Bulgaria South_Slavs

following collapse of old great bulgaria, asparukh s bulgars arrived in scythia minor in 680 , allied local slavic population form bulgaria. slavs accepted rulers bulgar khans retained significant autonomy. both peoples had protect country byzantines south , avar khanate north-west. byzantines aware of new threat defeated in battle of ongal , in 681 officially recognized bulgaria sovereign country, known nowadays first bulgarian empire. mid 9th century bulgaria expanded of slavic-populated areas of balkan peninsula in thrace, moesia, macedonia , dacia. khan omurtag (814–831) made administrative reform aimed centralization of country , deprived slavs of autonomy. result, slavic tribes north-west rebelled subjugated.

balkans, latter half of 9th century

following christianization of bulgaria , creation of glagolitic , cyrillic alphabets , formation of literary bulgarian language, bulgars , slavs merged bulgarian people. in 927 byzantines had recognize imperial title of bulgarian rulers (in bulgarian цар – tsar) , bulgarian patriarchate. bulgaria became cultural center of slavic orthodox world in 9th , 10th centuries. following destruction of first bulgarian empire byzantine emperor basil ii in 1018, bulgaria came under byzantine rule in 1018. second bulgarian empire secured independence byzantium in 1185, lasting until 1396 when conquered ottomans.