Part of the History of Bulgaria series
First Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
Ottoman Bulgaria
Independent Bulgaria
Communist Bulgaria
Democratic Bulgaria

Image File history File links Bulgarian_flag. ... The history of Bulgaria as a separate country began in the 7th century with the arrival of the Bulgars and the foundation of the First Bulgarian Empire together with the local seven Slavic tribes, a union recognized by Byzantium in 681. ... St Ivan of Rila, patron saint of Bulgaria The history of Bulgaria began in the 7th century CE with the arrival of the Bulgars in the Balkans. ... The history of Bulgaria began in the 7th century AD with the arrival of the Bulgars in the Balkans. ... Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria The Bulgarians wrote themselves an advanced democratic constitution, and power soon passed to the Liberal Party led by Stefan Stambolov. ... Communist Bulgaria began as the Peoples Republic of Bulgaria (PRB) in 1944, and ended in 1991. ... By the time the impact of Mikhail Gorbachevs reform program in the Soviet Union was felt in Bulgaria in the late 1980s, the Communists, like their leader, had grown too feeble to resist the demand for change for long. ...

Early centuries of Ottoman rule

Organisation of Ottoman Bulgaria

The Ottomans reorganised the Bulgarian territories as the Beyerlik of Rumili, ruled by a Beylerbey at Sofia. This territory, which included Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia, was divided into several sanjaks, each ruled by a Sanjakbey accountable to the Beylerbey. Significant part of the conquered land was parcelled out to the Sultan's followers, who held it as feudal fiefs (small timars, medium ziyamet and large hases) directly from him. That category of land could not be sold or inherited, but reverted to the Sultan when the fiefholder died. The rest of the lands were organized as private possessions of the Sultan or Ottoman nobility, called "mülk", and also as economic base for religious foundations, called "vakιf". Bulgarians gave multiple regularly paid taxes as a tithe ("yushur"), a capitation tax ("dzhizie"), a land tax ("ispench"), a levy on commerce and so on and also various group of irregularly collected taxes, products and corvees ("avariz"). Official website: sofia. ... In ancient geography, Moesia was a district inhabited chiefly by Thracian peoples. ... Thrace (Greek Θρᾴκη, ThrákÄ“, Bulgarian Тракия, Trakija, Turkish Trakya; Latin: Thracia or Threcia) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe spread over southern Bulgaria, northeastern Greece (Western Thrace), and European Turkey. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ...

Oppression Against the Bulgarian Population

The Ottoman Rule was a period of brutal oppression against Christians on the Balkan Peninsula. The Empire maintained a rule based on terror and excessive violence. Every accusation of insubordination was punished with death. Christians within the Empire were known as “gyaurs” and lacked even basic rights. The received very little or no protection for their life and property. In courts they had lower standing than Muslims and their testimony as witnesses was disregarded. In addition, Christians were forced to pay much higher taxes than Muslims. This was one of the main reasons why the Ottomans did not convert much of the Christian population to Islam.

The Ottomans did not normally require the Christians to become Muslims. Nevertheless, there were many cases of individual or mass forced islamization, especially in the Rhodopes. Non-Muslims did not serve in the Sultan's army. The exception to this were some groups of the population with specific statute, usually used for auxiliary or rear services, and the famous "tribute of children" (or blood tax), also known as the "devsirme", whereby every fifth young boy was taken to be trained as a warrior of the Empire. These boys went through harsh religios and military training that turned them into an elite corps subservient to the Sultan. These corps were called Janissaries (yenicheri or "new force") and were an elite and loyal unit of the Ottoman army. The Rhodopes (also spelled Rodopi) are a mountain range, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. ... Devshirmeh (Turkish devşirme) refers to the system used by the Ottoman sultans to tax newly conquered states, and build a loyal slave army and class of administrators: the Janissaries. ... The Janissaries (or janizaries; in Turkish: Yeniçeri, meaning New Troops) comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultans household troops and bodyguard. ...

After the Ottoman conquest all major centers of Bulgarian culture were destroyed, most of the written works were lost and the educated clergy that survived escaped to other Slavic countries. Bulgarian culture entered a long period of slumber, during which it was isolated from many of the processes that occurred throughout the rest of Europe.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church

The Sultan regarded the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Constanstinople Patriarchate as the leader of the Christian peoples of his empire. The independent Bulgarian Patriarchate was suppressed, and the Patriarch of Constantinople given control of the Bulgarian Church. The autonomous Ochrid Archbishopric was abolished in 1767. This remained a source of discontent throughout the Ottoman period. Since few outside the church were literate, the dominance of the Greek clergy led to the decline of Bulgarian elite culture. There was not a single pure Bulgarian-language modern school in the country until 1835. The Patriarch of Constantinople is the Ecumenical Patriarch, the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ... The Patriarch of Constantinople is the Ecumenical Patriarch, ranking as the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox communion. ... The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6. ... The Archbishopric of Ohrid (Ohrid Archbishopric, Archbishopric of First Justiniana) was an autonomous Orthodox Church under the tutelage of the Patriarch of Constantinople between 1019 and 1767, seated in Ohrid. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

