Founding of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185)

Name: Founding of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185)
Start: 1185
End: 1186

Type Event Region Europe Time 1185–1186

In late 1185, Bulgarian nobles Peter and the brothers Ivan and Asen rose up in Tarnovo, declaring independence from Byzantine rule and rebuilding the…

Timeline

1185Tarnovo · BulgariaBulgarian nobles Peter and the brothers Ivan Asen, dissatisfied with Byzantine heavy taxes and ethnic oppression, organized an uprising in the Balkan Mountains. They rallied Bulgarian people against Byzantine rule by claiming a miracle: the icon of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki 'descended' to Tarnovo.
1185–1186Tarnovo · BulgariaAfter capturing Tarnovo, the rebel forces formally proclaimed the rebuilding of the Bulgarian state, and Peter was enthroned as tsar. The new regime made Tarnovo its capital, restored Bulgarian Orthodox and Slavic cultural traditions, marking the birth of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
1186Balkan Mountains · BulgariaByzantine emperor Isaac II sent troops to suppress the revolt, and the new empire turned to guerrilla resistance in the mountains. Though the Bulgarians briefly lost Tarnovo, the rebels quickly recovered lost ground, proving the Second Empire had the political and military foundations for independent survival.

Sources

The Late Medieval Balkans — John V. A. Fine Jr. (1987)