The skills and talents of Armenians particularly shone in the Ottoman Foreign Affairs Ministry. The first Armenian of note in the diplomatic arena was Mirzaian Manouk Bey (1769-1817).
The 1859 massacres of Christians in Ottoman controlled Lebanon raised suitable anxiety in Europe. France was the first country to offer tangible assistance. It sent 10,000 troops to quell the internecine violence between the Druze and Maronite communities and to put an end to the pogroms against the Christians.
All official posts in the Ottoman government were filled by Osman Turks, other Muslim peoples and Islamized Christians, since the right to govern was the monopoly of the Muslims
Armenian economic power: A principal cause of the 1915 Genocide
When touching upon Armenian artisans in the Ottoman Empire one must naturally begin by recounting the contributions made by Armenian architects – masters of construction – those who worked brick and stone to create many of the edifices that can still be seen today in Istanbul and elsewhere. For centuries, these craftsmen contributed to many of the construction works and projects in the empire – public houses, palaces, mosques, etc.
Prior to WW I, Armenians played a pivotal role in various sectors of the Ottoman economy including foreign and domestic commerce, manufacturing, the banking sector, etc.
Subject Christian nations in the Ottoman Empire were viewed as suspect elements and thus weren’t conscripted into the ranks of the army and were not granted the permission to bear arms and most importantly
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