Armenian events around Van/Gevaş (1895-1918)

The Province of Van has hosted many civilizations throughout history in terms of its strategic location as well as its human and cultural values. Armenians were one of these civilizations. Armenians living as kingdoms and principalities in Eastern Anatolia, Cilicia and the Caucasus regions were also subject to some states. They met the Ottoman İmperial for the first time during the time of Osman Bey. During the laters sultans period, the Armenians came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire during the later sultans and lived for a long time under the name Nation Sadika. After living under Ottoman rule for a long time, Armenians, influenced by the Imperialist States, attempted to revolt against the Ottoman Empire. The Imperialist Power that most affected and supported them was Russia. Russia wanted to take care of the Armenians in order to reach the warm seas, so it constantly supported all the claims of the Armenians. The Armenian problem emerged with the 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian War and after the Ayestefanos and Berlin Treaties. Imperialist States wanted to exploit the Ottoman lands since the 19th century. Had the Nationalism Movement that developed after the French Revolution, they also benefited from non-Muslim communities living in the Ottoman lands. There Were Armenians among these non-Muslim communities. The imperialist states supported the national feelings of the Armenians and encouraged them to revolt against the Ottoman Empire. With these rebellions, many means were seized in order to revive Armenian nationalism. The schools they opened for the Armenians, the education they gave them to instill a sense of nationalism, and the Armenian committees they established were some of these tools. Upon returning to Anatolia, Armenian youth, who grew up with feelings of nationalism, started work for the independent Armenian State they wanted to establish. In this direction, they opened printing houses and tried to make the Armenian people living in Anatolia adopt the idea of nationalism with the newspapers they printed there. Armenian youth attempted to revolt with the support they received from Russia by establishing committees in Eastern Anatolia, especially Van, and forming gangs within them. Armenians especially concentrated their revolts in and around Van. The reason was that they wanted to make it the capital for the independent Armenian State they were going to establish. Armenian gangs took action from Van and started riots. In a short time, these rebellions spread to the districts and villages of Van. Gevaş and its villages also suffered from the attacks of the Armenian gangs. Gevaş and its villages were destroyed as a result of the attack of Armenian gangs and the Muslim people were massacred by various tortures.