Kaliman Asen II ( bg, Калиман Асен II), or commonly, but less accurately Koloman Asen II, ruled as tsar of Bulgaria for a short time in 1256. The year of his birth is unknown. Kaliman Asen II was the son of ''

sebastokrator ''Sebastokrator'' ( grc-byz, Σεβαστοκράτωρ, Sevastokrátor, August Ruler, ; bg, севастократор, sevastokrator; sh, sebastokrator), was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers wh ...

'' Alexander, who was the younger brother of Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria. Kaliman Asen II's mother is unknown, and attempts to identify her as a Serbian princess are based on the erroneous identification of Kaliman Asen II with the ''sebastokrator''

Kaloyan Kaloyan or Kalojan, also known as Ioannitsa or Johannitsa ( bg, Калоян, Йоаница; 1170 – October 1207), was emperor or tsar of Second Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria from 1196 to 1207. He was the younger brother of Peter II of Bulgari ...

, who was still alive in 1258/59. In 1256 Kaliman Asen murdered his first cousin Michael Asen I during a hunting party in the environs of the capital

Tărnovo Veliko Tarnovo ( bg, Велико Търново, Veliko Tărnovo, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a town in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred as the "''City of the Tsars''", Veliko Tarnovo ...

and usurped the throne. In the process he married Michael Asen I's widow, the unnamed daughter of

Rostislav Mihailovich Rostislav Mikhailovich ( hu, Rosztyiszláv, Bulgarian and Russian: Ростислав Михайлович) (after 1210 / c. 1225 – 1262) was a Rus' prince (a member of the Rurik dynasty), and a dignitary in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was pri ...

, but he was unable to maintain himself on the throne. Rostislav advanced on Tărnovo from Belgrade, and Kaliman Asen II fled the capital. Rostislav returned home with his daughter and claiming the title of emperor of Bulgaria, while a brother-in-law of Michael Asen I,

Mitso Asen Mitso Asen ( bg, Мицо Асен) or Micho Asen (Мичо Асен) was the tsar of Bulgaria from 1256 until 1257. Reign Mitso Asen ascended the throne by virtue of his marriage to Maria, a daughter of Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria by Irene Komnene ...

took the throne. In the meantime, Kaliman Asen II had been murdered after being abandoned by most of his supporters.

References

* John V. A. Fine Jr., ''The Late Medieval Balkans'', Ann Arbor, 1987.

External links

Detailed list of Bulgarian rulers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaliman 02 Of Bulgaria 1256 deaths 13th-century Bulgarian emperors Murdered Bulgarian monarchs Eastern Orthodox monarchs Asen dynasty Year of birth unknown