Decline Second_Bulgarian_Empire

emperor constantine tikh , first wife irene, fresco boyana church

ivan asen ii succeeded infant son kaliman i. despite initial success against mongols, regency of new emperor decided avoid further raids , chose pay them tribute instead. lack of strong monarch , increasing rivalries among nobility caused bulgaria rapidly decline. main rival nicaea avoided mongol raids , gained power in balkans. after death of 12-year-old kaliman in 1246, throne succeeded several short-reigned rulers. weakness of new government exposed when nicaean army conquered large areas in southern thrace, rhodopes, , macedonia—including adrianople, tsepina, stanimaka, melnik, serres, skopje, , ohrid—meeting little resistance. hungarians exploited bulgarian weakness, occupying belgrade , braničevo. bulgarians reacted late 1253, invading serbia , regaining rhodopes following year. however, michael ii asen s indecisiveness allowed nicaeans regain of lost territory, exception of tsepina. in 1255, bulgarians regained macedonia, bulgarian population preferred rule of tarnovo of nicaeans. gains lost in 1256, after bulgarian representative rostislav mikhailovich betrayed cause , reaffirmed nicaean control on disputed areas. major setback cost emperor s life , led period of instability , civil war between several claimants throne until 1257, when boyar of skopje constantine tikh emerged victor.

the new emperor had deal multiple foreign threats. in 1257, latins attacked , seized messembria not hold town. more serious situation north-west, hungarians supported rostislav, self-proclaimed emperor of bulgaria in vidin. in 1260, constantine tikh recovered vidin , occupied severin banat, next year hungarian counterattack forced bulgarians retreat tarnovo, restoring vidin rostislav. city controlled bulgarian noble jacob svetoslav, 1266 styled himself emperor. restoration of byzantine empire under ambitious michael viii palaiologos further worsened bulgaria s situation. major byzantine invasion in 1263 led loss of coastal towns messembria , anchialus, , several cities in thrace—including philippopolis. unable resist, constantine tikh organized joint bulgarian–mongol campaign, after ravaging thrace mongols returned north of danube. emperor became crippled after hunting accident in 1260s, , fell under influence of wife maria palaiologina, constant intrigues fueled divisions among nobility.

constant mongol raids, economic difficulties, , emperor s illness led massive popular uprising in north-east in 1277. rebel army, led swineherd ivaylo, defeated mongols twice, boosting popularity. ivaylo turned on , defeated regular army under command of constantine tikh. killed emperor, claiming latter did nothing defend honour. fearing revolt in byzantium, , willing exploit situation, emperor michael viii sent army led ivan asen iii, bulgarian pretender throne, rebels reached tarnovo first. constantine tikh s widow maria married ivaylo , proclaimed emperor. after byzantines failed, michael viii turned mongols, invaded dobrudzha , defeated ivaylo s army, forcing him retreat drastar, withstood three-month siege. after defeat, ivaylo betrayed bulgarian nobility, opened gates of tarnovo ivan asen iii. in 1279, ivaylo broke off siege @ drastar , besieged capital. byzantines sent 10,000-strong army relieve ivan asen iii, suffered defeat ivaylo @ battle of devina. army of 5,000 had similar fate, forcing ivan asen iii flee. ivaylo s situation did not improve, however—after 2 years of constant warfare support diminished, mongols not decisively defeated, , nobility remained hostile. end of 1280, ivaylo sought refuge former enemies mongols, under byzantine influence killed him. nobility chose powerful noble , ruler of cherven, george terter, emperor. reigned twelve years, bringing stronger mongol influence , loss of of remaining lands in thrace byzantines. period of instability , uncertainty continued until 1300, when few months mongol chaka ruled in tarnovo.