For a long time, research into the history of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire was determined by the genocide that occurred during the First World War. In this volume, Elke Hartmann guides the reader to the era before this. A series of case studies sheds light on the prerequisites of historiography, and then places the 19th century Ottoman modernization efforts and the Ottoman public administration practice in a broader context. The author presents the leading actors and representatives of Armenia, their political and social decision-making scope and possibilities. Through the fate of a simple village girl, it presents the regional, imperial, trans-imperial and global projections between empires, discusses the issues of the development of Armenian identity, and finally deals with the social history of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire through family pictures. Elke Hartmann's book provides a complete overview for all those who are interested in the life of the Armenian community living in the Ottoman Empire, and through them it helps to gain a deeper understanding of the Ottoman history of Anatolia in the 19th century.