Armenians organized a coordinated effort known as vorpahavak () that reclaimed thousands of kidnapped and Islamized Armenian women and children. Armenian leaders abandoned traditional patrilineality to classify children born to Armenian women and their Muslim captors as Armenian. An orphanage in Alexandropol held 25,000 orphans, the largest number in the world. In 1920, the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople reported it was caring for 100,000 orphans, estimating that another 100,000 remained captive.
Armenians organized a coordinated effort known as vorpahavak () that reclaimed thousands of kidnapped and Islamized Armenian women and children Armenian leaders abandoned traditional patrilineality to classify children born to Armenian women and their Muslim captors as Armenian An orphanage in Alexandropol held 25000 orphans the largest number in the world In 1920 the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople reported it was caring for 100000 orphans estimating that another 100000 remained captive