View source for Social Democrat Hunchakian Party

{{Redirect|Hunchak|the journal|Hunchak (journal)}}
{{refimprove|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
| native_name      = {{Nobold|{{Lang|hy|Սոցիալ Դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան Կուսակցություն}}}}
| country          = Armenia
| abbreviation     = Henchag (SDHP)
| country2         = Lebanon
| logo             = Social Democrat Hnchakian Party logo.png
| colorcode        = {{party color|Social Democrat Hunchakian Party}}
| leader1_title    = Central Committee (Global) Chairman
| leader1_name     = Dr. Harry Hampartzoum Sarafian<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.primeminister.am/hy/press-release/item/2021/08/10/Nikol-Pashinyan-meeting-SDHK/|title=Պատրաստակամ ենք Ձեզ հետ համագործակցելու բոլոր ոլորտներում՝ Սփյուռքի մեջ և հայրենիքում. ՍԴՀԿ պատվիրակությունը՝ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանին|website=www.primeminister.am}}</ref>
| leader2_title    = Executive Committee Chairman - Armenia
| leader2_name     = Sedrak Achemyan<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.azatutyun.am/a/32042824.html|title=Փաշինյանը հանդիպել է արտախորհրդարանական քաղաքական ուժերի ղեկավարներին|first=«Ազատություն»|last=Ռ/Կ|date=September 20, 2022|via=www.azatutyun.am}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.primeminister.am/en/press-release/item/2021/06/25/Nikol-Pashinyan-Sedrak-Achemyan/|title=Nikol Pashinyan meets with SDHK Chairman Sedrak Achemyan|website=www.primeminister.am}}</ref>
| leader3_title    = Founders
| leader3_name     = [[Avetis Nazarbekian]], [[Mariam Vardanian]], [[Gevorg Gharadjian]], [[Ruben Khan-Azat]], Christopher Ohanian, [[Gabriel Kafian]] and Manuel Manuelian
| founded          = August 1887
| headquarters     = [[Yerevan]], [[Armenia]]
| newspaper        = ''see [[Social Democrat Hunchakian Party#Party publications|Party publications]]''
| youth_wing       = [http://gaidz.org/ Gaidz Youth Organization]
| membership       = 20,000+ <small>(in Armenia)</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tert.am/am/news/2012/03/15/kusakcakakan-hayastan/459790|title=Յուրաքանչյուր երկրորդ չափահաս հայաստանցին կուսակցակա՞ն|website=www.tert.am}}</ref>
| ideology         = [[Social democracy]]<br>[[Armenian nationalism]]<br>[[Pro-Europeanism]]
| position         = [[Centre-left politics|Centre-left]]
| national         = [[March 14 Alliance]] <small>(in Lebanon; 2005-2016)</small>
| international    = None, formerly [[Second International]]
| native_name_lang = hy
| seats1_title     = [[National Assembly of Armenia]]
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|0|107|{{party color|Social Democrat Hunchakian Party}}}}
| seats2_title     = [[Parliament of Lebanon]]
| seats2           = {{Composition bar|0|128|{{party color|Social Democrat Hunchakian Party}}}}
| website          = 
}}
{{History of Armenia|expanded=age4}}

The '''Social Democrat Hunchakian Party''' ('''SDHP''') ({{langx|hy|Սոցիալ Դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան Կուսակցություն; ՍԴՀԿ|translit=Sots’ial Demokrat Hnch’akyan Kusakts’ut’yun}}), is the oldest continuously-operating [[Armenia]]n [[political party]], founded in 1887 by a group of students in [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]]. It was the first [[socialist]] party to operate in the [[Ottoman Empire]] and in [[Iran]], then known as Persia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hunchak.org.au/aboutus/historical_turabian.html|title=Social Democrat Hunchakian Party|website=www.hunchak.org.au}}</ref> Among its founders were [[Avetis Nazarbekian]], [[Mariam Vardanian]], [[Gevorg Gharadjian]], [[Ruben Khan-Azat]], Christopher Ohanian, [[Gabriel Kafian]], and Manuel Manuelian. Its original goal was attaining Armenia's independence from the Ottoman Empire during the [[Armenian national liberation movement]].<ref>Lebanon a Country Study By Federal Research Division - Page 185</ref>

The party is also known as '''Hentchak''', '''Henchak''', '''Social-Democratic Hentchaks''', '''Huntchakians''', '''Hnchakian''', '''Henchags''', and its name is taken from its newspaper ''[[Hunchak (journal)|Hunchak]],'' meaning "clarion" or "bell". This is taken by party members to represent "a call or awakening, for enlightenment and freedom".

