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Presian ( bg, Пресиян, Персиян, Пресиан) was the khan of
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
in 836–852. He ruled during an extensive expansion in Macedonia.


Origin

The composite picture of the Byzantine sources indicates that Presian I was the son of
Zvinitsa Zvinitsa ( bg, Звиница, ''Zviniča''; called Zbēnitzēs in the Greek sources) was a Bulgarian nobleman who lived in the 9th century. Life Zvinitsa was a son of the ''Khan'' Omurtag and an unknown woman, and thus a grandson of Krum and ...
(''Zbēnitzēs''), who was a son of Omurtag. In several older studies Presian is identified with his short-lived predecessor
Malamir Malamir may refer to: * Malamir of Bulgaria, a Bulgarian ruler (Khan) * Malamir, Iran, a city in Khuzestan Province, Iran * Malamir Knoll Malamir Knoll (Malamirova Mogila \ma-la-'mi-ro-va mo-'gi-la\) rises to 200 m in the southeast extremity of ...
and it is assumed that this single character survived until the 850s as the direct predecessor of Boris I. This is very unlikely, as Malamir is attested as having been succeeded by his nephew (the son of his brother Zvinitsa), while Boris I was preceded by his father Presian. Zlatarski resolved the problems in the fragmentary sources by determining that Malamir's unnamed nephew and successor was in fact Presian, and Boris I was the latter's son. The 17th century Volga Bulgar compilation '' Cäğfär Taríxı'', a work of disputed authenticity, represents Birdžihan (i.e., Presian) as the son of Sabanša (i.e., Zvinitsa), which may lend support to the interpretation of his origins now dominant in Bulgarian historiography.


Conflict with Serbia and Byzantium

Presian may have been young and inexperienced at the time of his accession, and state affairs may have been dominated by the minister ('' Kavkhan'') Isbul, as under Presian's uncle Malamir. In 837, soon after Presian's accession, the Slavs in the vicinity of
Thessalonica Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
rebelled against the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
. Emperor Theophilos sought Bulgarian support in putting down the rebellion, but simultaneously arranged for his fleet to sail through the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
delta and undertake a clandestine evacuation of some of the Byzantine captives settled in trans-Danubian Bulgaria by
Krum Krum ( bg, Крум, el, Κροῦμος/Kroumos), often referred to as Krum the Fearsome ( bg, Крум Страшни) was the Khan of Bulgaria from sometime between 796 and 803 until his death in 814. During his reign the Bulgarian territor ...
and Omurtag. In retaliation Isbul campaigned along the Aegean coasts of
Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
and Macedonia and captured the city of
Philippi Philippi (; grc-gre, Φίλιπποι, ''Philippoi'') was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides ( grc-gre, Κρηνῖδες, ''Krenides'' "Fountains") after its establishment by Thasian colon ...
, where he set up a surviving memorial inscription set up in a local church. Isbul's campaign may have resulted in the establishment of Bulgarian suzerainty over the Slavic tribe of the Smolyani. Presian's reign coincides with the extension of Bulgarian control over the Slavic tribes in and around Macedonia. It is known that the Serbs and Bulgars lived in peace until Presian invaded Serbian territory in 839, during the last years of Theophilos.
Vlastimir Vlastimir ( sr-cyrl, Властимир, ; c. 805 – 851) was the List of Serbian monarchs#Vlastimirović Dynasty, Serbian prince from c. 830 until c. 851. Little is known of his reign. He held Principality of Serbia (early medieval), Serbia dur ...
, the Knez of Serbia, united several Serbian tribes, and Emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) granted the Serbs independence;S. Stanojevic, ''Историја српскога народа'', Belgrade, 1910, p. 46—47 thus, the Serbs acknowledged the nominal overlordship of the Emperor. The annexation of western Macedonia by the Bulgars changed the political situation. Malamir or Presian may have seen a threat in the Serb consolidation, and opted to subjugate them in the midst of the conquest of Slav lands. Another reason might have been that the Byzantines wanted to divert attention in order to cope with the Slav Uprising in the
Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...
, and so sent the Serbs to instigate the war.''Известия за българите'', p. 42—43 Presian invaded
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n territory in 839. The invasion led to a 3-year war, in which Vlastimir was victorious; Presian was driven out of Serbian territory by Vlastimir's army. In addition to making no territorial gains, Presian suffered heavy losses due to the Serbian tactical advantage in the hills. The war ended with the death of Theophilos in 842, which released Vlastimir from his obligations to the Byzantine Empire. Presian died in 852, and was succeeded by his son
Boris I Boris I, also known as Boris-Mihail (Michael) and ''Bogoris'' ( cu, Борисъ А҃ / Борисъ-Михаилъ bg, Борис I / Борис-Михаил; died 2 May 907), was the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889. At ...
.


Honour

Presian Ridge Presian Ridge (Presiyanov Rid \pre-si-'ya-nov 'rid\) is a ridge of elevation 1456 m extending 950 m in east-weat direction in Friesland Ridge, Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Situated between the isl ...
on
Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...
in the
South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 195 ...
,
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
, is named after Presian I of Bulgaria.


See also

*
Bulgars The Bulgars (also Bulghars, Bulgari, Bolgars, Bolghars, Bolgari, Proto-Bulgarians) were Turkic semi-nomadic warrior tribes that flourished in the Pontic–Caspian steppe and the Volga region during the 7th century. They became known as nomad ...
*
History of Bulgaria The history of Bulgaria can be traced from the first settlements on the lands of Bulgaria, modern Bulgaria to its formation as a nation-state, and includes the history of the Bulgarians, Bulgarian people and their origin. The earliest evidence of ...
* Presian Inscription


References


Sources

* Jordan Andreev, Ivan Lazarov, Plamen Pavlov, ''Koj koj e v srednovekovna Bălgarija'', Sofia 1999. * Vasil Zlatarski, ''Istorija na bălgarskata dăržava'', 1:1, Sofia, 1918. * (primary source), Bahši Iman, ''Džagfar Tarihy'', vol. III, Orenburg 1997. *''
De Administrando Imperio ''De Administrando Imperio'' ("On the Governance of the Empire") is the Latin title of a Greek-language work written by the 10th-century Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine VII. The Greek title of the work is ("To yown son Romanos"). It is a domes ...
'' by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, edited by Gy. Moravcsik and translated by R. J. H. Jenkins, Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, Washington D. C., 1993 * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Presian 01 Of Bulgaria 852 deaths 9th-century Bulgarian monarchs Year of birth unknown Bulgarian people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars People of the Bulgarian–Serbian Wars Krum's dynasty