Second Bulgarian Empire: Map & History
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1396.
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The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1396. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th century.
Modern Countries Once Part of Second Bulgarian Empire
At its mapped extent, Second Bulgarian Empire covered territory in 7 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- North Macedonia1206–1249 CE · nearly all
- Bulgaria1188–1394 CE · most
- Serbia1188–1249 CE · a large part
- Romania1188–1362 CE · a large part
- Albania1236–1249 CE · a small part
- Greece1236–1249 CE · a small part
- Turkey1236–1249 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Second Bulgarian Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Second Bulgarian Empire in Depth
History
The disastrous rule of the last Komnenian emperor Andronikos I (r. 1183–85) worsened the situation of the Bulgarian peasantry and nobility. The first act of his successor Isaac II Angelos was to impose an extra tax to finance his wedding. In 1185, two aristocrat brothers from Tarnovo, Theodore and Asen, asked the emperor to provide them a relatively poor pronoia in the Balkan Mountains, in exchange for military service. The emperor refused, resulting in a heated argument which saw Asen struck across the face. Upon their return to Tarnovo, the brothers commissioned the construction of a church dedicated to Saint Demetrius of Salonica. They showed the populace a celebrated icon of the saint, who they claimed had left Thessalonica to support the Bulgarian cause and called for a rebellion.
Military
The emperor of the Second Bulgarian Empire was commander-in-chief of its army; the second-in-command was the velik (great) voivoda. The detachments of the army were led by a voivoda. The protostrator was responsible for the defence of certain regions and the recruitment of soldiers. In the late 12th century, the army numbered 40,000 men-at-arms. The country could mobilize around 100,000 men in the first decade of the 13th century; Kaloyan reportedly offered Baldwin I, the leader of the Fourth Crusade, 100,000 soldiers to help him take Constantinople. By the end of the 13th century, the military declined and the army was reduced to fewer than 10,000 men—it was recorded that Ivaylo defeated two Byzantine armies of 5,000 and 10,000 men, and that his troops were outnumbered in both cases.
Economy
The economy of the Second Bulgarian Empire was based on agriculture, mining, traditional crafts, and trade. Agriculture and livestock breeding remained the mainstays of the Bulgarian economy between the 12th and 14th centuries. Moesia, Zagore, and Dobrudzha were known for rich harvests of grain, including high quality wheat. Production of wheat, barley, and millet was also developed in most regions of Thrace. The main wine-producing areas were Thrace, the Black Sea coast, and the valleys of the Struma and Vardar rivers in Macedonia. Production of vegetables, orchards, and grapes became increasingly important since the beginning of the 13th century.
Culture
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a centre of a thriving culture that reached its peak in the mid-to-late 14th century during the reign of Ivan Alexander (r. 1331–71). Bulgarian architecture, arts, and literature spread beyond the borders of Bulgaria into Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, and the Russian principalities and affected Slavic culture. Bulgaria was influenced by the contemporaneous Byzantine cultural trends. The main cultural and spiritual centre was Tarnovo, which grew into a "Second Constantinople" or "Third Rome".
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Second Bulgarian Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Second Bulgarian Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Veliko Tarnovo |
|---|---|
| Official language | Old Church Slavonic |
| Religion | Bulgarian Orthodox Church |
| Form of government | autocracy |
| Founded | 1185 |
| Dissolved | 1396 |
Facts from Wikidata Q420759 (CC0).
Second Bulgarian Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Second Bulgarian Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Second Bulgarian Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 312,296 km² in 1238 CE.
Second Bulgarian Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Second Bulgarian Empire exist?
The Second Bulgarian Empire is dated to 1188 CE – 1394 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire?
The capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire was Tarnovo, (1185–1393), Nikopol, (1393–1395), Vidin (1356/1396 as capital of the Tsardom of Vidin).
How large was the Second Bulgarian Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1238 AD the Second Bulgarian Empire covered about 312,296 km².
How did the map of the Second Bulgarian Empire change over time?
The Second Bulgarian Empire appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1200 CE to 1300 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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