KHAN ASPARUH OF THE FAMILY DULO (680-700) - FOUNDER OF DUNAVIAN BULGARIA AND HIS SON KHAN TERVEL (700-721)

After Khan KUBRAT’S death in the middle 60s of the 7^th century, GREAT BULGARIA KUBRAT gradually disintegrates under the blows of the Hazars. Only the first son of Kubrat - BAYAN - remains in the lands of GREAT BULGARIA as a vassal to the Hazars.

The second son - KOTARG, together with parts of the Bulgarian people, settles along the middle reaches of the Volga where, some time later, still another state of the ancient Bulgarians is born - VOLGA BULGARIA, which is also to play an important role in the mediaeval world.

The third son - ASPARUH - started west to meet the mightiest empire of the time Byzantium. Crossing the rivers Dnepr and Dnestr, he finally settles in the Ongul (southern Besarabia), in immediate proximity to Byzantine borders. It was these Bulgarians, lead by ASPARUH, that were destined to play a decisive role in the foundation of DUNAVIAN BUlGARIA, which outlived the empires of the time and exists even today.

"The Name List of Bulgarian Khans" has it that Khan ASPARUH ascends the throne the year "Vereni alem" (the year of the Dragon, month - first) according to the ancient calendar of the Bulgarians, and his rule lasted for 61 years. His name can be met under different forms in historical sources - as ASPARUH, ISPERIH, ESPERERIH, and in an apocryphal manuscript of the 11^th century he is called ISPOR. Most probably the origin of the name is Iranian. At the beginning it sounded as ASPARHRUK, which can be translated "White horse" or "The white horseman."

The appearance of Khan ASPARUH in the Ongul is met with animosity by Byzantium because the ancient Bulgarians had been attacking its territories for years. In 680, after concluding peace with the Arabs, Emperor Constantine IV Pogonat undertakes an impressive march by sea and by land against the Bulgarians. The Byzantines suffer a crushing defeat. The Bulgarians cross the Danube and enter the province of Lower Misis (today Northern Bulgaria). Khan ASPARUH attracts on his side the Slavic tribes and continues the war with Byzantium. In 681 the Emperor is forced to conclude a peace treaty with Khan ASPARUH and Byzantium has to pay yearly taxes to the Bulgarians. Practically the treaty recognizes the right of Khan ASPARUH to rule the conquered lands in Northern, Bulgaria.

DUNAVIAN BULGARIA is a continuation of the powerful state tradition of GREAT BULGARIA of KUBRAT on a, new territory.

Khan ASPARUH proves to be a far-sighted statesman and gives the Slavs the opportunity to live with him on the principle of internal political autonomy. All citizens of the state, however, are obliged to defend together the new acquisitions of the country. A special place among the Slavs occupies the Seven who agree to guard of the eastern passage of the Balkans. The ancient Bulgarians concentrate in northeastern Bulgaria where the fortress PLISKA becomes the capital of the state. Chronicle tradition without any hesitation connects the erection of the capital with the name of ASPARUH.

Spreading on a large territory, from the Carpatian mountains to the north, the Balkan mountains to the south, from the river Dnestr and the Black sea to the north-east and east, and to the Timok river to the west, DUNAVIAN BULGARIA is a well organized political and military power from the very beginning.

Unfortunately but perfectly understandable the evidence of Byzantine chroniclers very scarce and we do not know much about the fate of the founder of the Bulgarian state. An old memory, reflected in the Apocryphal Bulgarian chronicles of the 11"' century shows that Khan ASPARUH probably died in battle against the Hazars in the north-east His successor in "The Name List" is his son TERVEL.