==History==
All seven founders of the party were [[Eastern Armenia]]n [[Marxist]] students who had left [[Russian Armenia]] to further their education in various universities of [[Western Europe]]. They were young, in their twenties, and supported by their affluent bourgeois families. They were influenced by social-democratic revolutionary ideology, contacted [[Frederick Engels]], [[Georgi Plekhanov]], and later [[Vladimir Lenin]]. Mariam Vardanian had worked with Russian revolutionaries in [[Saint Petersburg]]. For the purpose of furthering revolutionary activity in [[Turkish Armenia]], they formed the Hunchakian Revolutionary Party in August, 1887. The party's manifesto, printed in the first issue of ''Hunchak'' journal, contained this slogan: "Those who cannot attain freedom through revolutionary armed struggle are unworthy of it".<ref>Chalabian, Antranig. General Andranik and the Armenian Revolutionary Movement. Southfield, Michigan: Antranig Chalabian, 1988. {{ISBN|0-9622741-1-9}}, p. 58</ref>
[[File:ArdzivgroupHunch.jpg|thumb|left|Hunchakian ''Ardziv'' fedayi group]]
The Hunchak party fought many battles against the Ottoman Empire, to free the Armenian people from Turkish rule. During this period, many famous intellectuals joined Hunchakian party, including [[Smpad Piurad]], [[Stepan Sapah-Gulian]], [[Alexander Atabekian]], [[Atrpet]], and [[Aram Andonian]]. One of Armenia's famous national heroes [[Andranik Ozanian]], at first, joined the Hunchak party,<ref>''[[Andranikological Review]]'', Yerevan, #1 (3), 2003, p. 7.</ref> but disagreement with party policies led Andranik to leave the Hunchak ranks within less than a year, to join the [[Armenian Revolutionary Federation|Dashnaktsutyun]] party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wilson.engr.wisc.edu/|title=David Wilson's Homepage|website=wilson.engr.wisc.edu}}</ref>

In the early days of the formation of Armenian political powers, the Dashnaktsutyun sought "reforms within the framework of the Ottoman Empire", while the Hunchakian party favored an independent Armenian state.<ref>The Armenian Genocide in Perspective, by Richard G. Hovannisian, Transaction Publishers, 2009 – p.</ref> ''[[Hunchak (journal)|Hunchak]]'' was the official organ of Hunchakians. In 1894, in [[Athens]] and [[London]], the party published a socialist scientific monthly, ''Gaghapar'', which for the first time published "[[The Communist Manifesto]]" in Armenian, translated by Avetis and Mariam Nazarbekians. The First General Conference of Hunchakian party took place in London, in September 1896.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

In the [[Caucasus]], the Hunchakian party has also played a prominent role, it combated the Russification policy of Viceroy [[Grigory Golitsyn]], the Russian governor of Caucasus. In 1903, [[Paramaz]] organized the assassination attempt of [[Grigory Golitsyn]]. Paramaz was also one of the organizers of the self-defense troops during the Armenian-Tatar massacres of 1905–06.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

The Hunchakian party was also active in the international socialist movement, and was represented at the 1904 congress of the [[Second International]] by Plekhanov.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nalbandian |first1=Louise |title=The Armenian Revolutionary Movement: The Development of Armenian Political Parties through the Nineteenth Century |date=September 2018 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn=9780520303850 |page=211n |language=English}}</ref>

During the [[Russian Revolution of 1905]], the support of the Hunchakian party, along with the predominantly [[Azerbaijanis|Azeri]] [[Muslim Social Democratic Party|Hummet]] party, permitted the [[Bolsheviks]] to seize the leadership of the strike committee that oversaw the {{ill|Baku oilfield strike|ru|Бакинская стачка (1904)}}.<ref>{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Stephen A. |author-link=Stephen Smith (historian) |date=2018 |title=[[Russia in Revolution|Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis, 1890 to 1928]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |page=50 |isbn=9780198734833}}</ref>

===Activities in the Ottoman Empire===
On 27 July 1890, Hunchakian activists [[Harutiun Jangülian]], [[Mihran Damadian]], and [[Hambartsum Boyajian]] headed [[Kum Kapu Affray]] in [[Constantinople]], which demanded the implementation of reforms in the [[Western Armenia]]n provinces. 
In the early 1890s, frequent clashes between the Armenian inhabitants of [[Sason]] and the Ottoman forces took place because of Sassontsis' refusal to pay retroactive taxes to the Ottoman government.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}
[[File:Hunchak leaders hung.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Hunchakian leaders hanged during the [[Armenian genocide]]]] In 1894, [[Sasun Resistance (1894)|Sasun Resistance]] was organized by the Hunchak party under the leadership of [[Mihran Damadian]], [[Hambartsum Boyajian]], [[Kevork Chavush]], and [[Hrayr Dzhoghk]].

