Bedros Parian (1873-1896) better known by his nom de guerre Papken Siuni, was an important figure in the Armenian national movement

Armenian national movement

Armenian national movement, also known as the "Armenian revolutionary movement" and Armenian national liberation movement was the Armenian national effort to re-establish an Armenian state in the historic Armenian homelands of eastern Asia Minor and the Transcaucasus...

, an Armenian Revolutionary Federation

Armenian Revolutionary Federation

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...

 member and the leader, alongside Karekin Pastermadjian

Karekin Pastermadjian

Karekin Pastermadjian , more famously known by his nom de guerre Armen Garo / Armen Karo, was one of the distinguished leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and an ambassador. He was the son of famous Armenian Haroutiun Pasdermadjian and the grandson of Khatchatour Efendi...

 (Armen Garo), of the 1896 Ottoman Bank takeover

1896 Ottoman Bank Takeover

The 1896 Ottoman Bank Takeover was the seizing of the Ottoman Bank in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire, on 26 August 1896, by members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation...

.

Early life

Bedros Parian was born in 1873 in the village of Ağın

Agin

Ağın is a town and district of Elâzığ Province of Turkey. The mayor is Mustafa Yentür . The population of the town is 1844 as of 2010.- History :...

 , the same village Siamanto

Siamanto

Atom Yarjanian , better known by his pen name Siamanto , was an influential Armenian writer, poet and national figure from the late 19th century and early 20th century. He was killed by the Ottoman authorities during the Armenian Genocide.- Life :He was born in 1878, in the town on Ağın on the...

 was from. Early in his life, he moved to Constantinople

Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...

 where he continued his studies. In Constantinople, he became interested in revolutionary ideologies. He and Ari Vardigmardig Hasgtsaragam joined a Naval institute where he found other sympathetic youth and formed with them "Syunik

Syunik

Syunik is the southernmost province of Armenia. It borders the Vayots Dzor marz to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave to the west, Karabakh to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital is Kapan. Other important cities and towns include Goris, Sisian, Meghri, Agarak, and Dastakert...

", a nationalist group. They eventually merged with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

Armenian national movement

Upon merging with the ARF, he became known for his ability to gather intelligence without being suspected and going unnoticed. On his intelligence missions, he would wear a fez

Fez (clothing)

The fez , or tarboosh is a felt hat either in the shape of a red truncated cone or in the shape of a short cylinder made of kilim fabric. Both usually have tassels...

 and peasant clothes to remain unnoticed from the Ottoman

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 secret police and paid nationals. He became a fundamental aspect of the national movement.

Ottoman Bank takeover and Death

During the Hamidian massacres

Hamidian massacres

The Hamidian massacres , also referred to as the Armenian Massacres of 1894–1896, refers to the massacring of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, with estimates of the dead ranging from anywhere between 80,000 to 300,000, and at least 50,000 orphans as a result...

, Bedros Parian lost his parents which would make him pursue the national movement even more staunchly. The Ottoman Bank takeover was his brainchild, which he came up with after the murder of his parents. The ARF made Papken Siuni the leader and mastermind of the operation. He would secure pistols, grenades and other weapons which he would personally give to his comrades who were to be involved in the operation. The night before the takeover, he gave his men a passionate speech stating in Armenian

Armenian language

The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...

 about the Armenian cause and how their blood would not go in vain.

On August 26, 1896, Papken Siuni, alongside Karekin Pastermadjian

Karekin Pastermadjian

Karekin Pastermadjian , more famously known by his nom de guerre Armen Garo / Armen Karo, was one of the distinguished leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and an ambassador. He was the son of famous Armenian Haroutiun Pasdermadjian and the grandson of Khatchatour Efendi...

 and other fedayees attacked the Ottoman Bank. Papken Siuni was part of the first wave of attackers. But before he could even go into the bank, a bullet pierced through one of the grenades attached to his chest, causing an explosion which killed him instantly. Despite his short tenure in the takeover, he is often credited as playing a big part in the takeover and the Armenian national movement.