In 1893, about three to four thousand nomadic Kurds from the Diyarbakır area entered the Sason region. This of nomads, who customarily used the mountain meadows of the area in summer for their herds, was harmful to the sedentary Armenians. The Kurds were responsible for bringing economic ruin to the agrarian community of the Armenian villagers. They would steal livestock and demand the Armenians to pay a second tax (that is, a separate tax in addition to the one Armenians paid to the Ottoman government). When Armenians decided to challenge the Kurds, there was a fight and a Kurd was killed. Using the Kurd's death as a reason, Turkish officials allowed a Kurdish attack against the Armenians of Sason.