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== References ==
== References ==
<references />{{Category:Second Bulgarian Empire}}
<references />
{{Authority control}}
{{Category:Second Bulgarian Empire}}
{{Category:History of Lovech Province}}{{Category:Despotates}}{{Category:Medieval Bulgaria}}
{{Category:History of Lovech Province}}{{Category:Despotates}}{{Category:Medieval Bulgaria}}

Revision as of 13:16, 3 September 2022

Despotate of Lovech
Деспотство Ловеч (Bulgarian)
Despotstvo Lovech (Bulgarian)
1330–1446
Coat of arms of the Sratsimir dynasty in the 14th century
Coat of arms (14th century)
StatusDespotate
CapitalLovech
Common languagesMiddle Bulgarian
Religion
Bulgarian Orthodoxy
GovernmentMonarchy
Notable despots 
• 1330–1371
Ivan Alexander
Historical eraMiddle Ages
• Appointment of Ivan Alexander to govern Lovech as a despot
1330
• Conquest by the Ottomans
1446
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Second Bulgarian Empire
Ottoman Empire
Today part ofBulgaria

The Despotate of Lovech (Template:Lang-bg), was a Bulgarian state, covering parts of the territory of what is now Lovech Province, formed in 1330 after Ivan Alexander was appointed to govern Lovech, the capital of the despotate, and the nearby area around the town. It was dissolved after the fall of the Lovech Fortress in 1446 to the Ottomans.[1][2]

The state was the last independent Bulgarian state after 1396, before it's conquest by the Ottoman Empire. It was ruled by the Sratsimir dynasty.

History

Formation

The despotate was formed after Ivan Alexander became the despot, most likely being appointed due to Lovech being a major town that controlled commercial passage through the Stara Planina passes, and the migration of intellectuals to Moldavia and Wallachia, due to Ottoman conquests.[1][2][3]

Period of prosperity

The area was the center for many Bulgarian rulers. In the 14th century, the commercial, administrative and spiritual centres were at their peak. The despot also made a great contribution towards stopping the Serbian advance, although Bulgaria still lost the battle of Velbazhd. Ivan married Princess Theodora of Wallachia.[4] He gradually won trust to become the elected Tsar of Bulgaria in 1331, after Ivan Stefan was driven out by a coup d'etat, and the conspirators placed him on the throne.[5]

Dissolution

Ivan Alexander died on 17 February 1371. Despite his early years of success, his later decisions, such as splitting the empire among his sons in 1356, left the Bulgarian states to face outside powers politically divided and weakened, contributing to the fall of the despotate. The Ottoman invasions of Bulgaria in the 14th century did not directly result in the despotate being conquered. Stanko Kosan defended the town from the Ottomans until it was conquered by the Ottomans in 1446.[1][2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Lovech Fortress". History Hit. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Lovech - historic medieval town - Bulgaria". ermakvagus.com. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  3. ^ Petkov, Kiril (31 August 2008). The Voices of Medieval Bulgaria, Seventh-Fifteenth Century: The Records of a Bygone Culture. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-16831-2.
  4. ^ Mladenov, Momchil. "Before the Throne: Early Years of Ivan Alexander Asen (1331-1371)". Journals.uni-vt.bg.
  5. ^ "Bulgaria under Tsar Ivan Alexander: an upsurge before sundown". bnr.bg. Retrieved 1 August 2022.