Asparukh Bulgars
Asparukh Khan of the Bulgars, Male 618 - 701
Born, Eastern Bulgaria.
Died, Eastern Bulgaria.
History has not been generous in terms of written evidenc
e about Asparoukh. Old chronicles simply mention the son o
f Khan Kubrat who acquired experience in politics and state
smanship in Great Bulgaria. When the state disintegrated un
der pressure from the Khazars, he and his brothers resume
d their nomadic life, rocked by the waves of migration an
d military clashes.
e before crossing the Danubian delta and settling in the On
gul area (Southern Bessarabia). It is impossible to guess w
hat made the leader head south to the lands of mighty Byzan
tium. Yet in 680, while alighting from his horse, he knew h
is tribe was to settle there at last.
n the 10th century the Khazar ruler Joseph left a written s
tatement that the greatest part of the Bulgars had followe
d Asparukh. The Name List of Bulgarian Khans says clearly t
hat the state Asparukh founded was the direct and the singl
e successor to Khan Kubrat's Great Bulgaria.
nent unified state that Great Bulgaria had failed to become
. It was in union with the Slavic tribes south of the Danub
e that they would succeed.
e Byzantine lands, their burning and destruction paving th
e way for the founding of the future state. Their closenes
s to the Byzantine strongholds posed a serious threat to th
e empire. They set up large tribal alliances, among which t
he seven Slavic tribes and the Severians, inhabiting the la
nds between the Danube and the Balkan range, were the mos
t powerful. They were just a step away from statehood. The
y were to make that last historic step together with Asparu
kh's Bulgars.
e Slavic tribes to fight against Byzantium. In 680 he defea
ted the Byzantine army and swiftly moved from the Danubia
n delta down to the Balkan range. And thus Asparukh founde
d a state of Slavs and Bulgars, binding his tribe with th
e tribal alliance of the seven Slavic tribes and the Severi
ans.
d towns. As the Byzantines were unable to stop him, Empero
r Constantine IV Pogonatus was compelled to sue for peace
, thus recognizing the new state to which he was to pay ann
ual tribute. Pliska, a city in today's Central Bulgaria, be
came the first capital of the new state.
f tribes, it could not be established in one fell swoop bu
t would have to be built over the course of several generat
ions. The Slavs and the Bulgars retained their self-governm
ent and the territorial autonomy of their tribes. It is tel
ling that in the historical sources from the end of the 7t
h to the beginning of the 10th century the new state is ref
erred to as a Slav-Bulgar state.
mander of the army in times of war. The Slavs defended th
e northwestern border to the Carpathians against frequent a
ttacks by the Avars. To the east the Black Sea coast was th
e natural borderline.
gainst the Khazar invasions, far beyond the Danube. The sou
thern border along the ridge of the Balkan range all the wa
y to the Timok river was guarded against the Byzantine thre
at by the combined efforts of Bulgars and Slavs.
sion of Slavs and Bulgars were also incorporated into the n
ew state.
itician and statesman, diplomat and warrior. Time taught hi
m skills very few leaders of his rank possessed. In a centu
ry when rulers cut their way into the future with their swo
rds, Asparukh held out his hand to the Slavs and offered th
em peace, a move which proved essential to the survival o
f the new state.
t that the combined efforts of Bulgars and Slavs made the
m much less vulnerable. Asparukh kept an ardent watch ove
r the alliance and severely punished any violation of it
. A tireless builder and a just arbitrator, he was the perf
ect leader of an emerging state in times when only God know
s whether peaceful construction or military power would hav
e better safeguarded its survival. This first ruler of Bulg
aria died in 700 in one of the many battles in defense of t
he new state.
Sources
- Ballard, Mark W..ged - provided by LifeTimes Research
Created by LifeTimes Research ...