First revolts and the Great Powers

Nevertheless, while the Ottomans were ascendant, there was certain overt opposition to their rule. First revolt began over 1408 when two Bulgarian nobles, Konstantin and Fruzhin, liberated some regions for several years. Then there were rebellions in 1598 and 1686 around the old capital Tarnovo followed by the Chiprovtsi uprising in 1688 and insurrection in Macedonia led by Karposh in 1689, both provoked by the Austrians as part of their long war with the Ottomans. All of the uprisings were unsuccessful and were drowned in blood. Most of them resulted in massive waves of exiles, often numbering hundreds of thousands. In 1739 the Treaty of Belgrade between Austrian empire and the Ottoman Empire ended Austrian interest in the Balkans for a century. But by the 18th century the rising power of Russia was making itself felt in the area. The Russians, as fellow Orthodox Slavs, could appeal to the Bulgarians in a way that the Austrians could not. The Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji of 1774 gave Russia the right to interfere in Ottoman affairs to protect the Sultan's Christian subjects. Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I. April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... Events The League of Augsburg is founded. ... Veliko Tarnovo (Cyrillic: Велико Търново, Great Tarnovo, also Veliko Turnovo) is a city of approximately 65,000 people in North-central Bulgaria, 240km north-east of Sofia. ... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Events January 1 - Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier. ... The Treaty of Belgrade was the peace treaty signed on September 18, 1739 in Belgrade, Serbia by the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Austria on the other. ... The Habsburg Monarchy, often called Austrian Monarchy or simply Austria, are the territories ruled by the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine, between 1526 and 1867/1918. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji (Küçük Kaynarca) was signed on July 21, 1774, between Russia (represented by Field-Marshal Rumyantsev) and the Ottoman Empire after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. ... 1774 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The struggle for independence

Bulgarian nationalism emerged in the early 19th century under the influence of western ideas such as liberalism and nationalism, which trickled into the country after the French revolution, mostly via Greece. The Greek revolt against the Ottomans which began in 1821 (see History of Ottoman Greece), also influenced the small Bulgarian educated class. But Greek influence was limited by the general Bulgarian resentment of Greek control of the Bulgarian Church, and it was the struggle to revive an independent Bulgarian Church which first roused Bulgarian nationalist sentiment. When some Bulgarians threatened to abandon the Orthodox Church altogether and form a Bulgarian Uniate church loyal to Rome, the Russians intervened with the Sultan. In 1870 a Bulgarian Exarchate was created by a Sultan edict, and the first Bulgarian Exarch (Antim I) became the natural leader of the emerging nation. The Constantinople Patriarch reacted by excommunicating the Bulgarian Exarchate, which reinforced their will for independence. This article discusses liberalism as a major political ideology as it developed and stands currently. ... // Nationalism is an ideology that holds that (ethnically or culturally defined) nations are the fundamental units for human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate basis for the state, and that each nation... The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a period in the history of France. ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of Navarino, in October 1827, marked the effective end of Ottoman Rule in Greece Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 14th century until its declaration of independence in 1821. ... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Bulgarian Exarchate was an independent Bulgarian ecclesiastical organisation established on February 28, 1870 by decree of Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz of the Ottoman Empire. ... Antim I, born as Atanas Mihaylov, : Атанас Михайлов (1816, Lozengrad (Kirklareli), the Ottoman Empire, – December 1, 1888, Sofia) was a Bulgarian Exarch from 1872 to 1877. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Another source of the Bulgarian national revival was the Romantic nationalist vision of a people sharing oral traditions and practices. These ideas were stimulated by the work of Johann Gottfried Herder in particular, and were reinforced by Russian Slavophiles and the model Serbian nationalism under the stimulus of scholar-publicists such as Vuk Karadzic. In Bulgaria, the scholar and newspaper editor Lyuben Karavelov played an important role in collecting and publishing oral traditions, and comparing them with the traditions of other Slavic peoples. The Bulgarian national revival (Vazrazdane) was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people in the Ottoman Empire. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Johann Gottfried Herder Johann Gottfried von Herder (August 25, 1744 – December 18, 1803), German poet, critic, theologian, and philosopher, is best known for his influence on authors such as Goethe and the role he played in the development of the larger cultural movement known as romanticism. ... A Slavophile was an advocate of the supremacy of Slavic culture over that of others, especially Western European culture. ... Vuk Stefanović Karadžić (Вук Стефановић Караџић) (November 7, 1787 - February 7, 1864) was a Serb linguist and major reformer of the Serbian language. ... Lyuben Karavelov was a Bulgarian writer and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival born around 1834 in Koprivshtitsa. ...

