▁were ▁called ▁Mu h ac ir ▁under ▁a ▁general ▁definition . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁came ▁to ▁an ▁end ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁urban ▁population ▁of ▁Turkey ▁was ▁desc ended ▁from ▁Muslim ▁refuge es ▁from ▁Russia . ▁Crime an ▁T atar ▁refuge es ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁played ▁an ▁especially ▁notable ▁role ▁in ▁seeking ▁to ▁modern ise ▁Turkish ▁education . ▁ ▁Armen ians , ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁▁ ▁In fl uen ced ▁by ▁the ▁Age ▁of ▁En light en ment ▁and ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁national ism ▁under ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁national ▁liber ation ▁movement ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 6 0 s . ▁The ▁factors ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁its ▁emer gence ▁made ▁the ▁movement ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁B alk an ▁nations , ▁especially ▁the ▁Gree ks . ▁The ▁Armen ian ▁él ite ▁and ▁various ▁milit ant ▁groups ▁sought ▁to ▁improve ▁and ▁defend ▁the ▁mostly ▁rural ▁Armen ian ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁eastern ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁from ▁the ▁Muslim s , ▁but ▁the ▁ult imate ▁goal ▁was ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁an ▁Armen ian ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁Armen ian - pop ulated ▁areas ▁controlled ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁by ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁▁ 1 8 6 1 – 1 8 7 6 ▁Abd ü laz iz ▁▁ ▁Abd ü laz iz ▁continued ▁the ▁T anz imat ▁and ▁Is la hat ▁re forms . ▁New ▁administrative ▁districts