Khan TERVEL, supreme commander and gifted diplomat, ruled the country for years and occupied the Khan's throne in the year Teku Chitem (the year of the Horse month - third) according to the ancient Bulgarian calendar. Energetic and far-sight TERVEL is an equal to his father. Taking advantage of the internecine about the emperor throne in Byzantium, he is successful in acquiring still more territories for the Bulgaria State. Emperor Justinian II, who received help from the Bulgarians to regain his crown, yielded to them the region of Zagore in Eastern Thrace. What is more Khan TERVEL awarded the tile of CEASAR and many presents. Byzantine chroniclers write about the event: "Under Emperor Justinian the ruler of the Bulgarians TERVEL was at the peak of the prosperity. He put his shield upside down and his whip too, with which he mastered horse, and poured money (this means the defeated Byzantines) until they were fully conquered...He gave out money to the soldiers, distributing gold with his right hand, and silver with his left hand." Byzantium looked with awe at the superb military mastership of Bulgarians. It is not strange then that in 717 it turns to Bulgaria for help, not for the first time. The capital of the empire - Constantinople, was under siege by the Arabs and fall of the Byzantines was only a matter of time. At that critical moment Emperor Leo III turns to Khan TERVEL for help. The clever diplomat considers the benefit of save Byzantium and keeping it as a neighbor against the prospect of having the Arabs neighbors 30 000-strong heavy cavalry of Bulgarians, clad in mail from head to foot appears in the rear of the Arabs and strikes a mortal blow. According to mediaeval chronicles more than 20 000 Arabs fell on the battlefield.

This victory has a decisive role in the future (ate of south-eastern and central Europe The menacing march of the Arabs, coming through Spain and Southern Italy to Western Europe, that could wipe Byzantium off the continent, was cut to the root. The name BULGARIA spreads far and wide in the civilized world. Once more it establishes its authority and shows to the world that there exists in Eastern Europe a power, which everybody must treat with respect.

/Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter D. Angelov Faculty of History, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski”

GREAT BULGARIA OF KHAN KUBRAT OF THE FAMILY DULO (632-665)

About 632, on the wrecks of the Western Turkic Haganate the Bulgarians build mighty state, which the Byzantine historians called OLD GREAT BULGARIA. Its ruler is known as Khan KUBRAT of the family DULO. He originated from the Bulgarian Unogondurs. In the early history of the Bulgarians in the 7^th century the most active politically were the Unogondurs. This major Bulgarian tribal group occupied permanently the lands east of the Azov sea, between the rivers Don and Kuban, in the period 4-7"' century. Their neighbors in the fatherland of the Caucusus were other ancient Bulgarian tribe groups: Kupi-bolgar, Kuchi-bolgar, Chdar-bolgar. Their names are mentioned in U Armenian geography of Anani Shirakatsi in which the Unogondurs appear under its name of Olhontor-bulgar. In the 80s of the 6^th century they were included in the Western Turkic Haganate and formed its westmost part. In the 30s of the 7^th century the Turkic State was already disintegrating politically because of the internecine war among the ruling clans. This critical situation allowed part of the tribes to overthrow the Turkic rule and establish their own states. The first to make use of the situation were the Bulgarians, then the Hazars (651).

In 632 Khan KUBRAT unites politically all Bulgarians and their akin tribes of the Azov and the Caspian Sea. In the struggle against the Western Turkic people their khans c forced to recognize the supreme power of KUBRAT and this act practically marks the foundation of GREAT BULGARIA.

The evidence about the origin and the deeds of KUBRAT is quite enough to draw picture of his statesmanship and his importance as one of the greatest rulers in early Mediaeval Europe.

It is commonly recognized that the name of KUBRAT has no correspondence in t Turkic languages and is of ancient Iranian origin. Scholars offer different interpretation of the khan's name - KUBRAT - as 'handsome', 'sun' and others. In the oldest chronic of Mediaeval Bulgaria, "The Name List of Bulgarian Khans," the name of KUBRAT is given in its old Bulgarian form KURT. It also gives the family origin of Kubrat, the year of his ascension to the throne, calculated by the ancient Bulgarian calendar, as well as the year of his reign. The passage in the "Name List" goes as follows: "KURT ruled for 60 year His family [is] DULO, and his power [is] given to him [in] shegor vechem [year of the 0x, month - third]." According to Chinese sources this is one of the oldest dynasties that he a permanent position and played a major role in the political life of the Bulgarians in the period 2-7^th century. The name of the family DULO means family of 'war horses', family of 'horse riders'. The mention of KUBRAT as a member of the khan dynasty DULO in the Bulgarian chronicle not only marks an important biographical fact in the life of the ruler GREAT BULGARIA but also establishes his power and authority before his people.

