Uprising of Ivaylo

Bulgaria in the late 13th century. The area of Ivaylo's uprising are marked with red dots.

Date	1277–1280
Location	Balkan peninsula
Result	Ivaylo was murdered, George Terter I became Emperor of Bulgaria

Belligerents

Bulgarians under Ivaylo

Bulgarian nobility

Byzantine Empire

Golden Horde

Commanders and leaders

Ivaylo of Bulgaria

Constantine Tikh

Ivan Asen III

Michael VIII Palaiologos

Nogai Khan

The Uprising of Ivaylo (Bulgarian: Въстанието на Ивайло) was a rebellion of the Bulgarian peasantry against the incompetent rule of Emperor Constantine Tikh and the Bulgarian nobility. The revolt was fuelled mainly by the failure of the central authorities to confront the Mongol menace in north-eastern Bulgaria. The Mongols had looted and ravaged the Bulgarian population for decades, especially in the region of Dobrudzha. The weakness of the state institutions was a result of the accelerating process of feudalisation of the Bulgarian Empire.

The peasants' leader Ivaylo, said to had been a swineherd by the contemporary Byzantine chroniclers, proved to be a successful general and charismatic leader. In the first months of the rebellion, he defeated the Mongols and the Tsar's armies, personally slaying Constantine Tikh in battle. Later, he made a triumphant entry in the capital Tarnovo, married Maria, the emperor's widow, and forced the nobility to recognize him as Emperor of Bulgaria.

The Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos tried to exploit this situation to his favour and intervened in Bulgaria. He sent Ivan Asen III, son of the former Emperor Mitso Asen, to claim the Bulgarian throne at the head of a large Byzantine army. Simultaneously, Michael VIII incited the Mongols to attack from the north, forcing Ivaylo to fight on two fronts. Ivaylo was defeated by the Mongols and besieged in important fortress of Drastar. In his absence the nobility in Tarnovo opened the gates to Ivan Asen III. However, Ivaylo managed to break the siege and Ivan Asen III fled back to the Byzantine Empire. Michael VIII sent two large armies in an attempt to turn the fortunes of the war, but they were both defeated by the Bulgarian rebels in the Balkan mountains.

...
Wikipedia