| Monarchy of Bulgaria | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Style | His Majesty |
| First monarch | Asparukh (as Knyaz) |
| Last monarch | Simeon II (as Tsar) |
| Formation | 681 |
| Abolition | 15 September 1946 |
| Pretender(s) | Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha |
The monarchs of Bulgaria ruled the country, with interruptions, from the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 681 to the abolishion of monarchy in a manipulated referendum held on 15 September 1946. The Bulgarian monarchy had two long periods of foreign domination: almost two centuries of Byzantine rule and almost five centuries of Ottoman rule. Early Bulgarian rulers possibly used the title Knyaz, later knyaz for a brief period, and subsequently tsar.
The title tsar, the believed to be a Slavic form of the Latin caesar and equivalent to emperor, was first adopted and used in Bulgaria by Simeon I following a decisive victory over the Byzantine Empire in 913. It was also used by all of Simeon I's successors until the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman rule in 1396. After Bulgaria's liberation from the Ottomans in 1878, its first monarch Alexander I adopted the title knyaz. However, when de jure independence was proclaimed under his successor Ferdinand in 1908, the title was elevated to the customary tsar once more. The use of tsar continued under Ferdinand and later under his heir Boris III until the abolition of monarchy in 1946. An other group states that “Tsar” is directly correspond to “Sarar” – a Iranian (Persian) word for a ruler of a Saract – Kingdom or a huge province.
In the few surviving medieval Bulgarian royal charters, the monarchs of Bulgaria styled themselves as “In Christ the Lord Faithful Emperor and Autocrat of all Bulgarians” or similar variations, often including “... and Greeks”.
This list does not include the mythical Bulgar rulers and the rulers of Old Great Bulgaria listed in the Nominalia of the Bulgarian Knyazs as well as unsuccessful claimants to the throne who are not generally listed among the Bulgarian monarchs.
List of Bulgarian monarchs edit
| Image | Title | Name | Reign | Notes/Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
First Bulgarian Empire (681-1018) edit | ||||
| Dulo dynasty (681-753) | ||||
| File:KnyazAsparuh.jpg | Knyaz[a] | Asparukh | 681-700 | Son of Knyaz Kubrat, ruler of Old Great Bulgaria. After the victory in the battle of Ongal in 680 he formed the modern country Bulgaria. Died in 700 in battle against the Khazars.[1] |
| Knyaz | Tervel | 700-721 | Received the title Caesar in 705.[2][3] Tervel was called by his contemporaries the Saviour of Europe refering to the decisive Bulgarian blow against the Arabs in the siege of Constantinople (717-718). Died in 721.[4] | |
| Knyaz | Kormesiy | 721-738 | Unknown date of death.[5] | |
| Knyaz | Sevar | 738-753 | Last ruler of the Dulo dynasty. Died of natural death or was dethroned in 753.[6] | |
| Vokil clan (753-762) | ||||
| Knyaz | Kormisosh | 753-756 | Beginning of a period of internal instability. Deposed in 756.[7] | |
| Knyaz | Vinekh | 756-762 | Murdered in 762.[8] | |
| Ugain clan (762-765) | ||||
| Knyaz | Telets | 762-765 | Murdered in 765.[9] | |
| Non-dynastic (765-766) | ||||
| Knyaz | Sabin | 765-766 | Might have been of Slavic origin. Deposed by a People's Council in 766, fled to the Byzantine Empire.[10] | |
| Vokil clan (766) | ||||
| Knyaz | Umor | 766 | Ruled for only 40 days. Deposed in 766 and fled to the Byzantine Empire.[11] | |
| Non-dynastic (766-803) | ||||
| Knyaz | Toktu | 766-767 | Killed in the forests of the Danube in 767 by the opposition.[12] | |
| Knyaz | Pagan | 767-768 | Murdered by his servants in the region of Varna.[13] | |
 |
Knyaz | Telerig | 768-777 | Fled to Constantinople in 777 and baptised.[14] |
| Knyaz | Kardam | 777-803 | End of the internal crisis. Stabilization and consolidation of the country. Unknown date of death.[15] | |
| Krum/Dulo dynasty (803-977)[b] | ||||
 |
