European Kingdoms

Terters & Shishmans of Bulgaria / Second Bulgarian Empire
AD 1280 - 1395

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

The Bulgarian presence in the Danubian delta region began with the seventh century Danubian Bulgar kingdom. Early tenth century anarchy in the Eastern Roman empire allowed the ruling prince, Simeon, to become the (First) Bulgarian emperor. The arrival of the Kievan Rus into the fevered political mix in the Balkans of the late tenth century proved to be the empire's undoing, however, with only the Cometopuli territories in the west of the empire surviving to oppose Eastern Roman occupation.

While initially successful at establishing a firmly independent Bulgarian state, the cometopuli 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. By 1185-1186, however, the Eastern Roman empire was at a low point, which allowed the Asens to rise in rebellion and declare a new independent Bulgar state.

Eventually only the Terters could offer firm leadership for the Bulgarians. This was in the form of the Bulgo-Cuman nobleman and Eastern Roman despot, George Terter, seemingly descended from the Cuman Terteroba clan, although few details are known about his origins. His reign as tsar initially offered the Bulgarians hope of strong leadership, but ultimately Mongol dominance of the region proved too strong. Instead Bulgaria gradually deteriorated as a power as internal anarchy spread and cross-factional fighting increased.

Initially, Terter Bulgaria amounted to little more than the territory of the old Danubian state, although it had expanded greatly by the time of Theodore Svetoslav to stretch west along the Danube. He and his successors largely established Bulgarian borders which survive to this day, albeit with many post-Ottoman amendments. The Terters were succeeded by the Shishman family.

The population of Bulgaria had always been mixed, initially comprising of Bulgars (themselves a hotch-potch of various strands of early Turkic tribes) and Slavs who had settled the Danubian delta a relatively short time before the Bulgars arrived there.

By the eleventh and twelfth centuries the local population also comprised of populations of Cumans, Serbs, and Vlachs. The Bulgar Turkic language had long since been replaced by Slavic, and the Bulgar state had vacillated for a time between the Latin alphabet and the new Cyrillic one, before it plumped for the latter.

(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 Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest, John V A Fine (University of Michigan Press, 1994), and from External Links: Bulgaria (Worldstatesmen), and Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Encyclopaedia Iranica, and the Turkish Cultural Foundation.)

1280 - 1292

Roman despot. Seized power. Died 1308/1309.

1282

Having hurriedly arranged an anti-Eastern Roman alliance with Stefan Dragutin of Serbia, Charles I of Naples, and also with Thessaly, George almost immediately finds it failing. Charles is faced with the potential loss of Sicily and is distracted, while the Bulgarians are ravaged by Nogai Khan and his Nogai Horde division of the Golden Horde.

The obverse of this coin was issued during the twelve year reign of George Terter (1280-1292), seemingly imitating a Venetian grosso

1292

Following another damaging attack by Nogai Khan, George is apparently removed from the throne. He accepts exile, travelling to Adrianople, while his place is taken by Smilech.

After a long wait, George is finally accepted into the Eastern Roman empire by Andronicus II and spends much of the last decade of his life in obscurity in Anatolia (in 1301 he becomes part of a prisoner exchange which is organised by Theodore Svetoslav).

1292 - 1298

Noble. Vassal of Nogai Khan. 'Removed' from power.

1298

Smilech is largely a pawn of Nogai Khan, but at least his reign sees Nogai's raiding largely confined to Eastern Roman territory. He is removed from the scene in 1298, although the circumstances are unknown.

The suspect is generally thought to be Nogai Khan or his son, Chaka, both of whom are heavily involved in a struggle for control of the Golden Horde. His replacement, Ivan IV, is also referred to as Ivan II, which ignores two out of three of his Asen predecessors on the throne.

The Mongols maintained their dominance of the Bulgarians with bloodletting where necessary, burning and destroying towns which stood against them

1298 - 1299

Son. Aged about 8 at accession. Removed and exiled.

1299 - 1300

The power struggle between Toqta of the Golden Horde and Nogai Khan of the Nogai Horde flares up into open conflict, and Toqta is the victor in 1300. Nogai's son, Chaka, flees first to the Alani and then to Bulgaria where he has already (briefly) gained the throne as emperor. The young Ivan has been removed to spend the rest of his life in exile in the Eastern Roman empire (until about 1300).

1299 -1300

Son of Nogai Khan of the Mongol Nogai Horde. Killed.

1300

With the Bulgarians aware of the anger of Toqta of the Golden Horde at the position Chaka holds, Theodore Svetoslav sends Chaka's head to his Mongol overlord and replaces Chaka on the Bulgarian throne. As a result of this cooperation, Mongol interference in Bulgaria largely ceases.

1300 - 1322

Son of George I. Fought off pretenders but ensured stability.

1322 - 1323

Son. Died of natural causes. No heir.

1323 - 1330

Cousin. First Shishman family tsar.

1330

Michael Asen, using the name to link his reign to the preceding Asens, normally known as Michael Shishman, his family name, has pursued an aggressive policy of establishing Bulgaria as the leading power in the Balkans. Having agreed an alliance with Eastern Roman Emperor Andronicus III, he organises a major attack against the Serbs.

