A Brief History of Bulgaria A Turning Point in History
Headline Challenge In the first half of the 9th century, Bulgaria stood at a crossroads in history, facing a critical moment in the choice of civilization: under the leadership of Krum Khan, Bulgaria had become a powerful force in the Balkans, becoming the third most powerful country alongside the Byzantine Empire and the Frankish Kingdom.
However, the Bulgarians were faced with a major choice: to remain heavily Turkic-influenced"Asian-type country", or accept the baptism of ** religious civilization and become a European country?
This is a decision that the Bulgarians have to make.
Bulgaria, the Byzantine Empire, and the Kingdom of the Franks are three historically important regions and states that had a profound impact on the development and culture of Europe during the medieval period.
Bulgaria is known for its military might and unique culture, the Byzantine Empire is praised for its rich artistic and architectural heritage, and the Frankish Kingdom is one of the leaders of Europe for its great economic and political power.
All three countries were important parts of European history, and their influence continues to this day.
After the death of Krum Khan, Bulgaria entered a historic transformation, and after the efforts of three generations of rulers, under the leadership of Precian I Khan, the Bulgarians made the final decision and opened a new chapter in history.
In this episode, we will look at an important turning point in the history of Bulgaria and the development of the First Bulgarian Empire during this period. We will tell the story of the lives of the three rulers, Omoltag Khan, Malamar Khan and Presian I, and the situation facing the Bulgarian nation at the crossroads of civilizational choices.
We will delve into the actions of Omurtag Khan during his reign, a warlike Khan of 803-814 AD who successfully expanded Bulgaria's borders and brought the country out of the crisis of the 8th century to strength.
His rule ushered in the heyday of the Krum dynasty and left a deep mark on Bulgaria's history.
Krum Khan died during the siege of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, in 814 AD, and his army hurried home after signing a peace treaty. Omoltag, who succeeded to the throne, opened a new chapter in Bulgaria's recuperation.
Krumhan Omoltag, the new ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire, is the son of Krum Khan, who inherited his father's legacy of power, and faced many challenges when he took over power.
Although the date of Omoltag's birth is still unknown, he ascended the throne in 814 AD and ruled Bulgaria for 17 years until his death in 831 AD. His reign is regarded as a very important period in Bulgarian history, as this populous power was widely recognized by European states during the Krum period, demonstrating its strong influence in the Balkans.
It is worth noting that Omoltag is often called"Khan", this is due to the fact that of the first 16 rulers of Bulgaria, only Boris I (that is, Mikhail) used it"Grand Duke"The title.
After Krum's death, the competition for the Bulgarian throne was fierce, but Omoltag won by all means.
Omoltag was a very clever leader, and he understood that the wars waged by his father, Krum Khan, had caused great damage to the country, although it had expanded its borders.
Unlike his father, Omertag's statecraft was to "recuperate", and his goal was to maintain the stability and peace of the country in order to restore and develop the war-torn state, while consolidating the position of the First Bulgarian Empire in the newly conquered territories.
After Krum's death, the Byzantines succeeded in halting the southward expansion of the Bulgarians, recovering Mesembria and Adrianople, forcing the Bulgarians to withdraw from northern Byzantium.
This was another important factor in the decision of the Omoltag in medieval Bulgaria.
In 817 AD, Emperor Leo V of the Byzantine Empire succeeded in defeating the Bulgarians through the Battle of Mysambria (also known as the Battle of Mishambria).
Under these circumstances, Omertag had to sign a 30-year peace treaty with Byzantium at the beginning of his succession.
In 817 AD, Leo V and Omoltag entered into a treaty. The purpose of this treaty was to settle the problems that arose between the two countries during the war, and it was hoped that by rapprochement with Byzantium, Bulgaria would be able to provide an environment of external peace and recuperation.
The first element of the treaty was to establish a formal boundary between the two countries, which would run along the Elksian Trench to the north of the Straja River.
This treaty first settled the border problem between Bulgaria and the Byzantine Eastern Roman Empire. The treaty then dealt in detail with the question of the ownership and religious beliefs of the Slavs captured by Byzantium and the Slavs living in Byzantium, and also dealt with the exchange of prisoners of war.
In the end, after compromise and arguments between the two sides, they reached a result that was relatively satisfactory to both parties.
To defend themselves against each other's attacks, the Slavs, Byzantines, and Bulgarians built earthen ramparts along the Thracian border, which served as a low-profile version of the Great Wall.
After a peace agreement was reached, the Bulgarians targeted their expansion in Croatia, Pannonia, and Serbia.
Bulgaria's security and development are guaranteed under the protection of the topographic map of the Balkan Peninsula. However, Omoltag did not give up on military conquest. During his Khan's reign, Bulgaria still launched three limited military campaigns.