The April uprising

In April 1876 the Bulgarians revolted in the so-called April uprising. The uprising was organised by the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee and was inspired by the insurrection in Bosnia and Herzegovina the previous year. The revolt was largely confined to the region of Plovdiv, though certain districts in northern Bulgaria, in Macedonia and in the area of Sliven also took part in it. The uprising was crushed with cruelty by the Ottomans who brought irregular Ottoman troops (bashi-bazouks) from outside the area. Countless villages were pillages and tens of thousands of people were massacred, the majority of them in the insurgents towns of Batak, Perushtitza and Bratzigovo in the area of Plovdiv. The massacres aroused a broad public reaction led by liberal Europeans such as William Gladstone, who launched a campaign against the "Bulgarian Horrors". The campaign was supported by a number of European intellectuals and public figures, such as Charles Darwin, Oscar Wilde, Victor Hugo and Giuseppe Garibaldi. 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The April Uprising ( Априлско въстание), was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May, 1876, the indirect result of which was the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. ... The Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee ( Български революционен централен комитет), BRCK, was a Bulgarian revolutionary organisation founded in Romania. ... The Herzegovinian Rebellion is a name used for the most infamous of the rebellions against the Ottoman Empire in Herzegovina that took place in 1875. ... Sliven (Bulgarian: Сливен) is a town in southeast Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Sliven Province. ... A bashi-bazouk (in Turkish başıbozuk, meaning disorganized, leaderless) was an irregular soldier of the Ottoman army. ... Batak designates two distinct peoples, one living in Indonesia, the other in the Philippines. ... Cultural Centrum of Perushtitsa - 2000 years, 1 goal: liberty Perushtitsa is a Bulgarian town located in the Plovdiv Oblast on the feet of the Rodopi mountains. ... Bratsigovo (Bulgarian Брацигово) is a town in Southern Bulgaria. ... William Ewart Gladstone (December 29, 1809 - May 19, 1898) was a British Liberal politician and Prime Minister (1868-1874, 1880-1885, 1886 and 1892-1894). ... In his lifetime Charles Darwin gained international fame as an influential scientist examining controversial topics. ... Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, short story writer and Freemason. ... Victor-Marie Hugo. ... Image:Untitled. ...

Bulgaria after the Conference of Constantinople, 1876, from "Report of the International Commission To Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars, 1914

The strongest reaction, however, came from Russia. The enormous public outcry which the April Uprising had caused in Europe gave the Russians a long-waited chance to realise their long-term objectives with regard to the Ottoman Empire. The Russian efforts, which were concentrated on ironing out the differences and contradictions between the Great Powers, eventually led to the Conference of Constantinople held in December 1876 in the Ottoman capital. The conference was attended by delegates from Russia, Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Germany and Italy and was supposed to bring a peaceful and lasting settlement of the Bulgarian Question. Download high resolution version (1046x756, 124 KB)Map from Report of the International Commission To Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars 1914. ... Download high resolution version (1046x756, 124 KB)Map from Report of the International Commission To Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars 1914. ... The April Uprising ( Априлско въстание), was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May, 1876, the indirect result of which was the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to some dispute as to Europes actual borders. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ...

Russia insisted to the last minute on the inclusion of all Bulgarian-inhabited lands in Macedonia, Moesia, Thrace and Dobrudja in the future Bulgarian state, whereas Britain, afraid that a greater Bulgaria would be a threat to British interests on the Balkans, favoured a smaller Bulgarian principality north of the Balkan Mountains. The delegates eventually gave their consent to a compromise variant, which excluded southern Macedonia and Thrace, and denied Bulgaria access to the Aegean sea, but otherwise incorporated all other regions in the Ottoman Empire inhabited by Bulgarians (illustration, left). At the last minute, however, the Ottomans rejected the plan with the secret support of Britain. In ancient geography, Moesia was a district inhabited chiefly by Thracian peoples. ... Thrace (Greek Θρᾴκη, Thrákē, Bulgarian Тракия, Trakija, Turkish Trakya; Latin: Thracia or Threcia) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe spread over southern Bulgaria, northeastern Greece (Western Thrace), and European Turkey. ... Dobruja or sometimes Dobrudja (Dobrogea in Romanian, Dobrudzha in Bulgarian, Dobruca in Turkish) is the territory between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, which includes the Danube Delta and the Romanian sea-shore. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of south-eastern Europe. ... Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains The Balkan mountain range (Bulgarian: Stara Planina, Old Mountain) is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River. ... Thrace (Greek Θρᾴκη, Thrákē, Bulgarian Тракия, Trakija, Turkish Trakya; Latin: Thracia or Threcia) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe spread over southern Bulgaria, northeastern Greece (Western Thrace), and European Turkey. ... The Aegean Sea. ...

