Smilets of Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
Smilets reigned as emperor (tsar
) of Bulgaria
from 1292 to 1298. The date of his birth is unknown.
Although Smilec is credited with being descended "from the noblest family of the Bulgarians", his antecedents are completely unknown. Judging by the landholdings of his brothers Radoslav and Vojsil, the family held extensive lands between the Balkan mountains
and the Sredna Gora
.
Before ascending the throne in 1292, Smilec had married an unnamed Byzantine
princess, the daughter of the sebastokratōr
Constantine Palaiologos, a brother of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
. Apart from the information that Smilec became emperor of Bulgaria according to the wishes of Nogai Khan
, we know nothing of the circumstances of Smilec's accession. Accordingly, the reign of Smilec has been considered the height of Mongol overlordship in Bulgaria. Nevertheless, Mongol raids may have continued, as in 1297 and 1298. Since these raids pillaged parts of Thrace
(then entirely in Byzantine hands), perhaps Bulgaria was not one of their objectives. In fact, in spite of the usually pro-Byzantine policy of Nogai, Smilec was quickly involved in an unsuccessful war against the Byzantine Empire
at the beginning of his reign.
About 1296/1297 Smilec married his daughter Theodora to the future Serbian King Stefan Uroš III Dečanski, and this union produced the Serbian king and later emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan.
In 1298 Smilec disappears from the pages of history, apparently after the beginning of Chaka's invasion. He may have been killed by Chaka or died of natural causes while the enemy advanced against him. Smilec was briefly succeeded by his young son Ivan II
.
. She was called just Smiltsena . By her he had at least three children:
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
) of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
from 1292 to 1298. The date of his birth is unknown.
Although Smilec is credited with being descended "from the noblest family of the Bulgarians", his antecedents are completely unknown. Judging by the landholdings of his brothers Radoslav and Vojsil, the family held extensive lands between the Balkan mountains
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan range runs 560 km from the Vrashka Chuka Peak on the border between Bulgaria and eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea...
and the Sredna Gora
Sredna Gora
Sredna Gora is a mountain range in central Bulgaria, situated south of and parallel to Balkan mountain range and extending from the river Iskar to the west and the elbow of Tundzha north of Yambol to the east. Sredna Gora is 285 km long, reaching 50 km at its greatest width...
.
Before ascending the throne in 1292, Smilec had married an unnamed Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
princess, the daughter of the sebastokratōr
Sebastokrator
Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence. The word is a compound of "sebastos" Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used...
Constantine Palaiologos, a brother of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
. Apart from the information that Smilec became emperor of Bulgaria according to the wishes of Nogai Khan
Nogai Khan
Nogai , also called Isa Nogai, was a general and de facto ruler of the Golden Horde and a great-great-grandson of Genghis Khan. His grandfather was Baul/Teval Khan, the 7th son of Jochi...
, we know nothing of the circumstances of Smilec's accession. Accordingly, the reign of Smilec has been considered the height of Mongol overlordship in Bulgaria. Nevertheless, Mongol raids may have continued, as in 1297 and 1298. Since these raids pillaged parts of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
(then entirely in Byzantine hands), perhaps Bulgaria was not one of their objectives. In fact, in spite of the usually pro-Byzantine policy of Nogai, Smilec was quickly involved in an unsuccessful war against the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
at the beginning of his reign.
About 1296/1297 Smilec married his daughter Theodora to the future Serbian King Stefan Uroš III Dečanski, and this union produced the Serbian king and later emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan.
In 1298 Smilec disappears from the pages of history, apparently after the beginning of Chaka's invasion. He may have been killed by Chaka or died of natural causes while the enemy advanced against him. Smilec was briefly succeeded by his young son Ivan II
Ivan II of Bulgaria
Ivan II , reigned as emperor of Bulgaria from 1298 to 1299. The date of his birth is unknown, but probably not much earlier than c. 1290. He died as a monk in exile before 1330.Ivan II succeeded his father Smilets as emperor in Tărnovo in 1298...
.
Family
Smilec was married to an unnamed Byzantine princess, daughter of sebastokratōr Constantine PalaiologosConstantine Palaiologos (half-brother of Michael VIII)
Constantine Palaiologos was a son of Andronikos Palaiologos, Grand Domestic of the Empire of Nicaea and an unknown second wife...
. She was called just Smiltsena . By her he had at least three children:
- Ivan IIIvan II of BulgariaIvan II , reigned as emperor of Bulgaria from 1298 to 1299. The date of his birth is unknown, but probably not much earlier than c. 1290. He died as a monk in exile before 1330.Ivan II succeeded his father Smilets as emperor in Tărnovo in 1298...
, who succeeded as emperor of Bulgaria 1298-1299/1300. - TheodoraTheodora Smilets of BulgariaTheodora Smilets was a Bulgarian princess and queen consort of Serbia, the first wife of king Stefan Uroš III Dečanski of Serbia....
, who married Stefan Uroš III Dečanski of Serbia. - MarinaMarina Smilets of BulgariaMarina Smilets was the eledest daughter of tsar Smilets of Bulgaria and his Byzantine wife.-Family:The date and the place of Marina's birth are unknown, but she was born before her father's ascension on the Bulgarian throne in 1292, maybe in his official residence in Kran...
, who married the despotēs AldimirAldimirAldimir or EltimirWhile Aldimir is mentioned in Medieval Greek sources solely as Ἐλτιμηρῆς, Eltimiris, his original name Aldimir has been established thanks to the discovery of his son Ivan Dragushin's epitaph. was a Bulgarian noble of the 13th–14th century...
(Eltimir), brother of George I of BulgariaGeorge I of BulgariaGeorge Terter I ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1280-1292. The date of his birth is unknown, and he died in 1308/1309.The reign of George Terter I represents a continuation of Bulgaria's precipitous decline during the second half of the 13th century...
.