for Armenians but when Russians passed over Balkans and came till Ayestefanos, Armenian patriarch Norses Varcabetyan visited Russian commander in his headquarters. The Great Duke Nikolas first welcomed him but he did not give Armenians the self-government that they asked for. After Russian Duke guarantized only the security of Armenians in the agreement for Ayestefanos, Englishes started to concern about Russian expansion using Armenia. Then they started to take counter action.
The policies that England followed barely shows that they were interested in the lands that Armenians were settled more than Armenians...
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