▁and ▁Zeit un ▁to ▁encou rage ▁resistance , ▁and ▁established ▁new ▁branches ▁of ▁the ▁Social ▁Dem ocrat ▁H unch ak ian ▁Party . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁area , ▁something ▁res emb ling ▁a ▁civil ▁war ▁between ▁Armen ians ▁and ▁Muslim s ▁( in vol ving ▁Ham idi ye ▁( c aval ry )) ▁ra ged ▁for ▁months ▁before ▁being ▁brought ▁to ▁an ▁end ▁through ▁med iation ▁by ▁the ▁Great ▁Pow ers . ▁However ▁instead ▁of ▁Armen ian ▁aut onomy ▁in ▁these ▁regions , ▁Kur ds ▁( K urd ish ▁trib al ▁chief s ) ▁retained ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁aut onomy ▁and ▁power . ▁The ▁Abd ul ham id ▁made ▁little ▁attempt ▁to ▁alter ▁the ▁traditional ▁power ▁structure ▁of ▁“ segment ed , ▁agr arian ▁Kur ish ▁soci eties ” ▁– ▁ag ha , ▁sh ay k , ▁and ▁trib al ▁chief . ▁Because ▁of ▁their ▁ge ographical ▁position ▁at ▁the ▁southern ▁and ▁eastern ▁fr inge ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ▁and ▁mountain ous ▁top ography , ▁and ▁limited ▁transport ation ▁and ▁communication ▁system . ▁The ▁state ▁had ▁little ▁access ▁to ▁these ▁provinces ▁and ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁make ▁inform al ▁agre ements ▁with ▁trib al ▁chief s , ▁for ▁instance ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁q adi ▁and ▁mu ft i ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁juris diction ▁over ▁religious ▁law ▁which ▁bol ster ed ▁Kur d ish ▁authority ▁and ▁aut onomy . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁Ott oman ▁Bank ▁take over ▁was ▁perpet r ated ▁by ▁an ▁Armen ian ▁group ▁armed ▁with ▁p ist ols