The Liberation

Borders of Bulgaria according to the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878

Having its reputation at stake, Russia had no other choice but to declare war on the Ottomans in April 1877. The Romanian army and a small contingent of Bulgarian exiles also fought alongside the advancing Russians. The Russians and Romanians were able to inflict a decisive defeat on the Ottomans at the Battle of Shipka and at the Pleven, and, by January 1878 they had occupied much of Bulgaria. They were thus able to dictate terms to the Sultan, and in the Treaty of San Stefano they proposed creating a large Bulgarian state, embracing almost all of the lands populated by Bulgarians. The Sultan was in no position to resist, but the other powers were not willing to allow the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire or the creation of a large Pro-Russian state on the Balkans. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (786x613, 229 KB) A map of liberated Bulgaria (1878) - borders after the Treaty of San Stefano (3 March 1878) and the Congress of Berlin (June 1878). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (786x613, 229 KB) A map of liberated Bulgaria (1878) - borders after the Treaty of San Stefano (3 March 1878) and the Congress of Berlin (June 1878). ... Plevna Monument near the walls of Kitai-gorod. ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... This article needs cleanup. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Borders of Bulgaria according to the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3rd, 1878 The Treaty of San Stefano was a treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78. ...

As a result, the Treaty of Berlin (1878), under the supervision of Otto von Bismarck of Germany and Benjamin Disraeli of Britain, revised the earlier treaty, and scaled back the proposed Bulgarian state. Much of the Bulgarian territories were returned to the Empire (part of Thrace and Macedonia), while others were given to Serbia and Romania. A Principality of Bulgaria was created, between the Danube and the Stara Planina range, with its seat at the old Bulgarian capital of Veliko Turnovo, and including Sofia. This state was to be under nominal Ottoman sovereignty but was to be ruled by a prince elected by a congress of Bulgarian notables and approved by the Powers. They insisted that the Prince could not be a Russian, but in a compromise Prince Alexander of Battenberg, a nephew of Tsar Alexander II, was chosen. The separate Bulgaria after The Treatry of Berlin - Lithography Nikolay Pavlovich The Treaty of Berlin was the final Act of the Congress of Berlin (June 13-July 13, 1878), by which the United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the Ottoman government under Sultan Hamid revised the Treaty... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Alternative meanings: See Bismarck (disambiguation). ... Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (December 21, 1804 - April 24, British Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and author. ... Thrace (Greek Θρᾴκη, ThrákÄ“, Bulgarian Тракия, Trakija, Turkish Trakya; Latin: Thracia or Threcia) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe spread over southern Bulgaria, northeastern Greece (Western Thrace), and European Turkey. ... Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains The Stara Planina (Old Mountain) or Balkan mountain range is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River. ... Veliko Turnovo(Cyrillic: Велико Търново, Great Turnovo) is a city of approximately 65,000 people in North-central Bulgaria, 240km north-east of Sofia. ... Alexander Joseph of Battenburg (April 5, 1857 _ November 17, 1893), the first prince of modern Bulgaria, reigned from April 29, 1879 to September 7, 1886). ... Alexander (Aleksandr) II Nikolaevitch (Russian: Александр II Николаевич) (born April 17, 1818 in Moscow; died March 13, 1881 in St. ...

Between the Stara Planina and the line of the Rhodope Range, which runs about 50km north of the modern border between Bulgaria and Greece, the autonomous province of Eastern Rumelia was created. With its capital at Plovdiv, it was to be under Ottoman sovereignty but governed by a Christian governor appointed by the Sultan with the approval of the Powers. This hybrid territory was governed by Alexander Bogoridi for most of its brief existence. Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains The Stara Planina (Old Mountain) or Balkan mountain range is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River. ... View from the Belintash Rock towards the village of Vrata View from the Southern Rhodopes Dospat Dam in the western parts The river Mesta crossing the mountains The Rhodopes (Bulgarian: Родопи, Rodopi; Greek: Ροδόπη, Rodopi) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and... Flag of Eastern Rumelia Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia (Bulgarian: ; Ottoman Turkish: Rumeli-i Sarki; Modern Turkish: Sarki Rumeli, Greek Ανατολική Ρωμυλία) was an autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire from 1878 to 1885 (nominally to 1908). ... Prince Alexander Stefanov Bogoridi (Greek Αλεχανδρος Βογοριδης, Turkish Aleko Pasha) (1822, Istanbul - July 17th 1910, Paris) was an Ottoman statesman of Bulgarian origin. ...

It should be also noted that successive Bulgarian governments in the post-ottoman and pre-communist period (1878-1944) tried to honor international and bilateral agreements for respecting the right of minorities (Eminov, 1997:49).There was no explicit legal discrimination or political oppression against the Turkish and the Muslim minority in general.

See also

• Treaty of San Stefano
• Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878