This photo shows both sides of a coin which was issued during the reign of George Terter II, although the mint location appears to be unknown

Poor coordination with the Eastern Roman forces means that Michael faces a Serb army which is equal to his in numbers. The Serbs are quickly reinforced before battle commences near Velbazhd (now Kyustendil in Bulgaria). Michael is defeated and dies within a few days, either mortally wounded or in some way badly hurt and unable to recover.

1330 - 1331

Son. Removed by a coup.

1331 - 1371

Cousin. Stabilised the state.

1351

With the Eastern Roman civil war having been concluded, Emperor John Cantacuzenes has realised the threat posed by the Ottoman Turks. His attempts to form a united front alongside the Serbs and Bulgarians are rebuffed, however. This is despite Tsar Ivan Alexander already having lost a son and brother to Ottoman raids.

In fact, Alexander makes things worse by creating two co-ruling principalities within Bulgaria, the second of which - Vidin - becomes fully independent in 1371, weakening the state as a whole.

The arrival of the Ottoman Turks in the Balkans added yet another layer of ethnic diversity into an already-rich Bulgarian ethnic mix

1356 - 1365

Son & co-tsar. In Vidin (NW Bulgaria). Deposed by Hungary.

1369 - 1396

Restored in Vidin by Hungary. Fully independent (1371).

1371 - 1395

Brother. Ctrl Bulgaria only. Captured. Killed. End of empire.

1387 - 1388

The principality of Serbia and the kingdom of Bosnia manage to unite their forces in 1387 to inflict a defeat upon the Ottomans at the Battle of Pločnik. The European victory emboldens other rulers, including John Shishman who refuses to send troops to support his nominal overlords.

The Ottoman response is to send a thirty thousand-man army into Bulgaria in 1388. John Shishman has proven himself as the only one of the three Bulgarian rulers who openly and consistently opposes the Ottomans, but he pays the price.

Losing fortress after fortress to his enemy and not receiving support from his neighbours, he has to reconfirm his vassalage under harsher conditions and with an occupying Ottoman force.

With Persia thoroughly focussed on resisting the ever-expanding conquests of Timur in the late 1300s, the Ottomans were largely free to focus their attentions on defeating the states of the Balkans, but Timur's completion of his task by 1401 changed that situation completely (click or tap on map to view full sized)

1393

Having learned that John Shishman is secretly planning an alliance with Hungary, the Ottomans send a large army into the field. It captures the Bulgarian capital at Tarnovo while Shishman is in Nicopolis, and Bulgaria as a whole is subject to devastating raids and destruction.

1395

Nicopolis is captured by the Ottomans after a surprise approach from the north. Sultan Bayezid summons John Shishman under the pretence that discussions will be held regarding the position of the Bulgarians. Instead Shishman is seized and beheaded.

1396

The Battle of Nicopolis results in defeat for the allied European forces. Amongst the participants is Duke Charles II of Lorraine, Count John the Fearless of Nevers, and Tsar Ivan Stratsimir of Bulgarian Vidin.

The Ottomans directly challenged the most powerful of Europe's Mediterranean empires in the form of the Venetian republic, leading to a series of vicious wars over the course of three centuries which are known as the Ottoman-Venetian Wars

The defeat means that the Ottomans are able to capture Vidin by the start of 1397 at the latest. Ivan Stratsimir is captured and imprisoned where he is probably murdered. The Bulgarians are now a subject territory of the Ottoman Turks.

1396 - 1878

With European forces remaining poorly coordinated when it comes to opposing the Ottomans, they are able to dominate the south-eastern Balkans. The Bulgarians remain entirely subsumed within the empire, despite a counter-claim by Constantine II.

He is the son of Ivan Stratsimir, and he retains a claim to Vidin until his death in 1422. The claim is generally recognised by neighbouring European states, but little is known of him after 1397, including what territory (if any) he may hold. He is not normally included in lists of Bulgarian rulers.

King Stephen Tomasevic reigned for just two years over an independent Bosnian kingdom which was living on borrowed time, faced by a near-tidal wave of Ottoman attacks which it was ill-equipped to stave off, and a final attack in 1463 which it had no hope of defeating

1828 - 1829

The Russo-Turkish War, triggered by the fighting in Greece and the Danubian principalities, ends in the Peace of Adrianople. The Ottoman sultan closes the Dardanelles to Russian vessels but the Russians lay siege to three major Ottoman cities in Bulgaria.

In the end, despite an embarrassing defeat along the way, Russia wins the mouth of the Danube and much of the Black Sea's western coast under the terms of the peace, or Treaty of Adrianople. Serbia also achieves autonomy.

1878

Following the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War, territory which includes Moesia and the Sofia region - but not southern Bulgaria (the eastern section of the Ottoman eyalet (province) of Rumelia, otherwise known as East Rumelia) or the Macedonian region - is combined into a newly-formed 'Principality of Bulgaria'. A German prince is elected as head of state.

Prince Alexander of Hessen-Battenberg was largely able and successful in steering Bulgaria's course between fervent nationalist ministerial demands and the pressure from Russia to become little more than an extension of its empire