Principality of Karvuna
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The Principality of Karvuna (Bulgarian: Карвунско деспотство or Добруджанско деспотство Romanian: Ţara Cărvunei) was a 14th-century quasi-independent state in the region of modern Dobruja. It emerged as a polity under the influence of the Byzantine Empire, and probably had a population composed of Bulgarians, Gagauz, Greeks, Tatars, and Vlachs.
The principality's name is derived from the fortress of Karvuna (modern Balchik, Italian: Carbona), mentioned in Bulgarian and Byzantine documents and Italian portolans of the 14th century as its first capital, and located between Varna and Cape Kaliakra.
The principality was spinned off from the Bulgarian Empire around 1320 and its first leader was Balik. A "Metropolitan of Varna and Carbona" was mentioned in 1325. Under Balik's son Dobrotitsa (1347–1386; ruling with the title of "despot" after 1357) the principality came to its greatest power and extention, the capital moved to Kaliakra.
In 1366, Ivan Alexander refused to give conduct to the John V Palaiologos who was returning home from Hungary. In order to force the Bulgarians to comply, John V ordered his relative Count Amadeus VI of Savoy to attack the Bulgarian coastal towns. In the fall of the same year, Amadeus' navy took Pomorie, Nessebar, Emona, and Kozyak, and on 25 October besieged the strong fortress of Varna, where it was repulsed. As a result, Ivan Alexander gave the Byzantines safe conduct across Bulgaria and they kept the conquerred towns [2]; Varna was ceded to Dobrotitsa for his help against Amadeus.
In 1386, Ivan Shishman attacked Ivanko, Dobrotitsa's son and new despot of Dobruja, defeating and killing his former vassal Dan I of Wallachia, an ally of Ivanko's, but didn't manage to bring Dobruja back under his rule. The same year, Ivanko moved his capital to Varna, which fell to the Ottomans in 1389. Ivanko himself died in battle in 1388.
The area was taken later that year by Wallachia's prince Mircea the Elder, and its territory continued to be a disputed land between the Ottomans and Wallachia for over 30 years, until it was occupied by the Ottoman Empire in 1420[citation needed].
In the very end of the 14th century, German traveller Johann Schiltberger described these lands as follows:[3]
| “ | I was in three regions, and all three were called Bulgaria. The first Bulgaria extends there, where you pass from Hungary through the Iron Gate. Its capital is called Vidin. The other Bulgaria lies opposite Wallachia, and its cappital is called Tarnovo. The third Bulgaria is there, where the Danube flows into the sea. Its capital is called Kaliakra. | ” |
Venetian sources from the late 14th century refer to Dobrotitsa as a "despot of Bulgarians" (DESPOTUM BULGARORUM DOBROTICAM) and to his realm as "parts of Zagora (Bulgaria) subordinate to Dobrotitsa" (PARTES ZAGORAE (BULGARIAE) SUBDITAS DOBROTICAE).[4]
[edit] References
- Васил Н. Златарски, История на българската държава през средните векове, Част I, II изд., Наука и изкуство, София 1970.
- [1]
- [2]
- ^ Based on Lalkov, Rulers of Bulgaria
- ^ Fine, Late Medieval Balkans, p. 367
- ^ Delev, Petǎr; Valeri Kacunov, Plamen Mitev, Evgenija Kalinova, Iskra Baeva, Bojan Dobrev (2006). "19. Bǎlgarija pri Car Ivan Aleksandǎr", Istorija i civilizacija za 11. klas (in Bulgarian). Trud, Sirma.
- ^ (2001) in Васил Гюзелев: Венециански документи за историята на България и българите от XII–XV в. (in Bulgarian). София: Главно управление на архивите при Министерския съвет, p. 108, p. 136. ISBN 954-0800-22-9.
[edit] See also
Categories: Articles lacking sources from August 2006 | All articles lacking sources | NPOV disputes | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Dobruja | History of Bulgaria | History of Romania | Former countries in the Balkans | Former Slavic countries
