European Kingdoms

Asens of Bulgaria / Second Bulgarian Empire
AD 1185 - 1280

Eastern Europe All Modern States Baltic Tribes Caucasus Slavic Tribes The Rus / Old Russia

The seventh century AD '(First) Bulgarian Kingdom' largely prospered during the eighth and ninth centuries, following a mass migration from the eastern Pontic steppe. It gradually solidified into a medieval state, expanding outwards to occupy much of the Balkans.

Subsequent anarchy in the Eastern Roman empire during the tenth century allowed the ruling prince, Simeon, to besiege Constantinople in 913 until its internal struggle to find a new emperor also resulted in Simeon himself being accepted as emperor of the Danubian Bulgarians. His kingdom was now raised to become the '(First) Bulgarian Empire'.

Simeon's empire was successful, expanding even further and bringing the early Serb state under his direct control. When Pannonia's recently-arrived Magyars began venturing southwards to raid into Bulgaria, he tamed them too, settling friendly groups on the northern bank of the Danube.

The Kievan Rus proved a far more difficult prospect, however. Bulgaria seemed to be at a loss when it came to defeating them, so Simeon's second successor, Boris II, was left with no choice but to ally himself with them. Disaster followed, with a Eastern Roman-Rus war being fought out around the Bulgarian capital, destroying it and seeing Boris captured. The empire was ended.

With much of Bulgaria now under Eastern Roman control, only the west remained independent. Bulgarian governors still maintained control there, most notably under a noble family which was led by four brothers. They were the Cometopuli, the 'sons of the count', and they ruled in the name of the captive Tsar Boris.

While initially successful at establishing a firmly independent Bulgaria state, largely located in what is now Serbia, they later descended into dynastic squabbling and the state was conquered in 1018. Subsequent rebellions against Eastern Roman control failed to do much more than extend the bloodshed, with the last of those rebellions failing in 1073.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from The Bulgarians: from pagan times to the Ottoman conquest, David Marshall Lang (Westview Press, 1976), from The Turks in World History, Carter Vaughn Findley (Oxford University Press 2005), from The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade, Susan Wise Bauer (2010), from An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples, Peter B Golden (1992), from The Despotate of Epiros, Donald McGillivray Nicol (Blackwell & Mott, 1957), and from External Links: Bulgaria (Worldstatesmen), and Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Encyclopaedia Iranica, and the Turkish Cultural Foundation.)

1185 - 1196

State recognised by Eastern Romans (1187). Murdered.

1185 - 1196

Brother and co-ruler. Divided the state in 1192.

1185 - 1186

The Asen brothers, Ivan and Teodor, have requested that the new Eastern Roman emperor, Isaac II Angelus, grants them an estate in the mountains of the theme of Paristrion. His refusal and humiliation of them prompts them to declare a rebellion and grab the land by force. They claim the title of tsar and continuation from the (First) Bulgarian empire.

Ivan Asen leads his troops in revolt against Eastern Roman occupation of Bulgaria in this modern artistic recreation

The emperor immediately has them defeated and routed in battle. They seek refuge with the Cumans in April 1186, returning that autumn with Cuman troops. Paristrion is captured and turned into the new Bulgarian state. Regular raiding into Eastern Roman territories naturally follows.

1196

When Tsar John II (Ivan) is murdered by a boyar (noble), Tsar Peter (Teodor) assigns his half of the state to a younger brother, Kaloyan. Peter himself is murdered the following year.

1196 - 1197

Now senor ruler. Murdered in unclear circumstances.

1196 - 1197

Brother and co-ruler.

1197 - 1207

Former co-ruler. Stopped Fourth Crusade's advance (1205).

1204

The capture of Constantinople is the Fourth Crusade's 'success', and Latin emperors are established in the city. The Eastern Romans withdraw to Nicæa in Anatolia, but rival claimants also establish holdings in Trebizond and Epirus so that, at one point, there are four claimants to the Eastern Roman throne, as well as the Bulgarian and Serb states.

Close allies of Constantinople through intermarriage and trade, including Alania and the Rus, are badly affected by this disaster.

Kyiv's great territory, its competing junior princes, and its exposure to successive waves of mounted invaders from the eastern steppe eventually resulted in the decline of Kievan Rus power overall, not just in Kyiv itself

In the same year, the Pope acknowledges Kaloyan as 'King of the Bulgarians and Vlachs', although Kaloyan himself maintains the title of tsar. It has taken some work to achieve this recognition, with it being protested by Serbs and Hungarians.

The addition of Vlachs reflects the multicultural nature of Bulgarian lands by this time (albeit that they were always so, with even the formerly tribal Bulgars being assembled from a multi-tribal collective).

1205

With the Fourth Crusade having splintered control of the lower Balkans into many pieces, the powerful Tsar Kaloyan is able to make good progress in expanding his empire. The Battle of Adrianople on 14 April 1205 sees Baldwin IX of Flanders, master of Constantinople, being defeated before being captured and taken into captivity where he dies.

1207 - 1218

Nephew by a sister. m Kaloyan's widow & seized throne.

1207

With the unexpected death of Kaloyan, his unnamed sister's son, Boril, marries Kaloyan's Cuman widow and seizes the throne. Ivan Asen, the son of Tsar Ivan I and a rival prospect for the throne, flees the country to safeguard his own life, but the act also strengthens Boril's position.

