First Bulgarian Empire

The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval state in Southeastern Europe from the 7th to the 11th centuries AD. It began in 680–681 when a group of Bulgars, led by Asparuh, moved south to the northeastern Balkans. They won the right to live there after defeating the Byzantine army.

The empire grew to cover a large area, from the Danube Bend to the Black Sea and from the Dnieper River to the Adriatic Sea. It became a strong and important part of the region.

The First Bulgarian Empire had a changing relationship with the Byzantine Empire. Sometimes they were enemies in several wars, and sometimes they were friends. A well-known event was when the Bulgarian army helped stop the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople, which protected Europe from an Arab invasion. Over time, Bulgaria adopted many Byzantine traditions, including Christianity in 864. This shaped its culture and society.

As the empire grew, the Bulgars mixed with local South Slavic tribes and began speaking a Slavic language. This helped create a shared Bulgarian identity. The empire became a key center for Slavic Europe, especially after creating the Glagolitic alphabet and the Early Cyrillic alphabet. These writing systems spread across Eastern Europe and helped keep Slavic culture alive.

In its later years, the First Bulgarian Empire faced challenges from nearby lands. Leaders like Simeon I led battles to expand the empire’s lands. However, after a big defeat by the Byzantines under Basil II in 1014, the empire grew weaker. By 1018, the First Bulgarian Empire ended, but its influence continued through its culture, language, and the later Second Bulgarian Empire that began in 1185.

Nomenclature

The First Bulgarian Empire became known as Bulgaria after the Byzantine Empire recognized it in 681. Some historians call it Danubian Bulgaria, the First Bulgarian State, or the First Bulgarian Tsardom (Empire).

Between 681 and 864, the country was called the Bulgarian Khanate or the Danubian Bulgarian Khanate. It was named after the title khan used by its rulers. After it became Christian in 864 and adopted Old Church Slavonic as its official language in 893, its leaders took the title of Tsar. The land became known as the Tsardom of Bulgaria. In English, it is often called the Bulgarian Empire.

Background

Balkans during the early Migration Period

See also: Thracians and Migration Period

The eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula was where the Thracians lived long ago. Later, the Roman Empire ruled this area. But when the Roman Empire grew weaker, new groups like the Goths and Huns came in and caused trouble. The Byzantine Empire, what was left of Rome, tried to stay in control but had a hard time, especially far from the coast.

Slavic migrations to the Balkans

Main article: South Slavs

The Slavs lived north of the Danube River before they moved into the Balkans. Many of them arrived in the 500s and 600s and settled in places such as Thessaly, Thrace, and Peloponnese. The Byzantines could only stay in spots like Salonica and a few coastal towns.

Bulgars

Main articles: Bulgars and Old Great Bulgaria

The Bulgars were nomadic people who lived near the Black Sea and the Volga River. They were good at riding horses and spoke a Turkic language. In the 600s, a leader named Kubrat brought many Bulgar tribes together into a big group called Old Great Bulgaria. After Kubrat died, his sons went their separate ways. One group, led by Asparuh, moved toward the Danube River.

History

The First Bulgarian Empire was a strong medieval state in Europe from the 7th to the 11th centuries. It started in 680–681 when Bulgars, led by Asparuh, settled in the northeastern Balkans after defeating the Byzantine army. The empire grew to stretch from the Danube River to the Black Sea, becoming a major power.

Bulgaria had many interactions with the Byzantine Empire, sometimes friendly and sometimes not. During its peak in the 9th and 10th centuries, Bulgaria grew larger and played an important role in the region’s history. Leaders like Simeon I helped make the empire strong and rich. However, by the late 10th century, the empire began to weaken and eventually came under Byzantine control.

Government

The First Bulgarian Empire was ruled by a king. The ruler was first called a Khan, then later a Knyaz or Tsar. The king led the army, acted as a judge, and served as a religious leader when the people still followed their old beliefs. Big decisions were often made by the People's Council, which included nobles and ordinary people.

The second most important leader was the kavhan, who helped govern and lead part of the army. Another important person was the ichirgu-boila, who also led soldiers and handled matters with other countries. Bulgaria had different social groups, including nobles called boilas and common people. The nobles had a lot of power, but their influence lessened after some of them disagreed with adopting Christianity.

Military

Main article: Medieval Bulgarian army

The First Bulgarian Empire needed a strong army to stay safe from attacks. The soldiers had weapons like sabres, swords, battle axes, spears, pikes, daggers, arkans, and bows and arrows. They wore helmets, mail armor, and carried shields to protect themselves.

The Bulgarian army was famous for its heavy cavalry. These were riders with armor and horses that also had armor. They were good at using clever plans like ambushes and fake retreats. The army also used siege engines like catapults, scorpions, siege towers, and battering rams when attacking strong cities.