Native and Byzantine sources indicate that Khan KUBRAT was born round 585-58

The wisdom and greatness of this Bulgarian ruler find expression in the organization of the state of GREAT BULGARIA. Territorial consolidation of Bulgarians and other all peoples near the Azov Sea and the northern parts of the Black Sea is one of the most significant results of his first steps in statesmanship. Probably in the period 632-635 Khan-KUBRAT succeeds in putting under his rule the remaining Bulgarian Kutrigurs, free them of the power of the Avar Hagan. He is also successive in integrating the Bulgarian Kotrags who lived to the west of the river Don. This gives the final territory of GREAT BULGARIA: to the east it reaches out to the river Kuban, to the west to the river Dnepr, to < north to the river Donetsk, and to the south to the Azov and the Black Sea. The capital the magnificent FANAGORIA on the Taman Peninsula. Khan KUBRAT imposes stability the domestic life of the state, expands his power over the ruling families and Byzantines start calling him "ruler of BULGARIA." The dynasty principle in ruling the country is succeeded by Bulgaria of ASPARUH at the very beginning of its development, "The Name List of Bulgarian Khans" indicates.

The other important aspect of the state policy of Khan KUBRAT is the organization • large-scale military expeditions aiming at the establishment of the state sovereignty and concluding international treaties with neighboring and far-off countries. This strength his authority and his name of a great ruler. Evidence of that is the treaty of 635 between GREAT BULGARIA and Byzantium. To soften the Bulgarian ruler, Emperor Iraklius sent him rich presents and awards him the title of "PATRICIAN."

The rule of khan KUBRAT sets the beginning of a stable and active pre-eminence,  in governmental and political matters, of Bulgarians in the history of mediaeval Europe.

Byzantine chroniclers Teophan and Niciphorus write that KUBRAT bequeathed to his sons the principle of preserving unity "IN ORDER FOR THEM TO RULE EVERYWHERE / NOT BE SLAVES TO OTHER PEOPLES." This bequeath of the wise Bulgarian ruler was difficult to follow in the complicated political situation near the Azov and the Caspian se the middle of the 7^th century. At that time the struggle between GREAT BULGARIA and Hazar Haganate for power in these parts flared up with new strength. After KUBR/ death in 665 his sons chose the destiny of migration in order to preserve Bulgarian s structure. Towards the end of the 70s of 7^th century they settled in different places gave life to new Bulgarian states in the East and in the West of Europe. Among them most long-lived is BULGARIA of Khan ASPARUH.

Ass. Professor Dr. Miliana Kaimakamova

Faculty of History

Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" 

BULGARIA UNDER THE RULE OF KHAN KRUM (803-814) AND KHAN OMURTAG (814-831)

I will tell you a story of a very interesting people who, measured even with the standarts of world hystory. They are important because they succeeded in organizing in a national the DISORGANIZED AND THE SUBJECT TO BARBARIAN ATTACKS SLAVIC TRIBES IN THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL PARTS OF THE BALKANS. IT CREATED IN THE MIXING POT OF THE BALKAN PENINSULA A STABLE STATE THAT STILL EXISTS. THE ANCIENT BULGARIANS ORGANIZED THE SLAVIC TRIBES INTO A NATION, WHICH THE OLD BULGARIAN SPIRIT HAS REMAINED AS AN INCENTIVE FOREVER...

In 809 Khan KRUM conquers Sofia. Not long after that Nish and Belgrade fall into the hands of the Bulgarians.

After the conquest of Sofia - the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, BULGARIA becomes important factor in the life of Europe as well. The most important part of the major trade route the Peninsula, which leads from the East to the West, fell into the hands of the Bulgarians. Started from the Bulgarian-Byzantine boundary, it passes through the towns of Sofia, Nish, Belgrade, and then along the Danube and further on through Bulgarian territory. Byzantine commercial goods the North and the West had to be carried primarily through Bulgarian territory. This made Bulgaria an important factor in world trade. It becomes important territory for transit carriers and got taxes for all Byzantine goods exported to the North. This furnishes Bulgaria with profit unheard till that time. Soon after the conquest of the Macedonian regions the other important route Thessaloniki-Nish - is also in the hands of the Bulgarians.

In addition to acquiring new territories through which passed major trade routes, Bulgarians received also enormous riches which had its effect in world trade.

