Ivan Asen I
| Ivan Asen I Иван Асен І |
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Lithograph by Nikolai Pavlovich
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| Reign | 1187/1188–1196 |
| Predecessor | Peter II of Bulgaria |
| Successor | Kaloyan |
| Died | 1196 Tarnovo |
| Spouse | Helen |
| Issue | Ivan Asen II |
| House | Asen dynasty |
Ivan Asen I, also known as Asen I or John Asen I (Bulgarian: Иван Асен I) was emperor (or tsar) of Bulgaria from 1187 or 1188 to 1196 as the co-ruler of his elder brother, Peter II. He was the son of a wealthy shepherd from the mountains of the Byzantine theme (or district) of Paristrion. Asen and his brothers were mentioned as Vlachs in most primary sources, but Bulgarians and Cumans must have also been among their ancestors, according to modern scholars.
Asen and Peter (who was still known as Theodor at that time) went to see the Byzantine Emperor, Isaac II Angelos, in Thrace in 1185, demanding an estate in the Balkan Mountains. After the emperor refused them, the brothers persuaded their compatriots to rise up against the Byzantine Empire. Peter was crowned emperor before the end of the year. After Isaac II defeated them in early 1186, Asen and Peter fled over the Danube, but they returned in the autumn, accompanied by Cuman reinforcements. They captured Paristrion and started pillaging the nearby Byzantine territories.
Asen became his brother's co-ruler in 1187 or 1188. Peter made a peace with the Byzantines, but Asen continued the fight. They divided their realm, with Asen receiving Tarnovo and its region. Asen made a series of raids against Byzantine territories and expanded his rule over the lands along the Struma River in the early 1190s. A boyar, Ivanko, stabbed him in 1196.
The career of Asen and his brother, Theodor, suggests that they were descended from a prominent family, according to historian Alicia Simpson. Historian Alexandru Madgearu says, their father was most probably a wealthy man who owned herds in the Balkan Mountains. The date of Asen's birth is unknown.
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