Knyaz | Krum | 803-814 | Famous for the battle of Pliska in which the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros I perished and for his laws. Died of natural death (very likely of Brain attack) on 13 April 814. There are several theories on his death.[16] |
 |
Great Knyaz (Kanasubigi)[17], Ruler of the many Bulgarians[18] |
Omurtag | 814-831 | Known for his construction policy, the administative reform and the persecution of the Christians.[19] |
| Knyaz | Malamir | 831-836 | Third and youngest son of Omurtag. Died of natural death at early age.[20] | |
| Knyaz | Presian | 836-852 | Almost the whole of Macedonia was included in Bulgaria.[21] | |
 |
Knyaz/Prince (Knyaz)[c] | Boris I[d] | 852-889 | Christianization of Bulgaria; adoption of Old Bulgaria as the official language of the State and the Church; recognition of an autocephalous Bulgarian Church.[22] Abdicated in 883, died on 2 May 902, aged around 80.[23] Proclaimed a Saint. |
| Prince | Vladimir | 889-893 | Eldest son of Boris I. Tried to restore Tengriism. Deposed and blinded by his father in 893.[24] | |
| Prince/Emperor (Tsar) Emperor of the Bulgarians and the Romans (claimed)[25] Emperor of the Bulgarians (recognized)[26] |
Simeon I | 893-927 | Third son of Boris I, prepared for a cleric but enthroned during the Council of Preslav. Bulgaria reached its apogee and greatest territorial extend. Golden age of the Bulgarian culture. Died of heart attack on 27 May 927, aged 63.[27] | |
| Emperor Emperor of the Bulgarians[28] |
Peter I | 927-969 | Second son of Simeon I. His 42-year rule is the longest in Bulgarian history. Abdicated in 969 and died as a monk on 30 January 970.[29] Proclaimed a Saint. | |
| File:Boris II.JPG | Emperor | Boris II | 970-971 | Eldest son of Peter I. Dethroned by the Byzantines in 971. Accidentally killed by the Bulgarian border guards in 977 when he tried to return to the country.[30] |
 |
Emperor | Roman | 977-991 (997) | Second son of Peter I. Castrated by the Byzantines but escaped to Bulgaria in 977. Captured in battle by the Byzantines in 991 and died in prison in Constantinople in 997.[31] |
| Cometopuli dynasty (997-1018) | ||||
 |
Emperor Emperor of the Bulgarians[32] |
Samuel | 997-1014 | Co-ruler and general under Roman between 976 and 997. Officially proclaimed Emperor of Bulgaria in 997. Died of heart attack on 6 October 1014, aged 69-70.[33] |
| Emperor | Gavril Radomir | 1014-1015 | Eldest son of Samuel, crowned on 15 October 1014. Murdered by his cousin Ivan Vladislav in August 1015.[34] | |
| Emperor | Ivan Vladislav | 1015-1018 | Son of Aron and nephew of Samuel. Killed in the siege of Drach.[35] His death brought the end of the First Bulgarian Empire which was annexed by the Byzantine Empire. | |
Proclaimed monarchs during the Byzantine rule (1018-1185) edit | ||||
| Cometopuli dynasty | ||||
 |
Emperor | Peter II Delyan | 1040-1041 | Claimed to have been descendent of Gavril Radomir. Led an unsuccessful uprising against Byzantine rule.[36] |
 |
Emperor | Peter III | 1072 | Named Constantine Bodin and Descendent of Samuel, he was proclaimed Emperor of Bulgaria after the sainted emperor Peter I during the Uprising of Georgi Voiteh.[37] Between 1081 and 1101 he ruled as King of Duklja. |
Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396) edit | ||||
| Asen dynasty | ||||
| Emperor | Peter IV | 1185-1190 | Named Theodore, he was proclaimed Emperor of Bulgaria as Peter IV during the successful Uprising of Asen and Peter. In 1190 he gave the throne to his younger brother.[38] | |
| Emperor | Ivan Asen I | 1190-1196 | Younger brother of Peter IV. A successful general, he ruled until 1196 when he was murdered by his cousin Ivanko.[39] | |
| Emperor | Peter IV | 1196-1197 | Murdered in 1197.[38] | |
| Emperor[e] Emperor of Bulgarians and Vlachs |
Kaloyan | 1197-1207 | Third brother of Asen and Peter. Expanded Bulgaria and concluded a Union with the Catholic Church. Murdered by plotters during the siege of Salonica.[40] | |
 |
Emperor | Boril | 1207-1218 | Son of a sister of Kaloyan. Deposed and blinded in 1218.[41] |
| Emperor Emperor of the Bulgarians and the Greeks[42] |