There is no doubt that in the 9¹¹' century they reopened the salt mines at the river Marosh, It can judge about this from the fact that round the salt mines there are many ancient Bulgarian names, described in the works of Melih. The salt mines at Torda were inherited by the Hungarians from the Bulgarians and one can find mentions of these mines from the very beginning of the history of the Magyar State.

       We see how in the beginning of the 9 th century Bulgaria is gradually becoming important for Western Europe as well. The major trade route passes through its territory and it holds the rich salt mines in Transilvania. The policy of Bulgarian khans corresponds perfectly to the new situation. Khan KRUM, whom historians like to describe only as a frightful military commander, war from Byzantium nothing else but to accept a commercial agreement beneficent for Bulgaria a, to fix the border between Bulgaria and Byzantium.

Krum's son - Khan OMUR TAG - concludes peace preserving the old status quo the moment the Byzantines are ready to accept the agreement. From that moment on he wants nothing else from Byzantium and concentrates his activity on the West.

The new territorial acquisitions truly deserved the change of policy that OMURTAG undertook in comparison with his predecessors. The new situation required a new type of policy. The Bulgarian ruler is now aspiring not military glory, but a well structured state. Instead of waging wars he sends his emissaries to the Byzantines and the Franks in order to secure and fix it boundaries of his state. Consequently, when the great OMUR TAG feels himself protected from the Byzantines by the treaty, he turns his eyes to the North. Here are the new territories, which he had to organize. Here are the riches, which are so important for Bulgaria. Only in a climate of security and peace one can count on receiving large profits. The colonization of the North begins on large scale. Soon the Franks were to understand that they must be on good terms with the Bulgarians and sign a peace treaty.

The border of BULGARIA here goes along the Danube, reaches beyond the town of Pesht and

then takes in the direction to the northeast. Thus the Bulgarians had common borders with the Franks and the Moravians.

In the 9^th century the Bulgarians founded towns in eastern Magyar territory, among the being the town of Pesht, which is the best place to cross the Danube. The town becomes the most important center for trading with the Franks regions west of the Danube.

The state of the Bulgarians crows into a power, with which the Western World has to reckon .This is an empire situated between BYZANTIUM and the FRANKIAN state that holds its powerful position in Europe.

The enormous profits allow Khan OMURTAG to start extensive construction in the country match its new status. The large constructions of the Bulgarians in Pliska. Madara and Preslav are from that period when material prosperity matched the intellectual abilities of Bulgarians.

Nothing speaks eloquently of the culture of Bulgarians then this construction activity of khan OMURTAG. It is not in any way excelled by the building sites the two neighboring countries of that time.

The fact that enormous construction complexes of one and the same period have been found in three old Bulgarian centers shows that they are not the abodes of the chieftains of horde, recently nomadic, as the ancient Bulgarians are often depicted, but fortresses of a static people, who practices agriculture and husbandry. It cannot be accepted, of course, that these monuments do not reflect the cultural level of a people but are simply scattered remnant of the activity of ambitious rulers who erected forcefully constructions that did not answer the ancient Bulgarian conditions.

It is true that we do not have any stone monument from two centuries of Avar rule. But we have so many lefts by the ancient Bulgarians! Had the palaces of OMURTAG been built by foreign craftsmen they would have still demonstrated that the Bulgarian khan at the beginning of the 9-century felt the stone constructions as something usual. It follows then that his people had been at least for several centuries, a settled people.

Can we consider nomadic a people who produce building materials and erect buildings What is more, near those constructions there are water systems with inscriptions, which are also the work of Bulgarians. Is it possible that the Nomads become exquisite craftsmen within a century In the same way the structure and the plan of the ancient Bulgarian fortresses is in all places typically Bulgarian.

This naturally shows that the Bulgarians came from their eastern fatherland with knowledge and skills in architecture. Their sculptures demonstrate once again the high level of their culture.