In 1913, Hunchakian leader Paramaz participated in the 7th Conference of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party in [[Constanta]], where he represented the idea of the assassination of [[Ittihad]] leaders. But on 15 June 1915, Paramaz with [[20 Hunchakian gallows|19 other his comrades]] were hanged in the central square of Constantinople.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

{{See also|Armenian rebellions in the Ottoman Empire}} 
*[[Zeitun Rebellion (1895-1896)|Zeitun rebellion (1895–96)]] (October 1895 – January 1896)
*[[Defense of Van (1896)|Defense of Van]]: (June, 1896)
*[[Khanasor Expedition]]: (July 25, 1897)
*[[Zeitun Resistance (1915)|Zeitun Resistance]]: (August 30, 1914 – December 1, 1914 and March 25, 1915)
*[[Defense of Van (1915)|Siege of Van]]: (April 19, 1915 – May 6, 1915)
*[[Shabin-Karahisar uprising]]: (June 2, 1915 – June 30, 1915)

===First Republic of Armenia===
The party also played a role in the establishment of the [[First Republic of Armenia]], as party members took part in the [[Battle of Sardarapat]] in 1918, which defended the Armenian capital [[Yerevan]] from the [[Ottoman Army of Islam|Army of Islam]] of the Ottoman Empire.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

===Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic===
After the takeover of the Armenian communists of power in Armenia in 1921 and dissolving of the Democratic Republic of Armenia, and the declaration of the [[Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic]], all political parties apart from the [[Armenian Communist Party]] were forbidden. Thus the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, alongside all the other Armenian traditional political parties, effectively became a party of the [[Armenian diaspora]] only.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

But the party remained in general a supporter of the development of the Armenian SSR for many decades, in sharp contrast to the [[Armenian Revolutionary Federation]] (ARF) that remained opposed to the Communist regime in Armenia. This resulted at many times in feuds and rifts between the Hunchaks and the Dashnaks in many centers of the Armenian diaspora, a situation becoming worse with religious differences, with the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party supporting [[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]] of the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] and the ARF supporting the [[Holy See of Cilicia]]. In these conflicts, the [[Armenian Democratic Liberal Party]] (ADL) was seen as a political ally on the side of the SDHP and in opposition to the ARF.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

===Independent Armenia===
Following Armenia's independence from the [[Soviet Union]] in 1991, Yeghia Najarian, headed the SDHP organization in Armenia and founded the "Hnchak Hayastani" official organ. In the early 1990s, the party took part in the self-defense of [[Syunik Province|Zangezur]] (''Paramaz'' battalion) and the [[Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]] (''Jirair-Mourad'' battalion led by Gevorg Guzelian). The party also remains active throughout the [[Armenian Diaspora]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

On 12 May 2024, members of the central committee of the party met with [[Armenian President]] [[Vahagn Khachaturyan]] in [[Los Angeles]] and discussed relevant political issues such as the demarcation of the [[Armenia–Azerbaijan border]] and cooperation with the Armenian diaspora in the [[Armenian Americans|United States]].<ref name="Khachaturian">{{cite web |title=Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturian Received a Delegation of the Central Committee of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party |url=https://massispost.com/2024/05/armenian-president-vahagn-khachaturian-received-a-delegation-of-the-central-committee-of-the-social-democrat-hunchakian-party/ |website=MassisPost |access-date=12 May 2024}}</ref> The central committee concluded the meeting by reaffirming their readiness to support Armenia's statehood and advance national priorities.<ref name="Khachaturian" />

===Activities in Lebanon===
In the 1950s, the party clashed, sometimes violently, with the [[Armenian Revolutionary Federation|Dashnak Party]], due to tensions that escalated when the ARF elected Bishop Zareh as [[Zareh I]], [[Catholicos of Cilicia]], a move that was rejected by the Hunchaks. This period was characterized by an escalation of conflict between the ARF on one side, and the SDHP and the ally ADL (Ramgavars) on the other side.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

In the midst of increasing [[sectarian strife]] in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which led to the [[Lebanese Civil War]], however, Lebanon's Armenian community began to close ranks, and in 1972, the Hunchakian Party ran a joint ticket with the Dashnaks. In 2000, the Hunchakian Party joined forces with [[Rafik Hariri]]'s [[Future Movement]], which swept the city of [[Beirut]]. SDHP Central Committee Member Dr [[Yeghia Jerejian]] was a member of [[Lebanese Parliament]] for many years.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