Among them, in 818 AD, the Slavic tribes of the Pannonian region revolted in an attempt to break away from Bulgaria and return to the Frankish kingdom. Although Bulgaria had sent missions to the Kingdom of the Franks on three occasions, no agreement had been reached.
However, in 829 AD, Bulgaria managed to repel the Frankish attack and regain control of the Pannonian region.
Omoltag led the army to successfully stop the encroachment of the Khazars on the northeastern border of Bulgaria and maintain peace in the Pannonian region.
In 823 AD, a civil war broke out within the Byzantine Empire, and Omertag sent troops to assist the new Byzantine monarch Michael II Michael II in quelling the rebellion.
Under the leadership of Michael II, the Bulgarian state prospered. At the same time, Omoltag also seized the opportunity of peace and built a large number of buildings in the country.
Not only did he restore the ruined capital of Prisca, but he also founded a new capital in Veliky Preslav in 821 AD and prepared his mausoleum in a castle on the banks of the Danube.
Historically, at the time of the expansion of the country's territory, Omoltag implemented administrative reforms that divided the country into more than 10 military administrative districts. However, he also ordered the expulsion or extermination of the Slavs and Bulgarians, as well as the Byzantine missionaries.
In 830 AD, a war broke out between Omoltag and the Serbian Grand Duke Latislav. However, the result of this war was that the following year, Omoltag Khan died and was succeeded by his son Malayir Khan.
During his reign, although only five years, Malamir still showed his leadership skills in a limited time. However, despite the lack of success during Malamir's reign, his first man, Plesian I, brought prosperity and development to the country in the following years.
Malamir died after five years of rule in Bulgaria, and state power fell into a brief vacuum. After a series of struggles, Presimian Presian I, the nephew of Malamir, finally ascended to the throne of the Bulgarian Khan.
According to Byzantine records, his father was the second son of Omoltag Khan, the elder brother of Malamir. Presimian Presinian I ruled Bulgaria for 16 years from 836 to 852.
Under his leadership, there were no major events in Bulgaria, and the policy of Omoltag as a whole was still continued.
It is noteworthy that both Malamir Khan and Presian I were outstanding rulers who took over the unfinished business of their predecessors, promoted the integration of Bulgarian and Slavic peoples through expansion and progress, and steadily moved towards the key points of civilization development on the basis of a focus on recuperation.
During the reign of Plecian I, Bulgaria's territorial expansion yielded remarkable results. Under the leadership of the two khans, the Bulgarian army continued to advance southwestward, and in 832 AD succeeded in capturing Plovdiv, the second largest city in present-day Bulgaria.
Soon after, Bulgaria incorporated the Macedonian Slavs inhabited by the Byzantine Empire and important cities such as Ohrid and Bitola.
During the reign of Plecian I Khan, the Bulgarians invaded westward in an attempt to occupy the Serbian Slavs, but met with stubborn resistance and returned in vain in 842 AD.
However, despite this, under the leadership of three generations of Omoltag, Malamir and Presian, Bulgaria's national power has been greatly enhanced and developed.
During the reigns of the Krum, Omoltag, Malamir and Presian Khans, Bulgaria occupied the area east of the Tisza River in Pannonia in the northwest; It is bounded to the west by the cities of Belgrad and Srem, and borders Moravia and emerging Serbia; It expanded to Sofia and present-day Serbia, southern Montenegro, and the Republic of Macedonia (including Ohrid, Kopje, and Kosovo), and gained access to the Aegean Sea between Thrace and Thessaloniki.
In 852, Bulgaria was extended to this point, marking a major turning point in Bulgarian history. This growing power, revered by the Byzantine Empire in the south, aroused the vigilance and fear of the Frankish kingdoms to the west.
Today, the First Bulgarian Empire was militarily prosperous and politically thriving, but its culture was still relatively backward and even regarded as such"Savagery"。
Therefore, after Plecian I, the Bulgarians had to improve their cultural literacy in order to achieve all-round development.
The development of Bulgarian culture faced a major question: should the Bulgarians stick to the Turkic-influenced "Asian-type state", or should they embrace the ** religious civilization as a European country?
At this time, Bulgaria stands at a crossroads in history and is about to make an important choice. So, which civilization will Bulgaria choose? And which outstanding Bulgarian ruler led the Bulgarian people to create their own culture?
How will the process of Slavization of Bulgaria evolve?
Don't miss out on our series updates, so stay tuned for the next installment! Reference books include History of Bulgaria, Ancient History of the Balkans, Dictionary of Foreign Affairs, A Brief History of Bulgaria, Dictionary of European History, Studies of the Relations between Ancient Bulgaria and Byzantium (5th-10th Centuries), and The Country at the Crossroads of the World.