The South Struma Valley, showing the kind of territory the Romans and Bulgarians alike had to defend or attack, depending upon the prevailing political situation

Boril does not have things entirely to his liking though. A senior noble and cousin by the name of Strez refuses to acknowledge him. He takes possession of the lands between the rivers Struma (the ancient Strymṓn) and Vardar (the Axios), both in what is now southern Bulgaria.

Another Asen noble, Alexius Slav, secures the Rhodope Mountains. However, Boril survives in power until Ivan Asen returns to capture and blind him.

1218 - 1241

Cousin. Son of Ivan I. Seized throne.

1221

A large Mongol force under Subedei enters territory around the Caspian Sea and then the land of the Rus. Rus and Cuman forces assemble which greatly outnumber Subedei's men, but they are defeated at the River Khalka.

Subedei extends his expedition farther to attack the Volga Bulgars, while a large subsequent Cuman exodus into Hungary also results in many of them finding refuge in Bulgaria (sometimes to be faced with Bulgarian-led massacres).

The River Kam (Kama) joins the mighty Volga just below the site of Kazan, founded as a border post by the Volga Bulgars to keep a watchful eye on the neighbouring Volga Finnic tribe of the Mari and the Bjarmian Udmurts

1230

Ivan II wins the Battle of Klokotnitsa, crushing the forces of Theodore Komnenos Doukas (Ducas) of the empire of Thessalonica, which he commands after having moved his stronghold from Epirus.

Theodore's empire soon collapses, allowing Ivan Asen to take possession of great swathes of Macedonia, Thessaly, and Thrace, plus Arbanon. Theodore himself is captured and held for the next seven years while his brother, Michael, takes command of his remaining territories.

1242 - 1246

Son. Acceded age 7. Poisoned?

1242

A Mongol force under the command of Kadan, son of Ögedei Khan, enters Bulgarian lands. Archaeological evidence shows that at least a dozen forts are burned in this period, and the Bulgarians are forced to accept that they will have to pay tribute. The Mongols are content to leave the Bulgarians alone afterwards though.

Within just thirty years, Mongol warriors had travelled as far afield as central China and Eastern Europe, and south-west into Persia, turning the Mongol empire into the largest single controlling force in history

1246 - 1256

Half-brother. Acceded age 7. Murdered by Kaloman II.

1256

Nephew of Ivan II. Usurper. Dethroned & murdered.

1256 - 1257

Son-in-law of Ivan II. Not popular. Fled the capital.

1257 - 1277

Serb-Bulgar noble. Part-paralysed. Killed during revolt.

1261

The Nicæan-Latin Wars are not concluded when Michael VIII Palæologus of Nicæa recaptures Constantinople, as Achaia and Athens are still occupied by Latin rulers. The city falls during a surprise attack when much of the garrison is raiding Nicæan territory.

The Latins are helped in their largely successful evacuation by the Venetian fleet, but Michael VIII is able to claim Constantinople as his seat and the capital of the Palæologus. Unfortunately the claim to the throne which is held by the eleven year-old John IV Lascaris is sidelined when the boy is blinded and imprisoned by Michael.

Marco Polo's journey into China along the Silk Road made use of a network of east-west trade routes which had been developed since the time of Greek control of Bactria

1264

Having failed to establish friendly relations with many of his neighbours, Constantine seeks help from the Mongols. A force which consists of thousands of Tartars crosses the lower Danube to invade Eastern Roman territory in alliance with the Bulgarians. Michael VIII of the Palæologus loses some territory but remains on the throne. Subsequent Mongol raids also target Bulgaria, weakening it severely.

1269 - 1279

Wife. Dau of Michael VIII Palæologus. Empress consort.

1278 - 1279

Commoner. Led revolt. Briefly recognised. Exiled & killed.

1279

Ivalio's successful peasant rebellion sees him marrying Maria Palaiologina Kantakouzene, widow of the late Tsar Constantine, in order to cement his control in the face of hostile forces on all sides of Bulgaria's borders.

Michael VIII Palæologus supports Ivan III in an attempt to claim the throne, even giving him troops to do so. Ivalio travels to the Mongol capital to gain support there, but Ivan also proceeds there to ensure that the Mongols favour his seemingly better claim of legitimacy. Ivalio is killed while the Bulgarians exile Maria to Constantinople.

An icon showing four episodes from the life of Christ which was probably painted in Thessalonica, the most important artistic centre in the crumbling Eastern Roman empire after Constantinople

1279 - 1280

Son of Mitso Asen. Abandoned throne (1280). Died 1303.

1279 - 1280

Ivan's hold over the territory of the Bulgarians is somewhat tenuous in places, especially prior to Ivalio's unwise journey to the Mongol capital. In order to remedy this he marries his sister, Maria, to the Bulgo-Cuman nobleman, George Terter. This fails to have the intended impact however.

Ivan and his own wife, Irene, another daughter of Eastern Roman Emperor Michael VIII Palæologus, flee an Ivalio siege to seek refuge in Constantinople. They take with them whatever Bulgarian riches they can carry, but their arrival enrages Michael VIII who had been supporting them towards ensuring a secure and friendly Bulgaria.

Ivan subsequently proceeds to the Mongol capital to contest the throne with Ivalio. The Mongols select Ivan but fail to restore him to the throne, leaving the way open for the 'Second Empire' Terter dynasty under George Terter.