The party subscribes to a [[socialism|socialist]] ideology and advocates for a [[planned economy]] in Lebanon. The party competes for the six seats reserved for ethnic [[Armenians]] in the [[National Assembly of Lebanon]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

==Ideology==
The party declares itself as a national social democratic party. The party advocates for free education and healthcare, the promotion of [[Human rights in Armenia|human rights]] and equality, maintaining a strong [[democracy]], protecting the [[Environmentalism|environment]], and creating a decentralized [[social economy]]. The party also supports the unification of [[Republic of Artsakh|Artsakh]] with Armenia.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://xn--y9a2abyp.xn--y9a3aq/first|title=Սոցիալ-Դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան Կուսակցություն|first=Alen|last=Gevorgyan|website=xn--y9a2abyp.xn--y9a3aq}}</ref>

In terms of foreign policy, the party supports Armenia developing closer [[European integration|cooperation]] within [[Europe]]an structures, and developing closer ties with [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Iran]], [[China]], and [[Japan]].<ref name="auto"/> On 28 November 2023, the party announced its support for Armenia to join the [[European Union]] and to reduce its dependency on [[Russia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N8OKtpqats|title=RA should aim to become a member of the EU, to guarantee our development. Diaspora will support. We are not forever dependent on Russia. Hambik Sarafyan|website=youtube.com}}</ref>

==Electoral record==
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |[http://www.parliament.am/parliament.php?id=parliament&lang=eng MPs in the Armenian National Assembly (since 1990)]
|-
|
* Norair Iskhanian (1990–1995)
* Mekhak Mkhitarian (1990–1995)
|
* Rafael Melkonian (1990–1995)
* Yeghia Natcharian (1995–1999)
|}

The party was a previous member of the [[Armenian National Congress]]. Prior to the [[2021 Armenian parliamentary election]], the party announced that it would nominate 4 members to run in the elections under the [[Democratic Party of Armenia]]'s electoral list. Following the election, the Democratic Party of Armenia won just 0.39% of the popular vote, failing to win any seats in the National Assembly.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.evnreport.com/elections/armenia-s-june-2021-parliamentary-election-the-essential-primer |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603161730/https://www.evnreport.com/elections/armenia-s-june-2021-parliamentary-election-the-essential-primer |archive-date=2021-06-03 |title=Armenia's June 2021 Parliamentary Election: The Essential Primer}}</ref> As such, the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party does not have any representation within the [[National Assembly of Armenia]] and currently acts as an [[extra-parliamentary]] force.

In June 2023, the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party and the [[European Party of Armenia]] formed an electoral alliance, known as [[Dignified Yerevan]]. The alliance nominated [[Karen Sargsyan (sociologist)|Karen Sargsyan]] as its candidate for the position of [[Mayor of Yerevan]] in [[Yerevan City Council|municipal]] [[2023 Yerevan City Council election|elections for September 2023]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://factor.am/660097.html|title=Սոցիոլոգ Կարեն Սարգսյանը՝ Երևանի քաղաքապետի թեկնածու &#124; Ֆակտոր տեղեկատվական կենտրոն}}</ref> The alliance, however, dissolved in August 2023 prior to the elections.

==Affiliate organizations==
The Hunchakian party has established affiliate organizations such as the [[AEBU]] which is an organization that helps with educational, health and social care, the [[Dekhrouni Student & Youth Association]] (founded in 1952, in [[Beirut]]), the [[Gaidz Youth Organization]] (founded in 1910, in [[Constantinople]]), [[Nor Serount Cultural Association]] (founded in 1954, in Beirut), and HMM ([[Homenmen]]) which is an independent sporting organization but strongly affiliated with the SDHP (not to be confused with [[Homenetmen]] considered largely affiliated with the [[Armenian Revolutionary Federation|ARF]]).

==Party publications==
[[File:Front page of ARF newslatter second quarter in 1914.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hunchak journal]]
''[[Hunchak (journal)|Hunchak]]'' (also ''Hnchak'', ''Hentchak'', "Bell" in Armenian) was the official organ of the party. It was founded by [[Avetis Nazarbekian]] and published originally in Geneva and later in [[Montpellier]] and [[Paris]] (France), [[Greece]], [[London]], and [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]] (United States), 1887–1915, 1935–1940. The main purpose of the paper was a propaganda organ of the Armenian national movement for the liberation, the resistance in [[Western Armenia]]n regions. ''Hunchak'' also supported the ideology of social-democracy and worker's consolidation.

