How did Armenian merchants and artisans become prominent in Ottoman cities?

While the majority of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were poor peasants, a segment of the population achieved prominence as merchants and artisans through their active involvement in international trade during the 17th and 18th centuries. This engagement facilitated the establishment of significant Armenian communities in Istanbul and various other Ottoman port cities, extending their commercial networks as far as Europe and India.1

Beyond general trade, a small number of Armenian families attained influential positions in banking, commerce, and government service. For instance, the Balian family served as the chief architects of the Ottoman court for several generations during the 18th and 19th centuries. This success was supported by the millet system, which granted non-Muslim minorities a degree of administrative and social autonomy, allowing them to manage their own communal affairs. However, the visibility and influence of this cosmopolitan elite eventually became a source of resentment and suspicion among the Muslim population, contributing to the broader tensions that characterized the late 19th and early 20th centuries.12