History
|
PROTOBULGARIANS – THE ANCESTORS | |
| The first Slavica tribes came to Bulgaria in the 5th, 6th century. Protobulgarians came from Central Asia. They settled at the Azov Sea but were quickly driven away by the Khazars. One group lead by khan Asparuh reached the Danube. The ruler entered allied with 7 local Slavic tribes and conquered large piece of land, and founded the first Bulgarian state in 681. The nomads mixed with the Slavs, got off their horses and started cultivating land. |
|
THE FIRST BULGARIAN STATE | |
| The Protobulgarians created a new state – gave it its social, military and political structures. Protobulgarians and Slavs differed – Christianity and the alphabet joined them together in one nation. In 865, khan Boris I acknowledged Greek Orthodox Church to be the national religion because of the subordination of the Orthodox Church to secular authority. The king was subordinated to the pope in Christian tradition. Khan Boris I Michael was baptized on the day before Whitsuntide, May 25 866. He was given a new name – Michael – in honor of his godfather, Michael III. A powerful state was founded – the capital was in Pliska [north-west]. Bulgaria experiences prosperity under the rule of tsar Simeon I, in 893 – 927. Bulgaria becomes the largest Slavic culture center. Simeon I reached the greatest territorial extension – he joined Thracia and Macedonia to Bulgaria and moved the border to Constantinople. He moved the capital to Preslav. The invention of Cyrillic alphabet contributed to cultural development. Simeon I bought out 7 slaves [students of the late Cyril and Methodius, set the free and established 7 schools in 7 places of his kingdom. It was probably Kliment of Ochryda who created a new alphabet – simpler than the Glagolitic alphabet and called it the Cyrillic alphabet in honor of his master. |
|
THE BYZANTINE OCCUPATION, THE BOGOMIL MOVEMENT | |
|
In 10th century, Bulgaria is at war with the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine emperor, Basil II conquers the territory of Bulgaria. It is the end of the First Bulgarian Empire. It is also the time of religious movements. A ‘bogomil’ movement appears on the stage.
|
|
THE SECOND BULGARIAN EMPIRE | |
|
Two brave brothers – Asen and Peter – founded the Second Bulgarian Empire [an uprising in Tyrnovo]. Tyrnovo became the capital city. Bulgaria recovered its former territories under the rule of Joan called Kalojan. The state was however conquered by the Ottoman Empire because of the increasing importance of magnates [the reason for the state’s collapse].
|
|
THE OTTOMAN RULE | |
|
Bulgaria becomes an Otoman province for five centuries. It had not however lost its identity. The Turkish imposed Islam and built mosques literally everywhere. Monasteries were the mainstay for the Bulgarians. Resistance movement had its center here. All religious rituals and national language survived thanks to monasteries. Many Bulgarians had to convert to Islam to remain alive – Slavs who converted to Islam were called the Pomacs.
|
