HBRC
Tsar Boris I converted to Christianity (865 AD). One source reports that a Byzantine monk painted a picture of hell on the palace walls frighten Boris into accepting Orthodox Christianity. Many Bulgars object to this characterization as mocking the Tsar and suggesting that his choice of Christianity was unreasoned. There were important cultural and political reasons that influenced Boris to convert the Bulgarians to Christianity. [Cherneva] It was his rule that encoureged that the Cyrilic alphabet was invented and spread. A substantial part part of the European population uses this alphabet. Tsar Simeon (893-927) expanded the Bulgar kingdom. At this time Bulgaria experienced a "Golden Age" since Bulgaria experienced amazing cultural progress and geographically possesed the areas between three seas surrounding the Balkans - Black, Aegean and Adriatic. Simeon was crowned as an 'Emperor of Bulgarians and Romans' by the Patriarch in Constantinople (913). [Cherneva] The Byzantine Emperor, Basil II gained a decisive military victory and had the eyes of 15,000 Bulgarian soldiers put out (1014). Bulgaria came under Byzantine rule in 1018. A Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396) was created when two brothers, Asen and Peter, led a general uprising against Byzantium. The Second Empire extended over Thrace, Macedonia and Albania. It was Tsar Ivan II (Ivan Asen) (1218-1241) who extended the Bulgarian empire over the largest area. He conqquered virtually the entire Balkan Peninsula, except
for Greece in the extreme South which remained under Byzantine control. After Ivan II, Bulgaria declined and was confronted with a rising Srbian Christian kingdom. Macedonian which had been part of Bulgaria was conquered by Serbia (1330). Fighting between the two Christian kingdoms weakened both.
Bulgarian historians often refer to the 8th and 9th centuries as the Golden Age of Bulgaria. String khans/tsars expanded the strengthened the state administrative structure and the expanded the territory.state grew in size and strength and many of the khans. Particularly important were: Kroum, Boris, and Simeon. The Bulgarians expanded at the expense of the Serbs, Macedonians, Greeks and Romanians. The defended their territory against both Barbarians and Byzantines. The feudal system developed especially after the acceptance of Christianity.
Tsar Boris I converted to Christianity (865 AD). One source reports that a Byzantine monk painted a picture of hell on the palace walls frighten Boris into accepting Orthodox Christianity. Many Bulgars object to this characterization as mocking the Tsar and suggesting that his choice of Christianity was unreasoned. There were important cultural and political reasons that influenced Boris to convert the Bulgarians to Christianity. [Cherneva] Boris established the first self-governing Eastern church independent of the Patriarch in Constantinople. Boris incouraged the construction of churches. These beautifully decorated. churches became centers of the country's Slavonic culture. Tsar Boris promoted the Church in other ways. He invited followers of St Cyril and St Methodius to come to Ohrid, medieval Bulgaria's second largest city. One of these followers was St Kliment. He invented a new alphabet for writing the Bulgarian language (886). He called the alphabet Cyrillic in honor of St Cyril. Boris encoureged the use of Cyrilic and it was rapidly adopted by the Church an nobility. Cyrillic was subsequently adopted by the Russians and today is used by a substantial part part of the European population.
Tsar Simeon expanded the Bulgar kingdom. At this time Bulgaria experienced a "Golden Age" since Bulgaria experienced amazing cultural progress and geographically possesed the areas between three seas surrounding the Balkans - Black, Aegean and Adriatic. Simeon was crowned as an 'Emperor of Bulgarians and Romans' by the Patriarch in Constantinople (913). [Cherneva] Tsar Simeon defeated the Byzantines in a major battle at Aheloi (917). This extended the territory of the kingdom to Macedonia and Thrace.
A variety of problems began to fester during the reign of Tsar Petar. Internal conflicts between the nobility contesting land claims became increasingly violent. The same kind of problems were being reported in Western Christendom. The Byzantine Empire posed an ongoing military threat.um also posed a constant threat. Bulgaria also experienced increasinf religious turmoil. Some Bulgarians became increasingly skeptical about Church dogma. The Bogomil sect acquired adherents. They had a dualistic and severe awsthetic concept of Christianity and believed in attempting to imitate the apostles. This was same movement as the Cathars which subsequently appeared in France and Italy.
The same trends which developed during the reign of Petar intensified during Boris' reign. Byzantine military campaigns significantly reduced the Bulgar territory. The reduced state was called the Western Kingdom centered around Ohrid.
Tsar Samil attempted to save the Bulgar state. He achieved some success, but was died from wounds suffered fighting the Byzantines at the battle of Strumnitsa (1014). The Byzantines subsequently took Ohrid (1018). The Bukgarian kingdom thus became a Byzantine province.
Byzantine Emperor Basil II gained a decisive military victory over Tsar Samil at Strumnitsa (1014). Basil had the eyes of 15,000 Bulgarian soldiers put out. The remaining area of Bulgaria came under Byzantine rule (1018). One of the major changes during the Byzantine era was that the independent Bulgarian church was extensively Hellenised. The Byzanties also influenced Bulgarian architecture and art. This was the era of the Crusades against Islam to liberate the Holy Land.. The Bulgarians suffered greatly from the first and fourth Crusades waged by Western Chrisrtendom organized and promoted by the Roman popes. Both passed through Bulgaria. The Western knights viewed Orthodox Christianity as a dangerous heresy.
A Second Bulgarian Empire was created when two brothers from a nobel (boyar) family, Asen and Peter, led a general uprising against Byzantium. They proclaimed a Second Empire with territory extending over modern Thrace, Macedonia and Albania. The capital was at Veliko Tārnovo. Tsar Kaloyan (1197-1207) took Varna and parts of Macedonia and Thrace from the Byzantines and Adrianople from the Holy Roman Empire (1205). Tsar Boril (1207-1218) provedvto be a weal leader and an increasingly chaotic state developed. Tsar Ivan II (Ivan Asen) (1218-1241) restored order and extended the Bulgarian empire over the largest area. Ivan defeated Epirus at Klokotnitsa. He conqquered virtually the entire Balkan Peninsula, except for Greece in the extreme South which remained under Byzantine control. The Bulgarians established a patriarchy (1235). After Ivan II, Bulgaria declined. A Mongol incursion did considerable damage (1242).
and was confronted with a rising Srbian Christian kingdom. Macedonian which had been part of Bulgaria was conquered by Serbia (1330). Fighting between the two Christian kingdoms weakened both. Bulgaria was weakened by unternal feudal principalities. The central state virtually diintegrated (1285). Ivan Aleksander (1331-71) restored central authority, but the feudal infighting disastroiusly weakened the Bulgarian state.
Cherneva, Iveto. E-mail message, February 15, 2004.
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