Ivan Asen II | 1218-1241 | Eldest son of Ivan Asen I. The Second Bulgarian Empire reached its apogee. Died of natural death on 24 June 1241, aged 46-47.[43] | |
| Emperor | Kaliman I Asen | 1241-1246 | Son of Ivan Asen II. Born in 1234, he died or was poisoned in 1246, aged 12.[44] | |
 |
Emperor | Michael II Asen | 1246-1256 | Son of Ivan Asen II. Murdered by his cousin Kaliman.[45] |
| Emperor | Kaliman II Asen | 1256 | Murdered in 1256.[46] | |
| Emperor | Mitso Asen | 1256-1257 | Fled to the Nicaean Empire in 1261.[47] | |
 |
Emperor In Christ the Lord Faithful Emperor and Autocrat of the Bulgarians[48] |
Constantine Tikh Asen | 1257-1277 | Bolyar of Skopie. Murdered in 1277 by the peasant leader Ivaylo.[49] |
| Emperor | Ivan Asen III | 1279-1280 | Eldest son of Mitso Asen. Fled to Constantinople with the treasury.[50] | |
| Non-dynastic | ||||
| Emperor | Ivaylo | 1277-1280 | Leader of a major peasant uprising. Fled to the Golden Horde but was murdered by the Mongol Knyaz Nogai.[51] | |
| Terter dynasty (1280-1292) | ||||
| 100px | Emperor | George Terter I | 1280-1292 | Bolyar of Cherven. Fled to the Byzantine Empire in 1292, died Bulgaria in 1308-1309.[52] |
| Non-dynastic (1292-1300) | ||||
| Emperor | Smilets | 1292-1298 | Bolyar of Kopsis. Murdered or died of natural death in 1298.[53] | |
| Emperor | Chaka | 1299-1300 | Son of the Mongol Nogai Knyaz. Deposed and strangled in prison in 1300.[54] | |
| Terter dynasty (1300-1322) | ||||
 |
Emperor | Theodore Svetoslav | 1300-1321 | Son of George Terter I. Spent his youth as a hostage in the Golden Horde. His rule marked a revival of Bulgaria. Died of natural death in the late 1321, aged 50-55.[55] |
| Emperor | George Terter II | 1321-1322 | Son of Theodore Svetoslav. Died of natural death in the late 1322.[56] | |
| Shishman dynasty (1323-1396) | ||||
| Emperor | Michael III Shishman | 1323-1330 | Bolyar of Vidin. Mortally wounded in the battle of Velbazhd on 28 July 1330 against the Serbs.[57] | |
| Emperor | Ivan Stephen | 1330-1331 | Son of Michael III Shishman. Deposed in March 1331 and fled to Serbia.[58] Might have died in 1373. | |
 |
Emperor In Christ the Lord Faithful Emperor and Autocrat of all Bulgarians[59] and Greeks[60] |
Ivan Alexander | 1331-1371 | Bolyar of Lovech. Descended of the Asen, Terter and Shishman dynasties. Second Golden Age of Bulgarian culture. Died of natural death on 17 February 1371, leaving Bulgaria divided among his sons.[61] |
 |
Emperor In Christ the Lord Faithful Emperor and Autocrat of all Bulgarians and Greeks[62] |
Ivan Shishman | 1371-1395 | Fourth son of Ivan Alexander. Beheaded by the Ottomans on 3 June 1395. [63] |
 |
Emperor Emperor of the Bulgarians[64] |
Ivan Sratsimir | 1356-1396 | Third son of Ivan Alexander. Ruled in Vidin. Captured by the Ottomans in 1396 and imprisoned in Bursa where he was strangled.[65] |
Principality of Bulgaria and Kingdom of Bulgaria (1878-1946) edit | ||||
| House of Battenberg | ||||
.jpg) |
Prince | Alexander I | 29 April 1879 - 7 September 1886 | Resigned due to Russian pressure. Died on 23 October 1893 in Graz. |
| House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | ||||
 |
Prince/King (Tsar) | Ferdinand I | 7 July 1887 - 3 October 1918 | Became Tsar (internationally recognized as King) after the official proclamation of independence on 22 September. Abdicated on 3 October 1918 after the defeat in World War I. Died on 10 September 1948 in Coburg. |
 |
King | Boris III | 3 October 1918 - 28 August 1943 | Died on 28 August 1943 in unclear circumstances. |
| |
King | Simeon II | 28 August 1943 - 15 September 1946 | Monarchy abolished by the Communists. He served as the 47th Prime Minister of Bulgaria between 24 July 2001 and 17 August 2005. |
See also edit
References edit
Notes edit
^ a: In the Nominalia of the Bulgarian Rulers the title of Asparukh is the Slavic Knyaz (Prince). The title Knyaz is not used in the manuscript.[66]
