First Bulgarian Empire

A medieval Bulgarian state in southeastern Europe, established in the late seventh century and conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 1018.

Battle of Ongal: A battle in 680 or 681 in which Bulgar forces defeated a Byzantine army near the Danube delta. The victory enabled Asparuh’s Bulgars to establish a state south of the Danube.
Krum: A ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire from about 803 until 814, known for expansion and conflict with Byzantium. His campaigns enlarged the state, while his legal reforms became part of Bulgarian tradition.
Boris I of Bulgaria: The Bulgarian ruler who reigned from 852 to 889 and oversaw the country’s conversion to Christianity. His religious policy redirected Bulgarian diplomacy and reshaped the state’s institutions.
Cyrillic script: A writing system used for many Slavic languages, developed in the medieval First Bulgarian Empire. Bulgarian literary centers helped adapt and spread the script across Slavic Christian communities.
Asparuh: A Bulgar ruler traditionally regarded as the founder of the First Bulgarian Empire. His leadership connected the Bulgar crossing of the Danube with the state’s foundation.
Omurtag: A Bulgarian ruler who reigned from about 814 to 831 and pursued peace with Byzantium and major construction. His inscriptions and building projects reveal how the central authority represented itself.
Simeon I of Bulgaria: A Bulgarian ruler from 893 to 927 whose reign brought territorial expansion and a flourishing literary culture. His rule marks the empire’s political and cultural high point.
Clement of Ohrid: A medieval Bulgarian scholar and missionary who helped establish Slavic Christian education in the region of Ohrid. His teaching extended the empire’s literary and religious culture beyond its capital.
Old Great Bulgaria: A seventh-century polity of the Bulgars north of the Black Sea, associated with Kubrat. Its fragmentation preceded Asparuh’s migration toward the lower Danube.
Preslav: A medieval Bulgarian city that became the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire in the ninth century. Its court and architecture concentrated political power after the capital shifted from Pliska.

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