Economy and urbanism

Agriculture was the main part of the First Bulgarian Empire's economy. It was helped by the rich soils in areas like Moesia, Thrace, and Macedonia. People grew wheat, rye, and millet for food, and grapes for wine. They also raised animals such as cattle, sheep, and horses for food, clothing, and work. Crafts like making metal, stone, and wood items were also important, especially in cities like Preslav.

Trade was very important because Bulgaria was located between big powers like the Byzantine Empire and Central Europe. Bulgarian traders had their own area in Constantinople. They traded goods such as gold, silks, and wine. Cities like Preslav and Preslavets were very busy with markets and workshops. Even though the empire did not make its own coins, people paid taxes with goods like crops and animals. Many towns and cities grew up, and Preslav became one of the largest cities in Europe at the time.

Religion

For many years, the Bulgarian state followed pagan beliefs. The Bulgars and Slavs had their own gods. The main Bulgarian god was Tangra, the God of the Sky. Leaders took part in important religious events.

Christianity was also around, especially after the wars of Khan Krum. Some Christians faced hard times, but the religion kept growing. Later, Khan Boris I chose to adopt Christianity in 863. This helped Bulgaria build better relationships with other Christian countries. Boris I was baptized and took the name of his godfather, Emperor Michael.

After turning to Christianity, Bulgaria started its own church. Leaders wanted this church to be separate from Byzantine control. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church grew and became a key part of the country’s culture and identity. Monasteries also became important centers for learning and religion.

Main article: Christianization of Bulgaria

Main article: Bogomilism

Formation of Bulgarian nationality

The Bulgarian state began before the Bulgarian people fully formed. Slavs mixed with local Thracian people. After 681, as settlements grew and connections improved, differences between Slavic tribes faded. By the late 9th century, Bulgars, Slavs, and Romanized or Hellenized Thracians had lived together for almost two hundred years. Many Bulgars began using the Slavic Old Bulgarian language, while the original Bulgar language slowly disappeared.

The Christianization of Bulgaria, along with establishing Old Bulgarian as the language of the state and church under Boris I and creating the Cyrillic script, helped form a unified Bulgarian nation in the 9th century. This included areas such as Macedonia, where another Bulgarian leader, Kuber, had established a state alongside Asparuh’s Bulgarian Empire. Using Christianity helped unite these groups into one culture. By the end of the 9th century, the Bulgarians had become one Slavic nationality with a strong sense of identity.

Main article: Christianization of Bulgaria

Culture

The First Bulgarian Empire had a rich culture called the Pliska-Preslav culture, named after its first two capitals, Pliska and Preslav. Important monuments from this time have been found in places like Madara, Shumen, Novi Pazar, and Han Krum, as well as in Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece. Writings from this time talk about a society with many books, monasteries, and wealthy people.

The first capital, Pliska, was large and well-protected with strong walls and towers. It had a palace, temples, and homes for important people, along with baths, shops, and workshops. The second capital, Preslav, was also big and had many buildings, including palaces, churches, and homes. The city had good roads and places for trading. After Bulgaria adopted Christianity in 864, many churches and monasteries were built. These buildings were often decorated with beautiful carvings and tiles. One famous monument is the Madara Rider, a large carving of a horseman on a cliff. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage List site.

Literature

Creation of the Slavic writing system

See also: Old Church Slavonic, Glagolitic alphabet, and Cyrillic script

Boris I wanted to teach his people the new religion, but many religious books were still in Greek. Between 860 and 863, two Byzantine monks named Saints Cyril and Methodius created the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet for Slavic languages. They used a local Slavic dialect from the area of Thessaloniki, which later became known as Old Church Slavonic or Old Bulgarian.

Boris I asked some of their students to start schools to train Bulgarian priests. Clement went to Kutmichevitsa in Macedonia and founded the Ohrid Literary School, teaching many students. Naum started a school in the capital Pliska, which later moved to Preslav. In the late 9th or early 10th century, the Cyrillic script was created at the Preslav Literary School. It was based on the Greek alphabet but added new letters for sounds not found in Greek. Over time, Cyrillic replaced Glagolitic in Bulgaria and spread throughout the Eastern Orthodox Slavic world.

Literary activities

Main article: Medieval Bulgarian literature

The creation of Old Church Slavonic helped keep the South Slavs distinct from nearby cultures and strengthened Bulgarian identity. Writers first translated books from Greek on topics like theology, history, and geography. Literature grew during the rule of Simeon I, who loved learning and brought many scholars to his court. They translated many books from Greek and wrote new ones. Important writers included Constantine of Preslav, John the Exarch, and Chernorizets Hrabar.

One early original work was On the Letters by Chernorizets Hrabar, where he defended the Cyrillic alphabet. Constantine of Preslav wrote the Didactic Gospel, the first systematic collection of sermons in Slavic literature. John the Exarch wrote the Shestodnev, which described life in the Bulgarian Empire under Simeon I.

Besides official writings, people also enjoyed stories with legends and hopes. Bulgarian literature influenced many other Slavic countries and regions, including Kievan Rus', medieval Serbia, medieval Croatia, Wallachia, and Moldavia.