^ b: There are sources which suggest that Krum descended from those Bulgarians who settled in Pannonia and lived under the rule the Avars. Some historians assume that Krum was from the Dulo dynasty and that with his ascension the old ruling dynasty was restored.[67][68] According to Zlatarski, Krum was the founder of a new dynasty.[69]
^ c: In the Ballshi Inscription, the title of Boris I is Archon of Bulgaria. The Byzantine title archon is usually translated with ruler. Contemporary Bulgarian sources used the title Knyaz, while during the Second Bulgarian Empire he was refered to as Tsar.[70]
^ d: When Boris I was baptised he received the Christian name Michael, after his his godfather, the Byzantine emperor Michael III. He is often called by the historians Boris-Michael.[71]
^ e: During the negotiations with Pope Innocent III, Kaloyan insisted that the Pope should recognize his as Imperator, the title equal to Tsar and based his claims on the imperial recognition of the monarchs of the First Bulgarian Empire. He was only crowned as Rex (King) but in his later correspondence with Innocent III, Kaloyan sent him his gratitude for his recognition as Imperator and used that title.[72]
Citations edit
- ^ Andreev, p. 19
- ^ Andreev, p. 23
- ^ Whittow, p. 273
- ^ Andreev, p. 27
- ^ Andreev, p. 29
- ^ Andreev, p. 30
- ^ Andreev, p. 32
- ^ Andreev, p. 33
- ^ Andreev, p. 35
- ^ Andreev, p. 36
- ^ Andreev, p. 38
- ^ Andreev, p. 39
- ^ Andreev, p. 40
- ^ Andreev, p. 42
- ^ Andreev, p. 44
- ^ Andreev, pp. 53-54
- ^ "Tarnovo Inscription of Knyaz Omurtag" (in Russian). Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ Andreev, p. 62
- ^ Andreev, pp. 61-62
- ^ Andreev, pp. 67-68
- ^ Andreev, p. 70
- ^ Whittow, p. 284
- ^ Andreev, pp. 85-86
- ^ Andreev, p. 89
- ^ Stephenson, p. 23
- ^ Stephenson, p. 22
- ^ Andreev, pp. 103-104
- ^ Whittow, p. 292
- ^ Andreev, p. 112
- ^ Andreev, p. 118
- ^ Andreev, p. 121-122
- ^ Whittow, p. 297
- ^ Andreev, p. 127
- ^ Andreev, pp. 129-130
- ^ Andreev, p. 133
- ^ Andreev, p. 136
- ^ Andreev, p. 142-143
- ^ a b Andreev, pp. 146-147
- ^ Andreev, pp. 157-158
- ^ Andreev, p. 173
- ^ Andreev, p. 184
- ^ Laskaris, p. 5
- ^ Andreev, p. 193
- ^ Andreev, p. 197
- ^ Andreev, p. 205
- ^ Andreev, p. 208
- ^ Andreev, p. 211
- ^ Ivanov, pp. 578-579
- ^ Andreev, p. 229
- ^ Andreev, p. 233
- ^ Andreev, p. 136
- ^ Andreev, p. 239
- ^ Andreev, p. 240
- ^ Andreev, p. 244
- ^ Andreev, p. 251
- ^ Andreev, p. 254
- ^ Andreev, p. 263
- ^ Andreev, p. 267
- ^ Ivanov, p. 584
- ^ Ivanov, pp. 590-591
- ^ Andreev, p. 263
- ^ Ivanov, pp. 602-608
- ^ Andreev, p. 286
- ^ Miletich, L. "Daco-Romanians and their Slavic Literacy. Part II" (in Bulgarian). p. 47. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ Andreev, p. 298
- ^ "Nominalia of the Bulgarian Knyazs" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ Andreev, p. 45
- ^ Runciman, p. 51
- ^ Zlatarski, pp. 321-322
- ^ Bakalov, pp. 144, 146
- ^ Andreev, pp. 71, 75
- ^ Andreev, pp. 163-165
Sources edit
- Andreev, Jordan (1996). The Bulgarian Knyazs and Tsars (in Bulgarian). Veliko Tarnovo: Abagar. ISBN 954-427-216-X.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Bakalov, Georgi (1995). The Medieval Bulgarian Ruler (Title and Insignia) (in Bulgarian). Sofia.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Ivanov, Yordan (1970). Bulgarian Antiquities from Macednia (in Bulgarian). Sofia: BAN.
- Laskaris, M. (1930). Bulgarian Antiquities (Book XI). The Vatopedi Charter of Emperor Ivan Asen II (PDF) (in Bulgarian). Sofia: BAN, Darzhavna Pechatnitsa.
- Runciman, Steven (1930). A History of the First Bulgarian Empire. London: George Bell & Sons. OCLC 832687.
- Stephenson, Paul (2004). Byzantium's Balkan Frontier. A Political Study of the Northern Balkans (900-1204). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-511-03402-4.
- Whittow, Mark (1996). The Making of Byzantium (600-1025). Los Angeles: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-20497-2.
- Zlatarski, Vasil (1971) [1927]. History of the Bulgarian state in the Middle Ages. Volume I. History of the First Bulgarian Empire (in Bulgarian) (2 ed.). Sofia: Nauka i izkustvo. OCLC 67080314.
External links edit
- (in English) Detailed list of Bulgarian rulers (PDF)