 Stirred largely due to the inaction of the European powers in regard to Hamidian massacres, a series of mass-pogroms and massacres of Armenians instigated by the Sultan Abdul-Hamid II in reaction to a series of rebellions by Armenians against the state.The Armenian Revolutionary Federation members saw its seizure as their best attempt to bring full attention to their plight.The Ottoman Bank, at the time, served as an important financial center for both the Empire and the countries of Europe.