Second Bulgarian State

Second Bulgarian Empire
ц︢рьство блъгарское Второ българско царство
1185–1396
Flag Shield of the King's Watch in Tarnovo, Travel of an Anonymous Arabian Traveler, end of 14 c.
Bulgaria under Ivan Asen II
Capital		Tarnovo (1185 –1393) Vidin and Nikopol (1393–1396)
Languages		Middle Bulgarian
Religion		Orthodox Christianity, Bogomilism (banned)
Government		Monarchy
Tsar (Emperor)
•	1185–1190	Peter IV (first)
•	1396	Constantine II (last)
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Reestablishment	1185
•	Fall under Ottoman rule	1396
Area
•	1205	248,000 km2 (96,000 sq mi)
•	1241	477,000 km2 (184,000 sq mi)
•	1350	137,000 km2 (53,000 sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by First Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Ottoman Empire
Today part of		Countries today  Bulgaria  Albania  Greece  Kosovo  Macedonia  Moldova  Montenegro  Romania  Serbia  Turkey  Ukraine

The Second Bulgarian Empire (Bulgarian: Второ българско царство, Vtorо Bălgarskо Tsartsvo) was a medieval Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1396. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. It was succeeded by the Principality and later Kingdom of Bulgaria in 1878.

Until 1256, the Second Bulgarian Empire was the dominant power in the Balkans, defeating the Byzantine Empire in several major battles. In 1205 Emperor Kaloyan defeated the newly established Latin Empire in the Battle of Adrianople. His nephew Ivan Asen II defeated the Despotate of Epiros and made Bulgaria a regional power again. During his reign, Bulgaria spread from the Adriatic to the Black Sea and the economy flourished. In the late 13th century, however, the Empire declined under constant invasions by Mongols, Byzantines, Hungarians, and Serbs, as well as internal unrest and revolts. The 14th century saw a temporary recovery and stability, but also the peak of Balkan feudalism as central authorities gradually lost power in many regions. Bulgaria was divided into three parts on the eve of the Ottoman invasion.

Despite strong Byzantine influence, Bulgarian artists and architects created their own distinctive style. In the 14th century, during the period known as the Second Golden Age of Bulgarian culture, literature and art flourished. The capital city Tarnovo, which was considered a "New Constantinople", became the country's main cultural hub and the centre of the Eastern Orthodox world for contemporary Bulgarians. After the Ottoman conquest, many Bulgarian clerics and scholars emigrated to Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, and Russian principalities, where they introduced Bulgarian culture, books, and hesychastic ideas.