First Bulgarian Kingdom

First Bulgarian Empire
Црьство бл︢гарское
681–1018
First Bulgarian Empire, early 10th century
Capital		Pliska (681–893), Preslav (893–968/972), Skopje, Ohrid, Bitola (until 1018)
Languages		Bulgar language, Proto-Slavic, Byzantine Greek, Old Bulgarian (official from 893)
Religion		Tengrism (state religion), Slavic Paganism (681–864), Orthodox Christianity (864–1018)
Government		Absolute monarchy
Monarch
•	681–700	Asparukh (first)
•	1018	Presian II (last)
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Arrival of Asparukh	681
•	Christianisation	864
•	Adoption of Old Bulgarian as a national language	893
•	Simeon I assumes the title of Tsar (Emperor)	913
•	Theme Bulgaria established in Byzantine Empire	1018
Area
•	830	593,000 km2 (229,000 sq mi)
•	927	807,000 km2 (312,000 sq mi)
•	1000	487,000 km2 (188,000 sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by Quaestura exercitus Avar Khaganate Old Great Bulgaria Byzantine Empire under the Macedonian dynasty Second Bulgarian Empire
Today part of		Countries today  Bulgaria  Albania  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Croatia  Greece  Hungary  Kosovo  Macedonia  Moldova  Montenegro  Romania  Serbia  Slovakia  Turkey  Ukraine

The First Bulgarian Empire (Old Bulgarian: ц︢рьство бл︢гарское, ts'rstvo bl'garskoe) was a medieval Bulgarian state that existed in southeastern Europe between the 7th and 11th centuries AD. It was founded circa 681 when Bulgar tribes led by Asparukh moved to the north-eastern Balkans. There they secured Byzantine recognition of their right to settle south of the Danube by defeating – possibly with the help of local South Slavic tribes – the Byzantine army led by Constantine IV. At the height of its power, Bulgaria spread from the Danube Bend to the Black Sea and from the Dnieper River to the Adriatic Sea.

As the state solidified its position in the Balkans, it entered into a centuries-long interaction, sometimes friendly and sometimes hostile, with the Byzantine Empire. Bulgaria emerged as Byzantium's chief antagonist to its north, resulting in several wars. The two powers also enjoyed periods of peace and alliance, most notably during the Second Arab siege of Constantinople, where the Bulgarian army broke the siege and destroyed the Arab army, thus preventing an Arab invasion of Southeastern Europe. Byzantium had a strong cultural influence on Bulgaria, which also led to the eventual adoption of Christianity in 864. After the disintegration of the Avar Khaganate, the country expanded its territory northwest to the Pannonian Plain. Later the Bulgarians confronted the advance of the Pechenegs and Cumans, and achieved a decisive victory over the Magyars, forcing them to establish themselves permanently in Pannonia.