Characteristic of these constructions is that they are monumental. Monumentality is a feature not only of the palaces of Bulgarian rulers but also of rock relief inscriptions, The Madar Horseman, in which a Bulgarian khan commemorates the memory of his father. This monument mentality is matched by another expression of the historical feeling of ancient Bulgarians which requires that the deeds of the khans, their predecessors and their kin be related in a written form The historical consciousness of the Bulgarians, embodied in the idea that tradition must be kept brought about the construction of those monuments in which the khans of a well establish

BULGARIA UNDER KING SIMEON (893-927)

There are all reasons to say that the time of king SIMEON marked the highest point in the development of the Bulgarian Kingdom in the middle ages. In the first quarter of the 10th century Bulgaria is an unparalleled in south-eastern Europe and one of the most civilized states in the Christian world.

       Under king SIMEON Byzantium controls only 1/3 of the Balkan territories and is true worried about its future presence on the Peninsula. For the more sagacious contemporaries of the events it is clear that SIMEON intends to change the status quo of Pax

 Byzantina and to create a new imperial system in which the Bulgarians will dominate. The young prince whom the Patriarch of Constantinople Nikolay the Mystic called "THE SO OF PEACE", was born after the conversion to Christianity and had Christian upbringing Later he continues his education in the famous School of Magnaura. In Constantinople the third son of king BORIS, who is preparing for a clerical career, comes to know the source of imperial power, which spring not from human and natural resources, but from thousands of years of cultural tradition that gave the Byzantines self-confidence and pride Years later, on coming back to his home country, SIMEON makes use of his knowledge to set the beginnings of the period of cultural flourish for Bulgaria, known as "THE GOLDEN AGE."

There are several most important aspects in the development of old Bulgarian Christian culture. In monumental art and architecture most impressive are the constructions in the new capital - GREAT PRESLAV - the Round Church and Simeon's Palace, the painted ceramics and decorative plastic art. In their character those monuments have no parallel in the art of construction of the previous periods. This marks even more sharply the ambition of the king to set the beginnings of a new civilization, which must parallel but also oppose Byzantine culture.

By general agreement highest glory during the "The Golden Age" is attributed to the literary achievements of Simeon's circle. It is no wonder then that the literary pieces of that period have remained forever in the cultural treasure of Bulgaria: "Simeon's Collection", "Golden Flow", "Alphabetical Prayer", "Teaching Gospel", "Six-Days Prayer". "The Words" of St. Kliment Ohridski and many others.

The first ten years of the rule of SIMEON pass in creative construction and four wars imposed by the circumstances. Between 894 and 904 Bulgarian troops invade Byzantium for several times and the result is territorial acquisitions in the southwest. The attempt of the empire to use again "the foreign hand", the Magyars, fails. King SIMEON drives them far to the northwest and strikes the border mark at 20 km north of Thessaloniki.

Between 904 and 913 extends the last peaceful period in the rule of SIMEON. When old Bulgarian literature extols him as "the new Ptolomy'' and "lover of books", it has in mind that period exactly. The death of Emperor Leo VI and the coming to the throne of his brother Alexander drastically changed the interrelations with the empire. The grave offense offered on Bulgarian emissaries takes King SIMEON out of the noble dreaming over books and sends him off on the battlefield where he is to remain till the end of his days. In the summer of 913 his troops march towards Constantinople with the intention - as Patriarch Nikolay the Mystic puts it - "to grasp the imperial power" (in Byzantium). What is changed? After the early death of Emperor Alexander the crown is inherited by the under-aged Constantine VII Bagrenorodni whose regent is the ambitious Patriarch Nikolay the Mystic. The situation of Byzantium gives hope to King SIMEON that with some effort and pressure he will succeed in receiving the craved crown of the Roman Basilevs and will set the beginning of a Bulgarian-Byzantine empire with a new orientation. But military demonstrations and the negotiations that followed give no results. Byzantium refuses to recognize the kingly worthiness of the Bulgarian ruler, which means reopening of the war. On August 20, 917, at the river Aheloi, the Byzantines suffer mortal defeat doubled by still another victory of the Bulgarians at Karasirti. After these victories SIMEON proclaims him­self KING, and the archbishop of Bulgaria becomes PATRIARCH.

       King SIMEON succeeds in raising the status of Bulgaria to that of the First permanent Kingdom in Christian Europe and to established the independent status of the Bulgarian Church as the first local public church.

Prof. Dr. Georgi Bakalov

Dean of the Faculty of History

Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"