Present-day party publications include:
*''[[Ararad (daily)|Ararad]]'' daily newspaper published in [[Beirut]], [[Lebanon]]
*''[[Tchahagir]]'' weekly published in [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]]
*''[[Massis (weekly)|Massis]]'' weekly and the online ''[https://MassisPost.com MassisPost]'' published in [[Los Angeles]]
*''Nor Serounti Tsayn'' (Voice of the New Generation - Nor Serount) published in [[London]], UK
*''Zank'' Armenian journal, Australia
*''Loussapatz, published monthly from [http://www.norserount.ca/ Nor Serount Toronto]'', [[Canada]]

==Recent developments==
The party's 20th General Conference took place in September 2013, in Yerevan and [[Tsaghkadzor]], with the participation of delegates from 17 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://armtoday.info/default.asp?Lang=_Ru&NewsID=96724|title=Партия Гнчакян считает недостаточным прогресс в деле укрепления демократии Armenia Today, 20.09.2013}}</ref>

The party's 22nd General Conference took place in September 2022, in Yerevan (coinciding with the 135th anniversary of the party's founding), with the participation of delegates from 14 countries.<ref name="22th General Conference">{{Cite web|url=https://massispost.com/2022/10/declaration-of-the-22nd-congress-of-social-democrat-hunchakian-party/|title=Declaration of the 22nd Congress of Social Democrat Hunchakian Party • MassisPost|date=October 9, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iravaban.net/398914.html|title=ՍԴՀ կուսակցությունն իր երկարամյա գործունեությամբ ծառայել է մեր ժողովրդին․ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի շնորհավորական ուղերձը}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.president.am/en/press-release/item/2022/09/23/President-Vahagn-Khachaturyan-met-with-Hambik-Sarafian/|title=President Khachaturyan received the SDHP Central Committee members - Press releases - Updates - The President of the Republic of Armenia|website=www.president.am}}</ref>

==Prominent members==
*[[Aghasi (Karapet Ter-Sargsian)]]
*[[Alexander Atabekian]]
*[[Aram Achekbashian]]
*[[Avetis Nazarbekian]]
*[[Ghazaros Aghayan]]
*[[Girayr]]
*[[Kegham Vanigian]]
*[[Mari Beyleryan]]
*[[Medzn Mourad]]
*[[Paramaz]]
*[[Sargis Mubayeajian]]
*[[Sarkis Dkhrouni]]
*[[Smpad Piurad]]
*[[Stepan Sapah-Gulian]]
*[[Shushanik Kurghinian]]

==See also==
{{Portal|Politics|Socialism}}
*[[Armenian Democratic Liberal Party]]
*[[Programs of political parties in Armenia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last1=Der Matossian |first1=Bedross |author1-link=Bedross Der Matossian |title=The Armenian Social Democrat Hnchakian Party: Politics, Ideology and Transnational History |date=2023 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-0-7556-5137-5 |language=en}}

==External links==
*[https://www.facebook.com/SDHPArmenia/ Social Democrat Hunchakian] on Facebook
*[http://www.sdhpcyprus.com/ Cyprus Branch]
*[http://www.hunchak.org SDHP Lebanese Branch]
Associate organizations:
*[http://www.homenmen.org/ Armenian Athletic Association Homenmen]
*[http://www.gaidz.org/ Gaidz Youth Organization]
*[http://www.norserount.org/ Nor Serount Cultural Association]
Media:
*[http://www.araraddaily.org/ Ararad daily newspaper, party organ in Lebanon]
*[http://www.massisweekly.com/ Massis Weekly, official party organ, Western USA]
*[http://www.MassisPost.com/ Massis Post, is a daily online publication of Massis Weekly]

{{Armenian political parties}}
{{Armenian nationalism}}
{{Ottoman Empire political parties}}
{{Lebanese political parties}}
{{Iran defunct parties}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Social Democrat Hunchakian Party| ]]
[[Category:1887 establishments in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Armenian nationalism]]
[[Category:Armenian political parties in Lebanon]]
[[Category:March 14 Alliance]]
[[Category:Nationalist parties in Armenia]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1887]]
[[Category:Political parties in Qajar Iran]]
[[Category:Political parties in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Political parties in Armenia]]
[[Category:Political parties in Lebanon]]
[[Category:Pro-European political parties in Armenia]]
[[Category:Second International parties]]
[[Category:Social democratic parties in Armenia]]
[[Category:Social democratic parties in Lebanon]]
[[Category:Socialism in the Ottoman Empire]]